Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre has welcomed a new Director of Building Services to join the organisation’s executive team. Large venues and infrastructure expert, Troy Williams has joined Te Pae Christchurch from his former role as Asset and Compliance Manager for Dunedin Venues Management.

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Troy was previously responsible for asset management, sustainability and safety at Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium and Dunedin Town Hall. During his tenure, these venues played host to some of New Zealand’s biggest events, including All Black rugby tests, FIFA World Cup games and major international concerts, as well as a wide range of conventions and meetings. Troy also has a background in managing major infrastructure and large buildings for significant manufacturing businesses.

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre General Manager Ross Steele says Troy is a strong and pragmatic leader and strategic thinker.

“We’re extremely pleased to welcome someone of Troy’s calibre to Te Pae Christchurch and look forward to incorporating his strong focus on performance, service and delivery into our dynamic Building Services team,” says Ross Steele.

Troy says he’s excited to be part of the team and looking forward to contributing to an organisation that delivers so much benefit to the city and community through the hosting of local, national and international events.

“There is a real buzz in the air here with an amazing venue and great people,” says Troy Williams.

Mr Williams started his new role on 1st July 2024.

Date published: 3 July 2024

View our short video to learn more about our world-class venue, located in the heart of Christchurch city, New Zealand.

Media Contact: Mel Gurden, Te Pae Christchurch, Marketing and Communications Manager 
T: +64 21 190 2434 | E: [email protected] | tepae.co.nz

Hot on the heels of achieving Toitū net carbonzero status, Te Pae Christchurch has achieved ISO certifications in quality management and food safety.

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The organisation has been certified ISO 9001 for Quality Management and ISO 22000 for Food Safety Management.

ISO 9001:2015 certification reflects Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre’s commitment to performance improvement, measured under seven quality management principles, including customer focus, leadership, engagement of people, process approach, improvements, evidence-based decision making and relationship management. ISO 22000:2018 is the international standard for food safety, demonstrating the ability of Te Pae Christchurch to operate a high-quality food safety management system.

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre General Manager Ross Steele says the two new international certifications underscore the organisation’s commitment to operating to industry-leading quality standards.

“Whether it’s demonstrating the highest levels of food safety or working alongside our team to enhance every aspect of the operation, achieving internationally recognised best practice is a constant driver for the whole organisation,” says Ross Steele.

Mr Steele says the process is also about continual improvement, with the organisation audited on a regular basis to ensure it continues to meet the ISO certification standards.

“Our customers are at the centre of everything we do,” Mr Steele says. “This means meeting and exceeding their expectations at all times, in every possible way. By adopting these standards, we are also emphasising our ongoing commitment to being a leader in the events industry.”

Mr Steele says the latest ISO certification also highlights the dedication of our team to showcase Christchurch city and New Zealand to the world.

View our short video to learn more about our world-class venue, located in the heart of Christchurch city, New Zealand.

Media Contact: Mel Gurden, Te Pae Christchurch, Marketing and Communications Manager 
T: +64 21 190 2434 | E: [email protected] | tepae.co.nz

More than two hundred thousand attendees have taken part in events at Te Pae Christchurch since the convention centre hosted its first conference on 2^nd May 2022 – far exceeding expectations for its initial operating period. 

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The 458 events held at Te Pae Christchurch over the past two years included 146 multi day conferences – 29 of which were international, 19 exhibitions, 131 banquets, 157 meetings and 5 live performances. In total, the events have attracted 204,420 attendees over the past 24 months.

Te Pae Christchurch is also kicking off its third year with a packed events calendar in May 2024, during what is traditionally a quieter month for local tourism. The centre will host back-to-back conferences, including the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Scientific Congress 2024, Institute of Directors 2024 NZ Conference and MotorSport NZ Conference 2024. In addition to the five international and 10 national conferences, concerts and events booked for May, the programme of local events ranges from school balls to information evenings. Over 8,200 attendees are expected over the course of the month, including 2,650 attending from overseas and 3,135 from around New Zealand.  

The impressive economic and broader benefits for the city and the region are the reason the New Zealand Government invested in Te Pae Christchurch as part of the Central Christchurch Recovery Plan, according to John O’Hagan, the Chief Executive of Rau Paenga Limited, the Crown infrastructure delivery agency that built and owns the facility.

“The goal was to catalyse spending and social activity in the central city for decades to come with an international standard convention centre within walking distance of hotels, shops and restaurants,” says John O’Hagan.

“We are delighted with the number and quality of events that our operator ASM Global has been able to attract in the first two years.”

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre General Manager Ross Steele says the first two years of operation have been an outstanding success for Te Pae Christchurch.

“We’ve far outstripped all expectations for our initial operating period,” says Ross Steele. “That’s not only testament to how hard our team has worked to welcome so many people to our region. It also reflects the integral role the entire local events infrastructure – from the Council and ChristchurchNZ, to our local suppliers and the city’s hotel and hospitality sectors – has played in putting Christchurch and Canterbury back on the map for business events.”

Mr Steele says as well as providing a major boost to the regional economy and driving increased visitation during off-peak periods, the activities have also created an opportunity for local people to participate in world class events, share knowledge with industry leaders and promote their products and services to a national and international market.

“The direct economic impacts of business events – each of which can bring hundreds of people into the city to stay for several nights – has been well researched,” Mr Steele says. “What are perhaps less well recognised are the broader impacts of a successful business events infrastructure for our community. Whether it’s the opportunity to learn from the best in your field or network with industry leaders, or the chance for local businesses to demonstrate their capabilities in front of a huge audience, the wider impacts of a successful convention programme are incalculable.”

View our short video to learn more about our world-class venue, located in the heart of Christchurch city, New Zealand.

Date: 2 May 2024

Media Contact: Mel Gurden, Te Pae Christchurch, Marketing and Communications Manager 
T: +64 21 190 2434 | E: [email protected] | www.tepae.co.nz

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In late January, we enjoyed hosting ‘Legends in Concert’ our first ticketed live entertainment event to date. Our auditorium space hosted over 1,200 local attendees who enjoyed the performance, including a dedicated group from the Elvis NZ Club.

Our Live Entertainment Business Development Executive Amanda Young reflected on the night saying:

“It was fantastic to finally have the opportunity to host a public live performance in the Auditorium. This can be a difficult task due to our busy conference schedule and therefore January was the perfect opportunity to do so. It was a great feeling to open the doors for the local community to enjoy and experience our amazing Auditorium. This will be the first of many performances in this space and we look forward to adding to the existing live performance offering in Christchurch”.

5 March 2024

Erwin Matheeuwsen, Research Coordinator at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre is honoured to be awarded the 2023 ICCA Researcher of the Year Award. 

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The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) is a global community and knowledge hub for the global association and governmental meetings industry. ICCA offers data, education, communication channels to the international meetings sector, as well as business development and networking opportunities. 

Te Pae Christchurch Director of Business Development, Gillian Officer says “I am incredibly proud of this achievement for Erwin.  He works incredibly hard to source lead-opportunities for Te Pae Christchurch; is well connected within the ICCA community and has made a significant impact in a short space of time.  We’re off to an amazing start here at Te Pae Christchurch, achieving results in our first 18 months of operation that we were not expecting to achieve until year 10, and Erwin’s abilities as a researcher to generate quality leads for our team has been invaluable to this result”. 

To recognise this year’s top ICCA Data Provider, ICCA announced “it gives us great pleasure to select Erwin Matheeuwsen as “ICCA Researcher of the Year 2023” for which he will receive a certificate, together with a sum of €500 to be put against any ICCA product. 

The ICCA judges said “we appreciate Erwin’s cooperation to help contribute excellent meetings information to the ICCA database. We are confident he will be an inspiration for other members who are not yet using the database and its update functionality to their fullest potential.” 

Erwin was thrilled to receive this award and believes that the ICCA Business Intelligence system is a very helpful and efficient tool for finding relevant international association conferences that have the potential to be hosted in New Zealand. The more organisations in our industry who contribute their meeting information to ICCA Business Intelligence, the more beneficial this data is for everyone, leading to better hosting opportunities for all.”  

Erwin plans to utilise the prize money from his award toward attending the upcoming ICCA Skills Course being hosted in Christchurch, New Zealand from 10-12 September 2024. “In partnership with Tourism New Zealand Business Events and ChristchurchNZ, Te Pae Christchurch is hosting this highly regarded three-day ICCA course. I look forward to attending this training, which will be a great opportunity to brush up on my knowledge and meet others from the industry.” 

For more information about this ICCA award, visit: Researcher of the year 2023 (iccaworld.org) 

Date: 4 March 2024 

Media Contact: Mel Gurden, Te Pae Christchurch, Marketing and Communications Manager  
T: +64 21 190 2434 | E: [email protected]

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre has been recognised as Toitū net carbonzero certified, reflecting the organisation’s ongoing commitment to leading the industry in world class sustainable operations.

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Just one year after committing to the milestone – and almost two years in operation – Te Pae Christchurch has met Toitū Envirocare’s internationally-recognised standards of measuring, managing and reducing lifecycle emissions from its operation. From the design of the building and the use of renewable energy, through to the recovery and reuse of food waste and the installation of a chemical-free e-water system, Te Pae Christchurch has applied a broad range of sustainable solutions across its operation.

The achievement in the Toitū net carbonzero programme comes hard on the heels of Te Pae Christchurch’s win in 2023 Skål International Sustainable Tourism Awards (Community and Government Projects category) late last year. The awards recognise contributions, remarkable achievements, innovation, and best practices in sustainability and responsible tourism. 

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre General Manager Ross Steele says achieving net carbonzero operations reinforces the organisation’s commitment to being a sustainability leader in the industry.

“We’re exceptionally proud of what we’ve achieved in a short time,” says Ross Steele. “The Toitū net carbonzero certification, in addition to the international recognition we have received, reflects the commitment and hard work of our entire team. Many of our sustainability initiatives are being led by Te Pae Christchurch team’s younger generation, which underscores our commitment to creating a positive long-term impact and a lasting sustainability legacy.”

Another key factor in minimising emissions is our local purchasing policy, which prioritises purchasing from local organisations (currently 85%). Analysis of freight on purchased goods as part of our emissions calculations showed this to be less than 1% of our total emissions, which is a significant result.

Mr Steele says Te Pae’s sustainability journey has been a vital focus for the organisation – even as it manages a record-breaking level of activity and interest.

“We’ve been serious about sustainability since we first began planning at Te Pae Christchurch,” Mr Steele says. “Being able to achieve these milestones through such a busy period demonstrates the level of focus we are placing on every stage of our sustainability journey. The science-led approach, guidance and support provided by Toitū Envirocare, Aotearoa New Zealand’s strongest environmental programme, has been an important part of that.”

The next stage for Te Pae Christchurch in building a culture of environmental excellence is finding ways to help both partners and clients achieve their own sustainability goals.

“We want to bring our clients and suppliers along with us on this journey, working with them to minimise the environmental impact of every event we hold, and through every stage of each activity.”

“As the last couple of years have demonstrated, people still want to meet face-to-face, share knowledge and experience first-hand what this amazing region has to offer,” says Mr Steele. “It is up to us, as leaders in the event industry, to constantly monitor and measure, to innovate and to demonstrate best practice, so they can have that experience in the most sustainable way possible.”

“In that way we’ll enable our city and our region to enjoy the significant benefits of a vibrant conference and events industry, while ensuring we leave our environment and our community in a better place for the future.”

For more information on Te Pae Christchurch’s sustainability journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTPUJ0aL54o

Date: 21 February 2024
Media Contact:  
Mel Gurden, Te Pae Christchurch, Marketing and Communications Manager  
T: +64 21 190 2434 | E: [email protected]    

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre is honoured to have won two awards at the recent Entertainment Venues Association of New Zealand (EVANZ) Awards Dinner held in Dunedin. 

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Te Pae was awarded Medium Venue of the Year and Te Pae Christchurch Food and Beverage Operations Manager, Marzena Orlecka was awarded the EVANZ  ‘Rising Star of the Year’.  

Te Pae Christchurch General Manager Ross Steele said he is incredibly proud of these awards. “Te Pae Christchurch has made a significant impact in a short space of time thanks to our people, our community and our clients.” 

The judges said “Te Pae Christchurch’s venue entry demonstrated clear strategic priorities including client success, business optimisation and innovation. It clearly expressed the value placed in its people and its role as a custodian of community and sustainability.” 

Director of Event Services, Nicolette Elia accepted the Medium Venue of the Year Award and paid tribute to the Te Pae team. “I am immensely proud and honoured to accept this award on behalf of Te Pae Christchurch. We couldn’t have won this award without the Te Pae team’s hard work, commitment towards achieving our vision, and passion to deliver the best experience for our clients.” 

The EVANZ Rising Star, Marzena Orlecka was honoured to receive her award, “It was so unexpected, especially with such strong nominees. I could not have achieved this accolade without the support of the wonderful Te Pae Christchurch team.”  

Marzena leads a large Food and Beverage department, which manages the venue’s food service and logistics. She has quickly risen through the ranks due to her positive professional attitude, high quality standards and values of manaakitanga.  

“In my many years of international experience, Marzena stands out as one of the hardest working individuals I have ever met. Marzena demonstrates exceptional leadership qualities and her focus on delivering a world-class culinary experience is remarkable,” Director of Culinary Services, Darren Tait said. 

EVANZ General Manager Sally-Anne Coates said: “Today’s rising stars will one day lead our industry. The judges were very impressed with Marzena – clearly she is a highly valued member of the Te Pae team. The submission was full of examples highlighting her achievements and commitment to customer satisfaction.” 

Te Pae Christchurch congratulates all EVANZ awards finalists for their amazing contribution to the New Zealand venue industry.  

Date: 1 December November 2023 
Media Contact:  
Mel Gurden, Te Pae Christchurch, Marketing and Communications Manager  
T: +64 21 190 2434 | E: [email protected]    

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre is honored to have been awarded the 2023 Skål International Sustainable Tourism Award in the Community and Government Projects category. 

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Te Pae Christchurch General Manager Ross Steele said he is incredibly proud of this international recognition. “This award is a credit to the entire Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre team and their commitment to foster a culture of environmental excellence.”  

“Sustainability is a key operational pillar for Te Pae Christchurch and an area our whole team is passionate about.  We view all significant decisions through an environmental lens and are driven to provide world class sustainable convention centre operations, creating meaningful change for future generations,” Mr Steele said.   

The prestigious 2023 Skal International Sustainable Tourism Awards hosted a record number of 68 entries from 18 countries. Evaluated by an independent judging panel comprised of esteemed sustainability experts, this awards program has been held annually since 2002 and serves as a platform to give recognition to contributions, remarkable achievements, innovation, and best practices in sustainability and responsible tourism.  

The Awards Ceremony took place at the Opening Ceremony of the 82^nd Skål World Congress in Málaga, Spain on Thursday 2 November. 

View video: https://youtu.be/JTPUJ0aL54o?si=2mlvXG6ZNDvBthty 

Date: 3 November 2023 
Media Contact:  
Mel Gurden, Te Pae Christchurch, Marketing and Communications Manager  
T: +64 21 190 2434 | E: [email protected]    

15 February 2023

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre has taken the next step in its sustainability journey, drafting an agreement with Toitū Envirocare as the Centre commits to reducing its environmental footprint.

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The agreement is to join and work towards to being a certified Toitū net carbonzero organisation. This commitment underscores the seriousness with which the Centre is approaching its environmental obligations.

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre General Manager Ross Steele says committing to net CarbonZero operations is a clear indication of the Centre’s desire to lead by example and create meaningful change.

“For us, sustainability and sustainable operations go beyond just measuring waste and offsetting carbon emissions. It’s about legacy – what we leave behind for future generations, and how we instil values that will ensure we are not only environmentally sensitive but leading the way in this area for years to come.”

Mr Steele says with the Centre yet to complete its first year of operations, the focus is currently on the benchmarking phase. “It’s essential to get an accurate benchmark of operations to not just know where we are at, but where we need to head in the future.

“From here, we will turn our attention to achieving net carbonzero operations by the end of the next financial year,” Mr Steele says.

“The goal will then be to bring clients and suppliers along on the journey and look at ways to work with them to minimise the impact of the events we host – something we are well supported in with Ōtautahi Christchurch’s own commitment to reaching net zero emissions.”

ChristchurchNZ Head of Business Events, Megan Crum says the destination’s guiding principle is ‘Small Footprint – Big Impression’.

As the region’s economic development agency, ChristchurchNZ has a big part to play in helping to foster and promote sustainability initiatives. “Among the many actions underway for the business events space this year will be delivering a comprehensive Business Events Sustainability Framework for Christchurch, doing our bit to help achieve the target to halve the city’s emissions by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2045,” she says.

When looking at partners to assist the Centre in its journey to carbonzero, Toitū Envirocare was the obvious choice, Mr Steele says.

Not only a long-standing Te Pae Christchurch partner, the Toitū carbon programmes are also the only ones in New Zealand certified under the ISO 14064 standard (organisation) and ISO 14067 standard (product) by the JAS-ANZ (Joint Accreditation System for Australia and New Zealand), meaning they are internationally recognised.

“Toitū has been an invaluable part of our journey to date. The guidance and support they have provided us since 2020 in their capacity as New Zealand’s strongest environmental programme has set us up well to take this next step. “The fact their programmes take a science-based approach also gives us the confidence to aim high and set big goals in this area.”

16 December 2022

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre has exceeded all expectations for its opening year.

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Despite only being operational for seven months due to covid settings earlier in the year, the Centre has more than compensated for its slower than expected start, hosting more than 180 events during that time.

Of those, 62 were multi-day conferences, 66 banquets, several exhibitions, one live entertainment event and the remainder smaller meetings and seminars.

Those events have brought more than 60,000 people into the city and contributed close to $45 million to the local economy.

Te Pae Christchurch General Manager Ross Steele said since restrictions eased in April the team had been incredibly busy.

“There’s been a real pent-up demand for Christchurch as a business events destination. The number of events has just blown us away – we’ve really hit the ground running.”

While the Centre had welcomed several international events through the doors, Mr Steele said it had also been wonderful to have the support of a large number of national and local businesses and associations.

“The support from the domestic market has been really humbling, particularly coming off the back of covid,” he said.

Alongside the direct economic impact generated from the year’s events, Mr Steele said the team were proud to see the Centre making a difference in other ways, such as business growth for the Centre’s neighbours.

Ashleigh Robertson, Marketing Coordinator for Inkster Company, which operates OGB among others, said OGB had seen drastic change since Te Pae Christchurch opened.

“We are just getting people through the door – and a lot of people through the door. And there’s definitely plenty of lanyards – it’s an obvious corporate crew. The target market has been great for us,” she said.

“Monday now, because it seems to be a quite popular conference day, is one of our biggest days, often beating Sunday, which is pretty wild.”

The Centre’s suppliers have also noticed an uptick in business as a result of the busy events calendar.
Exhibition Hire Service’s Christchurch Branch Manager, Nicola Ransome said Te Pae Christchurch had been massive for the business.

“I would say it has quadrupled our workload. We’ve got to the point where we’re having to buy more vehicles and employ double the number of staff, just to be able to service the events that have been happening in there. So, it’s been absolutely huge, she said.

“It has enabled us to be able to upskill our staff. The types of jobs that go in there, there’s a lot more involved….we’ve literally now just found the time to be able to recruit for next year. So, we’ve just employed four more guys. We will be training up over the next few months and we’re going to be looking to expand our sales and coordination team next year as well, which we just wouldn’t have been able to do without Te Pae.”

Mr Steele said Te Pae Christchurch’s future remains bright, as the Centre heads into the new year with a solid events calendar.