New Zealand’s Tākina Convention & Exhibition Centre has injected more than NZ$120 million (US$71.3 million) into the Wellington economy in its first three years of operation.
Since opening its doors on May 31, 2023, the purpose-built venue has attracted over 300,000 exhibition visitors and hosted 119,758 delegates across 306 business events, directly stimulating the region’s retail, hospitality, and accommodation sectors.
WellingtonNZ’s chief executive Mark Oldershaw stated the venue has rapidly proved its commercial value, noting that every event held at the centre creates ripple effects across the city that drive spend and support local jobs.
The venue has served as the backdrop for globally significant events, including the 21st WONCA World Rural Health Conference, and the 30th ICDE World Conference, both of which yielded major national policy outcomes.
On the consumer side, the centre has consistently drawn massive out-of-region crowds through immersive experiences including Jurassic World by Brickman, Marvel: Earth’s Mightiest Exhibition, Doctor Who: Worlds of Wonder and Disney: The Magic of Animation, alongside exhibitions such as The Art of Banksy and The World Press Photo Exhibition 2025. Upcoming events include Michelangelo: A Different View and the recently-announced LEGO Star Wars.
Financially, the venue is outperforming expectations and is currently on track to finish the financial year NZ$600,000 to $700,000 ahead of budget. This fiscal success is paired with surging customer satisfaction, as the venue’s Net Promoter Score climbed from +56 to +83 over the past year.
Alongside its financial metrics, the five-star Green Star rated facility has also achieved international acclaim, placing as runner-up in the World-Architects Building of the Year awards while successfully diverting 7,800 food portions to local rescue charities and harvesting three million litres of rainwater.
