Relax and unwind
A picturesque alpine village about two hours’ drive north of Christchurch,
Hanmer Springs might be small but it has a lot to offer conference and
incentive groups.
STAY The Heritage Hanmer Springs is a historic building, restored to
offer both hotel rooms and self-contained villas. The property features a
boardroom, ballroom and restaurant, with lots of natural light and views
out to the immaculately landscaped gardens.
VISIT While in town, you must visit Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa
for the ultimate pampering experience. It features 15 open-air pools where
temperatures range from 28-42 o C as well as a full-service spa facility.
EAT Located at the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa, Tea Kiosk
Café and Grill offers casual dining options both indoors and outdoors. They
also serve up delicious pizzas from their woodfire oven and offer pizza-
making classes for groups.
4
5
1 Punting on the Avon River
in Christchurch. 2 Colourful
catering at MEETINGS.
3 Christchurch comes to life
with street art. 4 Technology
on show at MEETINGS.
5 MEETINGS kicks off with
circus-themed welcome event.
three events to run concurrently, a 3600sqm
exhibition hall and 1600sqm of meetings rooms.
General manager Rob McIntyre says the
blank canvas that the centre is being built on
allowed the designers to “avoid the traps of
so-called flexible venues”.
“Instead we designed it around how our
clients operate in reality, with seamless
and non-overlapping transitions between
sessions,” he says.
The centre is ideally located within walking
distance to many new and refurbished hotels,
including the recently opened Crowne Plaza
Christchurch, which offers 204 rooms, a café,
bar and restaurant and four event spaces.
Also on offer is the Commodore Hotel, which
features modern guest rooms following its
recent refurbishment, and seven conference
rooms for up to 200 delegates, as well as The
George, which boasts luxury accommodation
and a two-hatted restaurant.
While the city awaits the arrival of the
Christchurch Centre, it’s finding other ways
to accommodate business events by utilising
existing venues, such as the Isaac Theatre
Royal, that can host cocktail or seated events
on the theatre stage or in its purpose-built
event space. The Air Force Museum of New
Zealand can also host events in its 1500sqm
Conference and Events Hall or the Aircraft
Hall pre-themed with vintage aircraft and
theatrical lighting. Christchurch’s Cardboard
Cathedral not only serves as the city’s
temporary church, but can also be hired for
events. With a roof made from cardboard
tubes and shipping containers for walls, the
Cardboard Cathedral is the definition of a
unique event space.
Christchurch and Canterbury Convention
Bureau manager Caroline Blanchfield
says the city is embracing its mix of old
and new, highlighting that the Avon River
precinct is now open – an exciting step
forward for the city.
“What we’ve done is turned the city to the
river,” she says. “The linkage between the
architecture and the river is coming alive
now, and so that’s actually becoming the hub
of the city.”
The city has also introduced shared
promenades and lowered the CBD speed
limit to 30km/hr, making it safe and
accessible for drivers, pedestrians and
cyclists. Combining that with its compact
layout and plethora of hotels and venues,
Christchurch is rebuilding itself into a city
that’s tailor-made for business events.
A day to remember
Auckland Convention Bureau shared a
glimpse into the possibilities Auckland
can offer for events, taking a group
of buyers on a one-day famil through
the city. Highlights included lunch
at St Matthews in the City, a historic
neo-Gothic church and event space in
the heart of the city, as well as a team
building activity at Pullman Auckland
with Team Up Events. The day ended
with a M āori performance at ANZ
Viaduct Event Centre, which saw one
delegate serenaded with a M āori love
song and others invited to learn and
perform the haka.
www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, Issue 4, 2017 23