Conventions held at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre generated almost NZ$74 million (US$44.4 million) for the economy in the year to June 2026, including more than NZ$60 million directly for Canterbury.
The venue hosted 56 conventions during the period, including several international events, supporting 827 jobs across Canterbury, according to an economic impact assessment by Infometrics.
A further 133 exhibitions, banquets, live events and meetings were held at the centre over the 12 months, bringing total attendance to more than 125,000.
Major events included Adaptation Futures 2025, International Society of Arboriculture Conference, and 10th IWA-ASPIRE + Water New Zealand Conference and Expo. The Art of Banksy exhibition also attracted more than 38,000 visitors during the summer period.
Since opening in May 2022, Te Pae Christchurch has hosted more than 865 events attended by over 422,000 visitors. The purpose-built venue can accommodate up to 2,000 delegates and includes a 1,364-seat auditorium, 2,800m2 of exhibition space and 24 meeting rooms.
The centre has also reported a 20 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2022 and was recently recertified Net Carbon Zero and Enviromark Gold by Toitū Envirocare.
Te Pae Christchurch has a pipeline of conventions and events confirmed for 2026 and beyond.
John O’Hagan, chief executive, Crown Infrastructure Delivery, said: “The Crown backed Te Pae to help drive the regeneration of central Christchurch by attracting more visitors, investment and activity. These results show it is delivering on that vision in a very tangible way.”
Ross Steele, general manager, Te Pae Christchurch, added: “We’re very proud of Te Pae Christchurch’s reputation as one of Australasia’s leading convention centres, helping position Christchurch and Canterbury as a premier business events destination.”
