NEW ZEALAND’S HUB FOR ARTS AND CULTURE is poised to become an even stronger draw for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE). As Auckland prepares to open the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC), scheduled for 2020, a wave of new hotel developments will add roughly 4,000 rooms to the city over the next five years.
“The development of the New Zealand International Convention Centre means Auckland is able to be more competitive on the global stage for largescale business events,” said Anna Hayward, head of the Auckland Convention Bureau. “At an impressive 32,500 square meters [nearly 350,000 square feet], with 33 meeting spaces and a 2,850-seat theatre, the NZICC will be the largest and most versatile conference, exhibition and entertainment space in New Zealand.”
The NZICC will be five times larger than the current biggest convention facility in New Zealand and will host conferences for around 3,150 attendees and single events for about 4,000 people. The centre is already in demand, with several conferences booked for 2020 and 2021. Forecasts suggest that by 2025 Auckland could welcome more than 4 million visitors a year (an increase of about 58 percent), creating a visitor economy estimated at $13.9 billion (up 85 percent).
The additional hotel capacity tied to NZICC will support expected growth in Auckland’s business events sector, which is projected to reach $438 million by 2025 — a 105 percent rise compared with 2014 figures.
Auckland’s luxury hotel market is expanding rapidly. International brands are entering the city, including Four Points by Sheraton, The Ritz-Carlton, Park Hyatt and the recently opened SO/Auckland. Plans are also in place to expand the Auckland Cordis hotel, which will become New Zealand’s largest hotel by room count with a new 16-floor tower scheduled to open in late 2020 in time for major events such as the America’s Cup and the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum. That expansion will add 250 rooms and increase event capacity.
Several properties are undergoing refurbishment or conversion. Castle Resorts & Hotels announced the Liberté Hotel, a 125-room conversion opening in the Aotea Quarter in 2019. IHG is investing significantly in Auckland with two large projects: Hotel Indigo and InterContinental Auckland — the latter will be part of the $1 billion Commercial Bay waterfront precinct and is slated to open with 244 rooms in 2022. Sudima Hotels & Resorts has also confirmed a 200-room Sudima Hotel in the city centre due for completion in 2020, complementing its airport property.
“Auckland is undergoing an unprecedented transformation, with more than $26 billion of public sector investment on top of the billions of dollars of private investment flowing into the city in the next decade,” Hayward said.
Major infrastructure projects include the Auckland City Rail Link (CRL), the largest transport initiative in New Zealand’s history, which will at least double rail capacity. Recent growth trends indicate that by 2035 CRL stations may need to handle up to 54,000 passengers an hour at peak times, compared with earlier estimates of 36,000.
The NZICC will link directly to public transport and will be a short ride from Auckland International Airport. All major central city attractions and venues will be within about a 10-minute walk of the site, making the convention centre highly accessible for delegates.
The Museum of Transport and Technology © MOTAT
Auckland Council’s Planning Committee recently voted to pedestrianize Queen Street and several surrounding inner-city streets, a move intended to make the city centre itself more attractive to visitors and encourage walkable urban experiences.
“Auckland’s increasing infrastructure, greater air connectivity and now the 4,000-people capacity of NZICC mean a number of previous barriers to attracting largerscale international business events are gone. Auckland is now a serious player in the global business events market,” Hayward said.
Alongside infrastructure upgrades, Auckland’s venue portfolio is also expanding. The Aotea Centre is undergoing a phased refurbishment to support innovative performing arts activities and to attract international creative talent; its interior refresh began in October and the Centre is scheduled to reopen soon. Other prominent venues include the Auckland Museum – Tāmaki Paenga Hira, noted for its grand Neoclassical design, and SKYCITY Auckland Convention Centre, which can accommodate groups of 20 to 2,000 guests.
Hilton Auckland offers a striking waterfront location and harbour views, with 165 rooms and seven multipurpose rooms that can host up to 700 guests. The ASB Waterfront Theatre, located in the Wynyard Quarter precinct, blends business and the arts and provides several flexible spaces for events with capacities above 600 guests.
Just a 35-minute ferry ride from central Auckland, Cable Bay Vineyards on Waiheke Island provides distinctive event settings for everything from intimate board meetings to dinners for up to 180 delegates.
UNIQUE VENUES
The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT), one of Auckland’s iconic cultural institutions and New Zealand’s largest transport, technology and social history museum, offers a variety of distinctive event spaces. Across its 40-acre site, MOTAT can host up to 800 guests cocktail-style or 350 for a seated dinner, with options such as dining among heritage aircraft in the Aviation Display Hall.
The Auckland War Memorial Museum also serves groups with memorable programming and settings. The building’s imposing architecture and interior galleries make it a unique draw. MICE clients can arrange Māori cultural performances, welcome ceremonies surrounded by taonga (treasures), after-hours exhibition tours or themed cocktail evenings.
Shed 10, a century-old cargo shed on Queens Wharf, combines industrial character with waterfront views and history. As the only original building remaining on the wharf and the default cruise terminal, it delivers a flexible event space suitable for gala dinners and large functions for up to 800 guests.
Kauri Bay Boomrock, located about a 45-minute drive from downtown Auckland on a private 500-acre coastal property, provides an experiential venue focused on premium New Zealand cuisine and a range of activities. Event programs can include whiskey tastings, clay bird shooting, professional hot-lapping, archery or 4×4 driving experiences, offering tailored incentives and team-building options.