During the first three months of this year more than 40,000 people are expected have been to Mystery Creek Events Centre to dance, sing, sleep, pray, laugh, eat, network and socialise.
Events planned for the versatile Waikato event centre include trade shows, industry conferences, weddings and New Zealand's longest-running music festival, Parachute.
First up 115 hectare riverside venue was transformed into a colourful tent city for the annual Parachute Music Festival.
The sold-out event provided family-friendly fun and music with a line-up of more than 100 bands, local and international, performing across four stages and catering to 17,500 fans of all genres. Headline acts included Evermore, Switchfoot, Hillsong United, Newsboys, Family Force Five, Lecrae, Rapture Ruckus, Sleeping Giant and Oh, Sleeper.
Mystery Creek Events Centre corporate and private events manager Sonya Anderson says she is extremely happy with the number and range of events booked at the facilities this year.
"Parachute music festival is a prime example of the large-scale events that we are able to cater for and we are keen to encourage other concert organisers and businesses to grow their events with us."
This is Parachute's 10th year at Mystery Creek Events Centre and the robust relationship has resulted in the signing of a new five-year contract, ensuring that one of the largest music festivals in the Southern Hemisphere can continue to be held there.
Mystery Creek's space, facilities and infrastructure set it apart from many other venues and the site naturally lends itself to large multi-day events.
"It is the only events centre in New Zealand that can accommodate 30,000 campers with showers, flushing toilets and all necessary amenities to reside onsite," says Sonya.
"Recently the events centre opened up camping facilities for several key events and received unprecedented bookings and tremendous feedback from visitors who enjoyed the convenience of staying onsite."
Mystery Creek Events Centre has a long-term master plan which will see redevelopment of the site over the next 15 years, using many of the property's natural features to enhance and build on the strengths and possibilities of the world-class event destination.
