Case for National Convention Centre Even Stronger

Case for National Convention Centre Stronger Than Ever
Auckland, July 12 2010 – The need for a dedicated national convention centre is stronger than ever with at least one multi-million dollar international convention hanging in the balance pending a decision to proceed with the build.

A New Zealand Association's World Conference for 2020 with more than 6,000 delegates and an assessed economic value of more than $55 million, is hanging in the balance until the green light is given by Government to build a national convention centre.

"The bid to hold the conference must be submitted by March 2012 if New Zealand is to be in the running," says Alan Trotter, Conventions & Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) CEO. "And this is just one example of a big ticket item that we will be missing out on by not having a large international standard convention centre.

"We are lagging way behind international markets with our large scale infrastructure, even the likes of Australia has a large convention centre in each of its states with some states even boasting two."

A national convention centre has been on the planning horizon for around 25 years with the concept now closer than its ever been. The New Zealand Government recently called for Expressions of Interest to build a convention centre, firm recognition for the need for New Zealand to build a convention centre of international standards and size.

Currently the largest convention New Zealand can host is up to 2,500 delegates in both Christchurch and Auckland and considerably less numbers in other regions.

The 6,000 delegate conference bid on the cards is one of a series of bids CINZ looks after through the Government funded CAP scheme (Conference Assistance Programme). Through CAP CINZ assists New Zealand non-profit organisations consider, evaluate, prepare and present bids to bring international conferences to New Zealand.

The CINZ CAP scheme is funded by The Ministry of Economic Development through the Major Events Funding Programme.

During the past 12 months CINZ has processed 27 new bids with a combined economic value assessed at more than $133 million. At a success rate for first bids at 70%, this represents a return on Government funds of around $180 for every $1 invested.

There are currently more than $130 million worth of bids in the process of, or still to be presented.

"A national convention centre with a much greater capacity than our existing venues would allow a much wider choice of convention bids with a corresponding substantial lift to the economic contribution to the country as a whole," Mr Trotter says.

Conference delegates and partners traditionally spend up to 5 times as much as the average traveller and also tend to stay longer and tour around the country before or after the conference, thus adding to the economic benefit throughout the length and breadth of the country. Conventions also often tend to take place during the off-season winter months when hotels and venues are at their quietest.

Recent successes for the CAP programme include: World Reading Congress, 2010
World Dairy Summit, 2010
43rd Congress Paediatric Oncology, 2011
World Small Animal Veterinary Congress, 2013
World Federation of Rose Societies Regional Convention, 2013
AACA Congress of Anaesthesiologists, 2014
AAORL Head and Neck Surgery Congress, 2011
11th Congress Engineering Geology and the Environment, 2010
Computer Science Modelling Conference, 2011
IPBSAC Building Performance Simulation Conference, 2011
ABIC Agricultural Bio Technology Conference, 2012
ICCVA Cardio Anaesthesiology Congress, 2012
SCB Conservation Biology Congress, 2011
International Sheep Veterinary Congress, 2013
IOPC Administration Professionals Conference, 2011

ENDS

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