Not just a place, it is our people: Te Pae general manager Ross Steele

From the early planning stages of Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, we knew our city was going to have one of the finest convention centres in Australasia. In my biased opinion, it is the best.

We recognise that all convention centres, no matter where they are in the world, are built to host conferences and conventions, so it was important to find our unique point of difference.

When we started to form the Te Pae Christchurch team, it became clear that our people are what set us apart. It is our people who engage with our delegates and clients providing top-notch service, our people who ensure our guests are nourished with premium local food and beverages, and our people who keep our building secure and maintained to the highest standard. While we are proud of our award-winning building, it is the people working within it who truly bring it to life and deliver our Manaaki o Te Pae—our warm welcome.

Currently, we have over 500 team members who represent Te Pae Christchurch and our city to every visitor who walks through our doors. They create memorable experiences and help to showcase our city and region, so when delegates head home, they are excited to share with family and friends how wonderful our city is.

We know this firsthand, because our delegates and visitors are telling us. We are in the initial stages of surveying our delegates and visitors, and the early feedback is overwhelmingly positive. Our venue, our team and our city are rating highly, with an impressive 90% of surveyed convention delegates indicating they plan to return to our city within the next five years and they hope to bring their family and friends. We look forward to sharing more detailed insights with you once the survey is completed later this year.