Ongoing scope for Rotorua conferences

Rotorua's international conference industry is well placed to maintain market share despite plans for a national conference centre in Auckland, but it needs the resources to market itself effectively.

In May the Government adopted a proposal from SkyCity to build a $350 million, 3500-seat convention centre in Hobson St, Auckland, adjacent to its casino and hotel.

Event & Venues Rotorua general manager Peter McLeod said in a report to the Rotorua District Council Economic and Regulatory Services committee last week that Rotorua could find new opportunities from the centre, but should monitor areas of concern.

Most of Rotorua's conference business comes from Australasia and McLeod said the sector could, therefore, be marketed on the merits of Rotorua, rather than those of New Zealand.

"For that reason, we believe the international business being generated for Rotorua will be able to be maintained, provided sufficient marketing resources are made available."

The National Convention Centre will cater to larger events, but McLeod warned being able to subdivide the space to host smaller events would be part of the design, which could create competition for Rotorua. But opportunities would arise to promote Rotorua as a visitor destination to conference delegates.

Another concern raised in the report was the possible reduction in regional funding from the Conference Assistance Programme, should money be redirected into promoting the National Convention Centre.

The Tourism Industry Association and Conventions & Incentive New Zealand have supported National Convention Centre plans, saying it would open a new market for New Zealand and help boost shoulder and low-season travel periods.

This sentiment was echoed by Hotel Council of New Zealand regional chairman Fraser McKenzie, of Novotel Lakeside and Ibis in Rotorua, who told The Daily Post it would help put New Zealand on the map for conferences and incentives.

"We are an easy-drive destination from Auckland and, if there are 5000 people at a conference at the National Convention Centre, you will inevitably find individual units will be spinning off around the country," McKenzie said.

During his time in Queenstown, he said a 2000-delegate conference in Christchurch resulted in 500-600 people travelling to Queenstown for break-out sessions for two or three nights. He sees Rotorua being in a prime position to pick up this type of business from the national centre.

Jacqui Alexander is the owner of Event Impressions, a Rotorua company that organises events around New Zealand, and she said there was still plenty of opportunities for Rotorua in smaller events.

"Rotorua's hotels can cater for groups of up to 200. The Convention Centre caters for 200-plus and the Energy Events Centre comes in on top of that. But we have to keep focused on selling all of that."

She said Rotorua was "on the rise" in the wake of the Meetings conference and incentives expo in June and after hosting the Trenz tourism expo.

"We can clean up in that smaller sector while Auckland is concentrating on it shiny new toy."