Certainly some of the best news in recent times is the results of the independent survey commissioned by mice.net magazine on where Australian groups are travelling or intending to travel.
The research, conducted by Micromex, showed New Zealand was the most common answer to the question ‘What international destination are you considering for an upcoming conference or event?’ with 17.8 per cent. A further 14.7 per cent of those surveyed specified Auckland, while Wellington, Christchurch and Rotorua had nine, seven, and five per cent market share respectively.
This report prompted the general manager of the Auckland Business Tourism Bureau Anna Hayward to say that Auckland has matured as a C&I destination in recent years.
“Our infrastructure and capacity has grown with new product and venues in the market, meaning more options for clients,” she said.
“This also compliments our ability to offer variety for off-site dining options and partner programs. Auckland the destination has so much to offer.”
New product just opened includes The Wharf, a function venue situated on the Waitemata Harbour, with panoramic views back to Auckland city. The Auckland Business Tourism Bureau anticipates this stunning venue, with its focus on service and innovative cuisine, will be a welcome addition to the variety of venue options available in Auckland.
In other news, the first stage of the $26 million upgrade of the ASB Showgrounds was completed in 2007, improving the facility’s capacity to host shows, events and exhibitions.
Also in 2007 the Auckland Museum opened its Lion Foundation Events Centre, a circular, glazed space under the copper dome on the roof of the museum offering panoramic views across Auckland and suitable for hosting up to 700 for cocktails.
One of the biggest and best things to happen in Auckland during 2007 was the opening of New Zealand’s newest luxury hotel, The Westin Auckland, Lighter Quay which was officially opened in June. It is said to be the first five-star international property to open in Auckland in six years.
Overlooking Viaduct Harbour, The Westin Auckland marks the global brand’s entry to the New Zealand market and the launch of a new style of boutique hotel experience.
With just 172 rooms, The Westin Auckland combines the intimacy of a small, personal property with signature Westin style, instinctive service and personal renewal. Surrounded by water on two sides, and built around an expansive central lagoon, the boutique property on Melview Developments’ Lighter Quay celebrates its maritime setting. All rooms are non-smoking.
Kourawhero Country Lodge was also a new addition to Auckland’s room inventory, opened in September 2007. It is described as a peaceful and luxurious lodge, a comfortable one hour north of the Auckland CBD. Nestled in a bush-clad estate with amazing sea and country views, Kourawhero is a private and secure venue for a wide range of meetings and events. Facilities include 18 deluxe suites and two purpose-built meeting rooms. Both meeting rooms have state-of-the-art AV equipment, wireless broadband and adjoin superb outdoor areas. Additional facilities include a private boardroom, business centre, pool, gym and day spa plus further break-out options.
Kourawhero is said to be Auckland’s only luxury lodge designed specifically for the corporate market and is said to be receiving rave reviews from those who have already stayed.
In another first for Auckland, Regus, described as the world’s leading global outsourced office provider, opened its doors in September. The New Zealand launch is part of Regus’ Asia-Pacific expansion strategy but has been fast tracked to meet the current demand for premium-end serviced offices in Auckland’s CBD.
General manager for Regus in Australia and New Zealand, Ian Wheeler, said the main reason businesses were attracted to serviced office space was to avoid up-front capital expenditure.
“Businesses can have a sophisticated office presence at a prime Auckland CBD address but under their own terms of one, three, six, nine and 12 months or more, depending on their requirements,” he said.
The company also caters for meetings business.
In airline news, Pacific Blue, a subsidiary of Virgin Blue, has commenced services on the key Auckland-Wellington, Auckland-Christchurch and Wellington-Christchurch routes. Following Pacific Blue’s announcement Qantas announced it would operate its Cityflyer brand on the major business routes of Auckland-Wellington, Auckland-Christchurch and Wellington-Christchurch.
New Zealand’s capital has also seen its fair share of activity in recent times. In 2006 The Museum Hotel opposite Te Papa underwent a $29 million expansion and upgrade, including the building of a nine-storey addition that more than doubled its capacity.
Also in 2006 The Mercure Hotel Willis Street completed its refurbishment, making it an even more attractive conference venue. The hotel features 90 rooms and its six conference rooms, all located on one floor, can accommodate up to 400 delegates.
Also of note was the opening of the 17-storey Holiday Inn Wellington in late 2006, adding another 280 rooms and more than 500 square metres of conference space to the city. Four separate meeting rooms and a large pre-function area are now available at the Holiday Inn Wellington, with the added facility of a business centre. All meeting rooms have natural light from expansive floor-to-ceiling windows facing historic Thorndon.
In November 2007 the Quality Hotel Wellington, adjacent to the Comfort Hotel Wellington, opened, offering 62 hotel suites, an indoor swimming pool, fitness centre, on-site car parking, conference and business centre. Extensive conference facilities (six rooms with the ability to be combined) also came online.
Wellington’s iconic museum, Te Papa, also introduced a new product in 2007 – Taonga MataOra. This three-hour experience offers guests a combination of fine dining from Te Papa Icon Catering with authentic and dynamic performances from Mäori and Pacific Island communities in the unique setting of Te Papa’s marae.
The dining brings together Western culinary traditions with indigenous recipes and the best of fresh produce, wines and other beverages to showcase New Zealand’s distinctive cuisine. The cultural performances reveal the living face of indigenous Mäori and Pacific communities with whom Mäori have ancestral links. Taonga MataOra is available for group and conference bookings.
One of Wellington’s most productive and popular venues, the Wellington Convention Centre, continued on its winning ways in 2007 and is anticipating a bumper 2008. To that end, the centre recently announced changes to its sales team. The new-look sales team has been redefined to provide clients in different markets with a dedicated point of contact. As a result clients will deal with a sales person who specialises in their market and therefore understands their requirements. The changes include the appointment of Gillian Officer as manager - business development. Charlotte Martelli, business development executive now looks after the international and association markets with a focus on international multi-day conventions. Kim Hancock, business development executive is responsible for corporate, central government and local government markets. And finally, Aaron Hamilton has been appointed sales executive - inbound to support the new structure with incoming business.
Travelling between Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland increased in late 2007 with Air New Zealand, Pacific Blue and Qantas introducing new flights, features and services.
Air New Zealand has re-introduced business class-type seating. Passengers seated in business class will have slightly larger seats and complimentary food and drinks on most flights.
Online check-in, already offered by Air New Zealand, will be available from 24 hours to one hour before flights, and by February 2008, self-service check-in kiosks will be located in each of the departure halls at Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington domestic terminals. New interiors will be put into the aircraft on the New Zealand domestic and some Tasman services by March 2008.
Qantas passengers too can now fly trans-Tasman business class. New features for Qantas business travellers began in November 2007 when the re-branded Cityflyer service was introduced. The Qantas Cityflyer flights will operate on weekdays between Auckland – Wellington, Auckland – Christchurch with Wellington – Christchurch being added in 2008.
Meanwhile Pacific Blue’s new domestic service began on November 12. The low-cost airline is offering services between Auckland-Wellington, Auckland-Christchurch, and Wellington-Christchurch.
Business just keeps getting better in Rotorua. After successfully staging TRENZ in 2007 the destination has been awarded the 2008 event (May 26-29).
Tourism Industry Association (TIA) chief executive, Fiona Luhrs, said following the announcement research showed that more than 65 per cent of delegates rated Rotorua as an “excellent” host region for TRENZ, and rated their attendance at TRENZ 2007 as either “very successful” (51 per cent) or “successful” (49 per cent).
Destination Rotorua Tourism Marketing general manager, Don Gunn, said hosting TRENZ again was another huge opportunity for the city and individual operators to showcase themselves to international buyers.
“We are looking forward to working with TIA to bring elements to the event that will make it a different, but equally enjoyable, experience.”
In other local news, attractions including Te Puia, Polynesian Spa, Skyline Skyrides, Hell’s Gate, Wai Ora Spa and the Agrodome have all spent millions of dollars on redevelopment works in recent times – all great news for the destination as a whole.
One of the most prolific operators in the local business events industry, Novotel Lakeside Rotorua, is always on the lookout for new talent and believe they have found it in executive chef, Mark Wylie, who joined the property recently.
Mr Wylie has an impressive international catering resume and accumulated a bevy of competitive awards during his career. Prior to joining Novotel Lakeside Rotorua and Hotel Ibis Rotorua he had been executive chef at the high-profile Soul Bar and Bistro, located in Auckland’s Viaduct. Prior to Soul, he was employed as executive sous chef for the opening of the Skycity Convention Centre where he was responsible for the food operations at the new convention facility and its out-catering service.
“During my time at Skycity I was involved in some very large events, some catering for up to 2000 guests, so it was logistically challenging,” he said.
He also worked for Westin Mission Hills Resort in the US where he was responsible for designing, writing and executing a gala awards dinner for the 2001 Bob Hope Classic.
“This gala was the finale for the PGA tour event and attracted 800 guests including former US president Gerald Ford, the Hope family and a number of PGA golfers.”
There’s always something going on in the South Island city of Christchurch and 2007 has been no exception. The year ahead is also looking positive. Christchurch will again play host to Conventions & Incentives New Zealand’s popular MEETINGS 2008 tradeshow, this year being held from July 30-31.
This event is highly regarded in New Zealand and Australia, especially by those who attain hosted buyer status. Stay tuned in mice.net magazine to find out how you can be a part of the action in 2008.
As mentioned, Christchurch has had a busy 2007 with some new products coming on-line well-suited to the business events market. The Black Cat Group, for example, recently announced a joint venture with Real Journeys, and purchased Dolphin Experience, giving it a total of nine vessels and 40 staff in Banks Peninsula.
Visitors can swim with the dolphins in Akaroa Harbour, home to the hector dolphin.
Another new adventure-based activity is Adrenalin Forest, about 20 minutes from the Christchurch CBD. Adrenalin Forest is a multi-level aerial obstacle course where participants negotiate a series of rope bridges, Tarzan swings and flying foxes from platforms constructed in the tree canopy.
The concept is apparently hugely popular in France, where more than 500 similar adventure parks have sprung up in the last 10 years.
In venue news, the Camelot Cathedral Square Hotel is presently undergoing a refurbishment program. New flooring, soft furnishings, and interior and exterior painting is on the agenda for the three-star, 66-room property. The hotel is just a few minutes’ walk from the Christchurch Convention Centre and the Town Hall as well as art galleries, the botanical gardens, the Avon River and city shopping precincts.
If there is one destination that is on the up-and-up it is undoubtedly Queenstown. Plenty has and is happening in the southern playground including construction of the $1 billion Kawarau Falls Station, described as seven hectares of world-class resort and conference facilities about 10 minutes from the Queenstown shopping and restaurant precinct. Within this precinct will be four hotels including a Westin, InterContinental and The Quadrant, a 295-studio and one-bedroom apartment complex also with meeting facilities, and one as-yet unnamed hotel.
In July 2007 InterContinental Hotels & Resorts announced it would be operating a 221-room resort at the site including a business centre, club lounge, fine-dining restaurant, an all-day dining cafe and bar, as well as a spa, gymnasium and a swimming pool. It follows an earlier announcement by Westin that it too would be operating a hotel in the precinct.
The company behind Kawarau Falls Station, Melview Developments Ltd, is understandably excited about the project, with Melview founder and managing director, Nigel McKenna, saying Queenstown’s growing stature as an international resort town was demonstrated by the interest these international resort groups have shown in the region.
The Westin Queenstown hotel will feature 177 rooms, including 12 suites, 728 square metres of meeting space, a fine-dining restaurant situated on the lakefront, an all-day dining restaurant and bar, as well as a luxury spa and wellness centre and gymnasium covering 1150 square metres, including a 25-metre indoor heated swimming pool.
Another example of Queenstown’s status as a destination with a strong future is construction of the Heritage Queenstown’s conference facilities, due for completion in May 2008. The conference venue will be two storeys high and have a capacity of up to 200 delegates theatre-style as well as vehicle access for car launches. The roof-top area of the venue, like the conference facilities, will overlook Lake Wakatipu, and will be suitable for outdoor events.
Like Queenstown, there is plenty happening in Dunedin, especially in the accommodation stakes.
LivingSpace Hotel & Apartments opened in December, and will offer 118 studio rooms, 10 hotel rooms and three communal lounges and kitchens. It will also have a business suite and for movie buffs, a movie theatre.
A new Hilton property will be located in the former Post Office with construction starting in 2008. The property will have 110 suites and 34 apartments.
Meanwhile Quest Apartments opened in the heart of Dunedin in 2007 offering 26 studio apartments, 15 one-bedroom apartments and 13 interconnecting two-bedroom apartments while the Saville International Hotel has reopened as the Victoria Hotel following a $2 million refurbishment.
The Victoria Hotel has 40 guest rooms including two suites and one two-bedroom unit, and features two meeting rooms with a capacity of 130.
Business event specialists in Marlborough are celebrating the recent opening of the Marlborough Convention Centre on November 24, 2007 which has more than 35 booking for 2008/09.
Convention centre manager, Mark McClean says “the centre is an exciting development for the Marlborough region. It will bring the region some great conference business that may not have come here otherwise”.
The Marlborough Convention Centre seats up to 750 theatre-style, and has the option of creating smaller meeting spaces. In addition, there is an exhibition hall right next door to the convention hall within the complex.
The opening of the centre has prompted a series of planned expansions in the accommodation sector. The four main hotels in the region – Scenic Circle Blenheim Country Hotel, Copthorne Marlborough, Chateau Marlborough and the Yacht Club Hotel (soon to be renamed Novotel) have all committed to expansion totalling at least an additional 150 rooms for the region.
Excitement has also been at fever pitch in the lower North Island with the opening of the 7750-square-metre multi-purpose facility Manfeild Stadium at Manfeild. Manfeild is home to New Zealand’s internationally recognised motor racing circuit and equestrian facilities. Also planned at Manfeild is an agricultural business park and a quality on-site motel.
Not to be outdone, Hawke’s Bay has also welcomed a new venue of its own – the Hawke’s Bay Opera House, which was officially opened on November 17. The Hawke’s Bay Opera House, located in Hastings, has been open for business over the last few months, already hosting national conferences. The final stage for the complex was completed in November when the contemporary outdoor plaza had its retractable roof fitted.
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