Landmark Event Showcases Christchurch's Green Attractions
An all-encompassing, central event space, the city’s parks and green landscapes, combined with Christchurch’s walkability, local attractions and the opportunity to enjoy the extraordinary visitor experiences on offer across the country, were the keys to attracting a ‘once-in-seventy-year’ event to Te Pae Christchurch.
The ISA 2025 Annual International Conference brought together representatives from the International Society of Arboriculture, a global organisation with 26,000 members across 72 countries. Utilising the full range of spaces available at Te Pae Christchurch, the three day event in October 2025 featured expert speakers, education sessions and practical training, including demonstrations on a full-sized tree, set up within the venue.
ISA CEO and Executive Director, Caitlyn Pollihan says the conference, which moves around the globe, was a great opportunity to highlight the trees and the arboriculture work that happens in New Zealand.
“The space is lovely and we definitely heard that feedback from our attendees as well, many of whom go to conferences all over the world,” says Caitlyn. “Everybody who attends this conference works with our natural resources and appreciates spending time outdoors. So there was a lot of commentary about the natural light throughout the building, even in meeting rooms, and the thoughtful way the natural feel and the design elements are integrated into the space.”
Conference chair and former ISA president, Chris Walsh – founder and CEO of leading local arborist, TreeTech – says the conference was a unique opportunity to highlight both the city and Christchurch’s ‘urban forest’.
“For an environmental conference, Te Pae Christchurch was awesome,” says Chris. “You’re looking out of all the windows across trees and green spaces. The walkability to Hagley Park, where we held the international tree climbing championship events, was also a crucial factor in choosing the location.”
“The word beautiful came out a lot. They loved it. Loved the venue. Loved the whole city, really.”
Unique Visitor Experiences
The event attracted almost 870 delegates, with over 1200 people hosted at the welcome reception. The separate climbing competition also drew 93 competitors from around the world, supported by 150 volunteers. The cross section of attendees, from leading business owners and academics, to students and professional arborists, meant the availability of different accommodation options in Christchurch was also important.
“We chose a range of different hotels and venues, with appropriate price points for the people attending, including those coming for the climbing competition,” says Chris. “A lot of people also took longer term accommodation because they were here for quite a long time.”
The influx of delegates also meant the city’s restaurants and bars were well patronised throughout the conference, while travelling companions also enjoyed the local shopping and tourism attractions. Many delegates also travelled before and after the event, spending up to three weeks touring New Zealand.
“I think people felt like this was a bucket list opportunity and they really took advantage of it,” says Caitlyn. “Lots of people brought people with them, whether it was family members or friends, and then took full advantage of what New Zealand had to offer, which is what we were hoping for.”
Flexible, Responsive and Sustainable
The ISA team worked closely with Te Pae Christchurch throughout the three year planning process, and across the three days of the event.
“Working with the team was great,” says Chris. “It was the smooth running of the team at Te Pae Christchurch – the run sheets, getting stuff sorted, the flexibility to allow us to go in earlier, just those little things made a real difference.”
Despite spending three years in the planning, the time went quickly, according to Caitlyn, as the team focused on delivering a genuine ‘New Zealand experience’.
“From our perspective, the planning was seamless,” says Caitlyn. “The way we laid everything out, and working with the staff to figure out what flow worked, was very important. Every time I was in the conference event area, it certainly felt busy and full – people were mingling, eating and sitting – it was a very free flow kind of a feeling. And we received a tonne of positive feedback about the food.”
For an environment-focused event, sustainability was also important, with a range of initiatives established for the event, from delegates donating to fund local planting of trees, to the use of a range of recyclable or wooden materials, water urns and reuseable aluminium drink bottles.
“We were also able to leverage the facilities with the help on the signage,” says Caitlyn. “which really reduced our printing needs.”
International Exposure
For the local industry, the landmark event was a unique opportunity to gain exposure to the international sector.
“New Zealanders don’t usually get to go to these conferences,” says Chris. “So to have one on their doorstep was unique, because the connections you make and the knowledge shared is amazing.”
The 50 plus booth trade show, demonstrated a wide range of equipment and technology, including cutting-edge mapping and planning tools for urban forestry, not yet widely used in New Zealand. Local innovation was also highlighted, with a team from the University of Canterbury demonstrating their new drone saw technology.
Versatile Venue
“It was a god-send to be able to use the whole venue,” says Chris. “We were able to add another talk and have the Women in Arboriculture breakfast there. We were able to have a networking meeting or a credentialing council meeting or a board meeting in different areas – all while the conference was going on.”
“The venue support was extremely professional. The space was perfect for what we needed. It was a win from our side of the planning and execution,” says Caitlyn.
“The overall feeling was great venue, beautiful city, great organisation,” says Chris.
See the highlights from this event in the official conference video:
