Latest News

Welcome to the News Section where you can find all the latest media releases relating to  the Wellington Convention Centre and the Events we host. 

New Zealand Dinners with Gordon Ramsay Postponed

Media Statement, Duco Events, 16 June 2010

Dinners with Gordon Ramsay in Auckland and Wellington have been postponed due to Ramsay’s mother suffering a heart attack, but Chris Hutcheson CEO of Gordon Ramsay Holdings has confirmed the events will proceed as planned within coming months.
Ramsay’s agent notified local organisers Duco Events today of the situation and committed to confirming the new event dates within two weeks time.

A statement provided by Ramsay’s office said: “With great reluctance, Gordon has had to postpone his trip to New Zealand with the news of his mother’s heart attack. He is so sorry to disappoint his fans on this occasion but hopes that everyone will understand. Gordon will be rescheduling his trip and hopes to be able to announce a new date very shortly.”

Duco directors David Higgins and John McRae have put out a joint statement to say “Our hearts go out to Mr Ramsay and his family and we wish his mother a speedy recovery. To ticket buyers, rest assured the events will still proceed as planned and we apologise for any inconvenience. We thank customers for their patience as we work towards confirming the new dates for what will be two fantastic events. The fact there has been a waiting list for the Auckland event for the past three weeks is testimony to Gordon Ramsay’s huge popularity in New Zealand.”

Duco Events will advise the new dates once receiving guidance from Ramsay’s office. Ticket holders will be notified by email of the new dates.

For media comment:
David Higgins, Duco Events spokesperson: 021 435 415
The dinners were scheduled for the following dates:
Wellington, Tue 22 June 2010
Auckland, Wed 23 June 2010

Appointment of Acting General Manager

19 May 2010

The Wellington Convention Centre last week said farewell to Neville Brown. With the need for Neville to focus his attention on his broader Director role within Council, he has taken the decision to appoint an Acting General Manager to look after the Convention Centre. This is an interim measure until such a time as a CEO is appointed at the conclusion of the current governance review.

Gillian Officer has taken on the Acting role. Gillian has worked for this business for the past three years as Manager - Business Development, looking after the sales, event coordination and marketing teams.

Putting the spotlight on Wellington

19 May 2010

The last week of April saw 24 conference buyers from around New Zealand and Australia fly into Wellington for a Familarisation of the Capital City, organised by the Wellington Convention Bureau.

The Wellington Convention Centre wowed their guests with a truly 5 Star dining experience. A highlight of the three day famil, the Convention Centre along with catering partner Restaurant Associates (RA) showcased a superb food and wine meal. RA Manager Herwig Lanzerstorfer; and Executive Chef Dan Mikkelsen entertained guests with excerpts from their lives and their passion for food - showing creative flair and imagination outside the kitchen.

Guests left Wellington with a real understanding that Wellington has the spaces, the experience and the passion to be a first-class conference destination for their events.

We're now on Twitter

19 May 2010

We've recently discovered the wonders of Twitter as a way of letting people know what is happening in our venues. We'll be using this technology to tweet latest news, special offers and insider sneak-peaks. If you would like to be in the know, follow us at twitter.com/CapitalVenues

A milestone year for Wellington Conference & Events Expo

27 April 2010

The Wellington Conference and Events Expo on Wednesday 13th October 2010 will mark the 10th anniversary of this regional tradeshow. From small beginnings in the Michael Fowler Centre, to the largest regional exhibition of its kind in Wellington at the TSB Bank Arena, the Expo has grown from strength to strength over the last ten years.

The Wellington Convention Centre who host the exhibition are proud of how the tradeshow has grown and its status as a “not to be missed” industry event. As the driving force behind the event, the Convention Centre plans to mark this 10 year milestone.

“We want to make this year’s exhibition extra special and celebrate how it has evolved over the years” says Gillian Officer, Manager – Business Development at the Wellington Convention Centre.

“Last year’s exhibition ran really smoothly and after so many years of refining our approach, we’re looking forward to being able to build on a model that we believe is a success”.

 The exhibition attracts an average of 100 exhibitors each year, highlighting its importance as a marketing must-do. For many of the smaller companies exhibiting, this is their only marketing activity undertaken all year.  And because of the ever evolving nature of this business, there are always new exhibitors coming on board to add to the variety of the show.
 

This tradeshow offers event organisers the opportunity to research Suppliers all on one day, under one roof – saving time and giving a snapshot view of what is currently available. It’s the ideal place to discover new ideas.

Exhibitor registrations for the 2010 are now open. To register visit wellingtonconferenceexpo.co.nz or call Conference Works on 04 479 8616.
 
Attendee registrations will open in July.
 

New Zealand International Arts Festival - 26 Feb – 21 Mar 2010

11 February 2010

The New Zealand International Arts Festival begins this month and will light up the Capital City over 24 days with a feast of international events. From the fun to the dramatic, and the classical to the contemporary, there’s something to enrapture everyone’s imagination during Festival 2010.  Take your pick from phenomenal dance, captivating theatre, inspiring music, enchanting family shows and spectacular free events. Don’t miss breathtaking dance in Sutra, darkly funny theatre in The Walworth Farce, pulse-stopping circus feats in Inside out and top writers talk big ideas in the New Zealand Post Writers and Readers Week.  For a great night out, why not head down to the hot new Pacific Blue Festival Club in Shed 6 on the Wellington Waterfront to soak up the Festival atmosphere or catch a show.  

New cafe opening in the Michael Fowler Centre

5 February 2010

The Michael Fowler Centre is about to get a breath of fresh air with the opening of its newly refurbished café on the 22nd February. The renamed ‘Civic Café & Bar’ will be unrecognisable from the former Symphony Cafe with a contemporary new look and features that will create a fresh, modern space to meet.

The Civic Café & Bar has undergone a complete upgrade; from décor and layout, to new menus and style of service. The décor features warm and inviting colours and will be open daily; and during performance evenings.

The most exciting addition to the new Civic Café & Bar is a dedicated tasting room. Event organisers will now have their own room where they can sample menus and discuss catering options for their event.

The onsite café is regularly utilised for meetings due to its convenient location, quiet ambience and great coffee; and it being a wireless internet hotspot makes it a popular site for delegates and organisers alike to visit.

The stylish new look of the Civic Café & Bar also makes a great venue for small cocktail functions and pre-show hostings.

Wellington on Show

1 February 2010 

Wellington showcase a great success

19 October 2009

Wellington showcased its C&I and Events Industry Product on the 14th October at the 9th annual Wellington Conference and Events Expo.  Over 80 local suppliers came together at the TSB Bank Arena for this regional exhibition highlighting what Wellington can offer event organisers. With regular exhibitors and the 22 first time exhibitors bringing fresh and creative ideas for attendees to explore - over 90% of our attendees surveyed said that they had discovered new ideas at the tradeshow, and would be purchasing soon.

Although numbers were down from last year with just 575 buyers attending - this was considered by many to be quality over quantity. Due to this exhibition being a regional showcase, the buyers predominately came from the local event market; however this year’s exhibition also saw an increase of out-of-towners attending which was felt to be a reflection of the growing maturity of the show.

For further comment on any of the above stories, please contact Gillian Officer - Manager - Business Development on 04 803 8018 or email gillian.officer@wcc.govt.nz

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