 The so-called “garden city” of New Zealand has always had an ultra-cool, bright, green, environmentally-friendly image. Long-term efforts by Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism has helped to ensure the green focus remains, with the organisation recently being awarded CarbonNZero certification from Landcare New Zealand.
In addition, the Christchurch & Canterbury Convention Bureau launched a “green room” on its website (www.christchurchconventions.com) which provides information, resources and links to assist conference organisers and service providers deliver environmentally-friendly events.
“Recognising we all have a responsibility to do what ever we can to look after our precious natural resources, The Green Room aims to share ideas, information and contacts and to especially support those who are involved in conference organisation,” explains Christchurch & Canterbury Convention Bureau manager Annette Pendergast.
“This part of our website also gives us an opportunity to share our “green” success stories and news. The conventions and incentives industry is incredibly dynamic – always ready and able to respond to the changing needs of businesses and organisations.”
The city is already kicking goals in the business events area, now recognised as New Zealand’s “convention capital” - staging larger and longer events on average than the other major regions throughout New Zealand.
In 2007 Christchurch hosted seven international events, each of which attracted more than 1000 delegates. Those conferences, which included the International Continence Convention and the UNESCO World Heritage Congress contributed to a 139 per cent increase in the number of Australian delegates visiting the city and a 99 per cent increase in visitors from other parts of the world.
A strong push by the Christchurch & Canterbury Convention Bureau (CCCB) to attract more conferences from North Island businesses and organisations also led to a 16 per cent increase in the number of domestic delegates to Christchurch.
To give your Christchurch event a real lift contact Patrick Duffy of Cleverfool Creative. Partrick is well-known throughout New Zealand for bringing his own brand of wit and performance expertise to any type of corporate event or function. Wherever your event is in Christchurch, and in whatever venue, Cleverfool Creative will bring a new level of enthusiasm to any event. Patrick has created characters for medieval nights, been a hitch-hiking Swedish backpacker (and been picked up by an unsuspecting conference group out in the Christchurch countryside), aircraft-themed nights, and been an MC with a difference. Visit www.cleverfool.com for further details.
For a dine-around with a difference take a look at SOL Square in the heart of Christchurch’s fashion and design precinct. SOL Square is now home to a growing number of eateries, bars, hotels and designer stores, and the operation of this new urban-dining destination has been further enhanced with the introduction of the Club SOL Card.
Club SOL provides patrons with discounts, reward points, priority access and invitations to VIP events at all nine bars and restaurants in the precinct. Personalised for each card holder, and loaded with credit to use in place of cash or eftpos, the card is ready to provide a night of fun at any of the SOL venues. This may be the perfect extra treat for conference delegate packs or an innovative incentive gift.
Visit www.sol.net.nz.
The Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre at the Hermitage Hotel on Aoraki Mount Cook is a spectacular and lasting tribute to one of New Zealand’s true heroes, mountaineer and adventurer Sir Edmund Hillary, and a great place to visit. It offers a unique and informative insight into the history of one of New Zealand’s most important spiritual, cultural and geographical treasures.
The Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre Museum showcases the history of the Mount Cook region through the key themes of transport, climbing, tangata whenua, the Hermitage Hotel and Sir Edmund Hillary himself.
For first-time visitors punting on the Avon River is a must-do experience. Sit back, relax and just drift along through parks and gardens, under shady trees and enjoy the tranquillity of your own punting journey on the Avon River. Each punt is custom-built, fully upholstered and comes complete with its own boatperson to do all the work. All you have to do is enjoy the ride.
This is one unique way to see a part of Christchurch city and certainly a fun way to do so when the weather’s right.
Located in a heritage building close to the central business district Science Alive! offers a unique visitor experience with exhibitions changing up to four times a year – all with science and technology themes.Visitors can challenge themselves on New Zealand’s highest vertical slide - at 5.2 metres high this popular exhibit can test the will of the strongest adventure seeker!
With a climbing wall, a gyroscope, and The Black Hole (glow-in-the-dark mini-golf) visitors will find plenty to keep themselves entertained.
Visit www.sciencealive.co.nz for further details.
The Christchurch Art Gallery is in the heart of the city’s cultural precinct, and is home to Christchurch’s public art collection, including international and New Zealand historical and contemporary pieces. As well as its artworks the venue is popular for special events, especially cocktail-style parties in its stylish foyer area.
Visit www.christchurchartgallery.org.nz for further details.
The Air Force Museum is not only a great break for conference groups but is fast gathering an international reputation for its special events. Air Force Museum, just near the airport, has 28 aircraft on display as well as plenty of war-time memorabilia. Air Force Museum offers a variety of venue options, catering for small groups right through to 900 guests. The Aircraft Hall contains 12 classic military aircraft and can be configured for almost any type of event. It is ideal for occasions when you want to deliver that special X factor for your guest. As the venue managers, Continental knows this venue intimately and can work with specialists in sound, lighting, staging and special effects to ensure an event that people will never forget.
Visit www.airforcemuseum.co.nz for further details.
The International Antarctic Centre opened in 1990 to support Antarctic scientific programs, and is now home to the New Zealand, United States and Italian Antarctic programs.
The Antarctic Attraction has been designed to re-create the atmosphere and environment of Antarctica, providing visitors with an interactive, fun and exciting experience of the “Great White South”. Visitors can also climb aboard the Hagglund, an Antarctic all-terrain amphibian vehicle. This adventure ride, set amidst a working Antarctic campus, is the only one of its type in the world. It follows in the footsteps of modern day Antarctic adventurers and showcases both the challenging terrain of Antarctica and the amazing capabilities of the Hagglund vehicle which enable it to function in such demanding conditions. The venue also offers spaces for gala dinners and cocktail parties. Visit www.iceberg.co.nz for further details.
Ko Tane is a Maori cultural experience located at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch. Visitors can enjoy an authentic Maori cultural experience, where they will be greeted with a traditional powhiri (greeting), treated to a cultural performance/show and have the opportunity to explore the living village and wildlife reserve.
Visitors can learn and see how the Maori people existed before the arrival of European technology, see and learn the ancient arts of the Maori hunter, come face to face with some of the oldest animals and reptiles on the planet, and learn about the importance that they had on an ancient people.
The Ko Tane Maori experience can also include a “taste of New Zealand” dinner. Visit www.kotane.co.nz for further details.
At Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spa you can unwind and relax in naturally occurring thermal pools or splash your way through some serious waterslide fun. The thermal waters contain a wide variety of minerals including sulphur, sodium chloride, calcium, carbonates, magnesium, potassium and others. The water in the pools are reported to offer great relief to those suffering from arthritis and similar ailments.
There are four large outdoor rock pools with the thermal water regulated to 38 degrees celsius.
The three sulphur pools are completely natural, containing no chlorine, with the water in these pools said to have a wonderful soft and silky feel to it. The temperature ranges from 40 - 42 degrees celsius.
Visit www.hanmersprings.co.nz for further details.
Heritage Christchurch did its bit with a special candlelit dinner (March 29) with organic ingredients in Maddison’s restaurant prepared by chef Uwe Braun. Hotel lights were also dimmed and switched off wherever possible.
Earth Hour is a WWF-led initiative which uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming. The event demonstrates the importance of people taking simple steps everyday that collectively reduce carbon emissions by turning off lights and unused appliances.
“As a Green Globe hotel, we believed business participation is very important and we are delighted to support this great initiative,” said general manager of Heritage Christchurch, Gary Jarvis.
Heritage Hotels has been part of Green Globe since 2002, and has the largest commitment of hotel inventory Green Globe benchmarked for sustainability in the country. Heritage Christchurch has also recently conducted a pilot scheme for sustainable conferences and banquets. Earth Hour was pioneered in Sydney in 2007 when 2.2 million Sydneysiders and over 1100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights. This year Earth Hour has become a global movement, gaining worldwide momentum with cities from San Francisco to Copenhagen turning off their lights for Earth Hour. To date, 24 cities have committed to Earth Hour.
For more information visit www.earthhour.org.
The city has bought the rights to host the Ellerslie International Flower Show, which has previously been held in Auckland.
The inaugural Christchurch show will be held in Hagley Park, in the heart of the city, from March 11 to 15, 2009.
Christchurch’s mayor Bob Parker is delighted the city has secured the hosting rights for the event. “The Ellerslie International Flower Show is the very best in the country with international links. This prestigious event is such a good fit for our city and will boost Christchurch’s garden city image even further,” he said.
The Ellerslie International Flower Show currently attracts 65,000 people over five days. It has been held in the Auckland region since its inception in 1994 and is worth more than $14 million a year to the local economy.
Mr Parker said that given attendances at Christchurch’s other main events and the passion for gardening in the city, the council is confident it can achieve a similar high level of attendance.
“Christchurch is an event city. Obviously we have been and will continue to look at opportunities to bring the very best festivals and events to our city.”
Christchurch Convention Bureau manager Annette Pendergast said the event provides the city with a great opportunity to showcase what it has to a large audience.
The city of Christchurch has continued on its winning ways in recent times, securing the rights to host the IPC World Athletics Championships in 2011.
The biggest event of its kind outside the Paralympics, the IPC Athletics World Championships are held every four years and involve more than 1200 athletes, 900 officials, 200 media representatives and will have an economic impact to the host city in excess of $72 million.
Christchurch out-bid Barcelona to secure the hosting rights for the 2011 games.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said the city has a rich history in hosting friendly, efficient and successful international sports events and especially disability events such as the IPC World Swimming Championships in 1998, the ISMWSF World Wheelchair Games, ISOD World Athletics Champs and the Boccia World Cup in 2003 and the World Wheelchair Rugby Championships in 2006.
“The fact that we were able to win the bid over a sophisticated European city such as Barcelona is indicative of the fact that Christchurch has a great modern infrastructure, a wonderful range of hotels, excellent transport structures and a central city environment that allows people to move around easily,” he said.
“It has all the right ingredients for a world class event.”
This event will include track and field events for athletes with disabilities such as spinal cord injury and cerebral palsy, as well as amputees and the visually impaired.
The event will be staged at the QE11 Stadium and a second temporary training track will be required. The athletes, officials and supporters will be in Christchurch for approximately 16 days and many will take the opportunity to tour the country after the event.
Vbase owns and operates the Christchurch Convention Centre, the Christchurch Town Hall for Performing Arts, AMI Stadium and Westpac Arena. They are the city’s premier event venues that between them pull in visitors who spend millions each year.
These facilities according to Vbase general manager of business development, Alan Garner, are a crucial part of Christchurch’s events infrastructure and play a leading role in driving business tourism in the city.
“Our job is to attract events and visitors to Christchurch and in order to do that we need a quality venue infrastructure,” he says.
The economic impact of events held at venues managed by Vbase in 2007 was significant. Last year Vbase hosted several major international conferences, including the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting and the Royal Australian College of Surgeons Conference. Over one three month period conferences held at the convention centre brought an estimated $25m of visitor spend into the city, with the economic impact of that spend several times greater.
“That’s extremely beneficial to the local economy,” Mr Garner says.
“Over that period more than 10,000 people slept, ate and played in the city, boosting local businesses such as hotels and motels, restaurants and bars, retail outlets and tourism businesses.”
Further, he says these international conferences don’t just contribute to the local community economically. The delegates who attend these conferences share international trends and knowledge with local industries and businesses.
In 2009 the convention centre will host the World Potato Congress which will be held at the same time as the South Island Agricultural Field Days in Lincoln. This presents a perfect opportunity for the local agricultural industry to network with its international counterparts.
The conference will be hosted by the Potato Product Group of Horticulture New Zealand. The group’s chairman, Terry Olsen, says the industry is very pleased to have the opportunity to showcase Christchurch and New Zealand to potato industry leaders from around the world.
“The information exchange and first-hand exposure to developments in the potato industry will benefit both local and international players,” he said.
Size does matter
As well as playing host to the large international meetings, Vbase is also well placed in the small to medium-size segment.
“We have a number of versatile venues that can accommodate smaller businesses requiring meeting rooms for AGMs, product launches or meetings of any size.
“We can host anything from a meeting for 10 people to a conference for 3000.”
As well as providing a great stage for any event, Vbase also has a team of event professionals including event and conference organisers, technicians and in-house catering to make any event hassle free and memorable.
”Our vision is simple - to be a great stage and a great host, whatever the event.”
For more information on Vbase venues visit www.vbase.co.nz or telephone +64 3 366 8899.
Located in the top northwest corner of the South Island, Nelson – New Zealand’s sunniest – is a creative hub of artists and craftspeople, making this destination a great place to visit.
Under one hour’s flight from Christchurch, Nelson is said to offer the ultimate New Zealand experience. The region is home to three of the country’s 14 national parks, and envelopes stunning coastline, alpine plateaus, wild rivers, silent lakes, golden sand beaches and glistening bays within its borders.
Whether as a leisure or incentive destination, Nelson offers a lot of scope. The number one option has to be the internationally renowned Abel Tasman National Park – it’s the most visited national park in New Zealand and with good reason. Wilsons Abel Tasman – www.abeltasman.co.nz – are a one stop shop for all methods of exploring the park - from half day cruises to 3-5 day tours based out of their two beachfront lodges.
The Nelson Tasman region is also receiving international acclaim for its winemaking prowess, in particular for its sauvignon, pinot noir and aromatic varieties. There are 25 boutique vineyards scattered throughout the Tasman district, with tour operators and self drive options available. Visit www.wineart.co.nz.
For those seeking adventure, Happy Valley Adventures is the place to go (www.happyvalleyadventures.co.nz). Just over 10 minutes’ drive from the city, the company offers a range of activities including quad biking tours through native bushland and the world’s only Skywire.
There are said to be more than 350 working artisans in Nelson including traditional and contemporary Maori artists.
For lovers of fine food Nelson is a great place to explore. It offers everything from alfresco cafes to fine dining restaurants, premium vineyards, boutique breweries and locally made gourmet foods.
The Nelson Convention Bureau, a division of Latitude Nelson, is the one-stop-shop for organising experiences in Nelson. The Nelson Convention Bureau provides a free service to help you make your conference in Nelson an outstanding success including:
• Information, advice and contacts for venues and other conference suppliers in Nelson.
• Ideas for conference activities, entertainment, partners’ programs and local conference gifts.
• Coordination of Nelson Tasman familiarisation visits and site inspections to help you research the destination.
• Free use of images, audio visual presentations and banners featuring Nelson, to promote your conference.
• Free Nelson “delegate packs” for each person attending your conference.
• Free listing of your conference on the conference calendar.
For more information about group and incentive events in Nelson Tasman, visit the Nelson Convention Bureau at www.ConferencesNelsonNZ.com.
Top |