Rotorua reaping benefits of various awards

The Rotorua conference and incentive industry almost doubled its market share over two years, the most recent industry survey shows.

An Ernst and Young survey, released in December, 1998, showed that Rotorua was the fourth largest centre for conferences behind the major centres of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

The region was almost up with Queenstown on length of stay - an average of 3.1 days - in the corporate conference arena. It also showed that Rotorua almost doubled its market share, from 6 to 11 per cent, over two years to June, 1998.

Meanwhile, the region continues to scoop awards. Last year Rotorua-based Conference and Function Services won for the third time the Meeting Newz Award for the best professional conference organising company.

The Rotorua Convention Centre and Sheraton Rotorua Hotel have both been voted the best conference venues by Meeting Newz during the past three years.

And the New Zealand Tourism Awards continue to acknowledge Rotorua's leadership, says Tourism Rotorua's general manager, Oscar Nathan. The region has won 11 awards in the past three years, including the supreme award. This went to Tamaki Tours in 1998.

Last year two newly-introduced New Zealand Tourism distinction awards - reserved for companies that have won more than three tourism awards - went to Rotorua, one to Tamaki Tours and the other to Rotorua District Council.

The council's wins recognised its commitment to tourism development, the effect of which can not be underestimated, Mr Nathan says.

"Council's $30 million city redevelopment was a catalyst for growth."

The Rotorua Convention Centre was opened in 1995 and two new hotels - the Royal Lakeside Novotel and Rydges Hotel - followed. They join existing hotels and conference specialist companies in catering for conferences, Mr Nathan says.

"...They complement an ever-developing and impressive infrastructure."

Rotorua's abundant forests, lakes and volcanic landscape provide "magnificent" central North Island settings for adventures and "enable the imagination to run wild when it comes to planning a conference to remember," Mr Nathan says.

"Rotorua hotels and specialist conference and incentive companies join forces to out-cater and theme in some of the least likely venues.

"You can dine in the belly of a dormant volcano or beside an exploding geyser. You can sip champagne and indulge in canapes beside an aptly-named and bubbling Champagne pool. And a redwood forest can be transformed into Nottingham Forest."

Conference attendees can tuck into breakfast among giant trees "only to be ambushed by Robin Hood and his merry men."

When it comes to accessing information and impartial advice on conferencing in Rotorua, the Rotorua Convention Bureau is the one-stop shop, Mr Nathan says.