News

9 Jul 2020

Te Pae steps up in face of COVID-19 challenges

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre is delivering on its promise to drive economic and social value to the city of Christchurch, securing a host of new conferences despite the challenges presented by COVID-19.

Having announced over 50 confirmed events at the end of 2019, the number has now risen to 67 contracted or confirmed events, projected to bring over $40 million of economic benefit to the city.

General Manager Ross Steele said the fact the centre had been able to retain a significant level of business and even take on new bookings during this time proved that people still wanted that face-to-face connection with their peers.

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 “A major reason that convention centres exist is to drive not just economic but also social value for the cities they are based in, so it’s encouraging to see that even at a challenging time such as this, we are continuing to deliver those important opportunities for Christchurch,” Mr Steele said.

“We have understandably had some cancellations, largely due to uncertainty around travel and the effect of COVID-19 on the construction program, but our team has been working closely with affected clients to reschedule their events to a later date, which has kept the majority of these events in Christchurch.”

At the beginning of the year Te Pae Christchurch awarded the audio-visual supply contract to Tony Edwards and Christchurch based Sound Choice Pro Audio NZ Ltd, and it has also recently reinforced its commitment to showcasing Canterbury to the world, signing its first Canterbury-based food and beverage supplier. Sherwood Estate Wines, located in Waipara, has been appointed as the supplier for Te Pae Christchurch’s classic wine package.

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Te Pae Christchurch General Manager Ross Steele said as a key piece of Christchurch’s regeneration infrastructure, the venue had a responsibility to showcase the best of the region to its clients.

“We acknowledge the role we have in supporting the growth and success of our city and our region, which is one of the reasons we have implemented a purchase local philosophy,” Mr Steele said.

“To achieve our goals of positioning Christchurch as a world-class conference destination and providing economic value to our region, we need to partner with local suppliers who share our passion and vision.” Te Pae Christchurch is continuing to look for local suppliers over the coming months, interested parties can find all requests for proposals on the Te Pae Christchurch website www.tepae.co.nz/connect.

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