Te Pae Christchurch begins courtship of international associations

Te Pae Christchurch is gearing up for its opening in October 2020

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre has appointed Germany-headquartered international representation company, Worldwide Convention Specialists (WCS), to support its lead generation activities in Europe in the lead up to its opening in October 2020.

Having recently returned from IMEX Frankfurt, Te Pae Christchurch’s general manager, Ross Steele, is buoyed by the future potential for the city.

Te Pae Christchurch is gearing up for its opening in October 2020

“Our research shows more than 53 per cent of international associations are headquartered in Europe, which is why this region is a significant target market for Te Pae Christchurch.

“Winning a convention is like bidding for the Olympics, with a planning cycle that can be between two to 12 years in advance. So, we need to be in front of every potential client to showcase Christchurch as a future host city contender,” Steele said in a statement.

When it opens next year, Te Pae will have capacity for up to 2,000 delegates for a variety of events. It will feature facilities including a 1,400-seat auditorium, over 3,000m2 of exhibition space and 24 meeting rooms.

AEG Ogden, the venue management company behind Te Pae Christchurch, has had a long association with WCS’ director, Anette Palm.

“Our history shows that associations primarily book events with destinations or venues with whom they have built a mutually beneficial business relationship and when AEG Ogden is involved it gives the client extra confidence during the selection process,” Palm shared.

“With Te Pae Christchurch opening next year, it is an exciting proposition to share with our long-term client base – many of whom organise more than two or three events worldwide, and most importantly, seek venues within the Asia-Pacific region.”

WCS supports convention centres and convention bureaux throughout the world, including Kuala Lumpur, Toronto, Cape Town, Stockholm, Basel and Brussels.

“In collaboration with the country’s academic community leaders, Tourism New Zealand and ChristchurchNZ, we will be working towards raising this position in the years ahead with Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre being a lead catalyst for this growth,” Steele concluded.

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