Bumper offseason reinforces Te Pae Christchurch’s local contribution

With the colder months typically seeing reduced visitation to region, Te Pae Christchurch is again highlighting the value of its contribution to the local economy, turning the ordinarily quiet shoulder season into a hive of activity for the city.

Te Pae Christchurch is in the midst of its busiest season since the convention centre held its first conference in May 2022. More than 32,000 visitors are expected to descend on Te Pae Christchurch over the four months to November 2025, to attend over 80 events. The economic impact of the event programme for this period is estimated at over $43.8 million.

Te Pae Christchurch General Manager Ross Steele says Te Pae Christchurch has gone from strength-to-strength over the three years since opening, and the level of demand underscores the key benefits of establishing the purpose-built facility in the centre of the city.

“One of the major advantages of having a centre like ours, is the ability to spread demand over quieter periods for the local visitor industry,” says Ross Steele. “The colder months, which are typically the shoulder seasons for the leisure tourism industry, are extremely popular for conference organisers – providing a major opportunity to build visitation across the whole year.” 

The event programme over the next four months features 36 multi-day conferences, including six major international conferences, bringing a range of local and international delegates into the city for three to five days.

Major conferences taking place in the city over the coming months include UroGynaecological Society of Australasia Annual Scientific Meeting, International Society of Arboriculture Conference, 10th IWA-ASPIRE Water New Zealand Conference and International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference, co-hosted by Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury.

The benefits of the high level of demand are not just confined to the convention centre, with conference delegates generating approximately 50,000 hotel guest nights for Christchurch alone.

Ross Steele says having tens of thousands of visitors come into the city in the coming months will have a major impact on retailers, hospitality providers and transport operators – especially as so many visitors take advantage of the city’s walkability during breaks in the events, and conference organisers plan a wide variety of additional events at local bars, restaurants, attractions and other venues.

“The positive impact is not just confined to Christchurch, with the wider South Island in particular expecting a surge in activity generated from the conference programme,” says Ross. “For example, from the six major international conferences planned, we know delegates are planning to tie in pre- and post-event touring, often with friends and family, into their itinerary. Overall, visitation for conferences during the period is expected to contribute more than 20,000 guest nights to New Zealand’s accommodation sector outside of Christchurch.”

Ross says the success of Te Pae Christchurch is the realisation of the long-term opportunity envisaged by city leaders when the first of the major anchor projects was conceived.

“From the initial concept and design to the tireless work of a dedicated team welcoming guests from across the world and around New Zealand, to the support of the Government, Crown Infrastructure Delivery, Christchurch City Council, ChristchurchNZ and Tourism NZ, Christchurch is currently reaping the benefits of an extraordinary team effort to bring Te Pae Christchurch to life.”