Leeann Watson

The Influencers Column: Leeann Watson

There’s been a lot of comment on business confidence, which hit a seven-year low last month. While it’s easy to dismiss confidence as just sentiment, fact is it does have an impact on economic growth through the investment and employment decisions businesses make. We can debate the various drivers of the numbers, but the biggest […]

Dr Megan Woods

The Influencers Column: Dr Megan Woods

One of the priorities for me as the Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration is ensuring that we are well placed to learn from the Canterbury Earthquakes sequence going ahead. We know that there are valuable lessons to be learned from such an unprecedented event that will enable us to make sure our communities are more […]

Matt Harris

The Influencers Column: Matt Harris

Prior to the devastating earthquake events of 2010/2011, the public generally didn’t know a geotechnical engineer from a civil engineer; with much of an engineer’s work often being hidden. Indeed, if it works and continues to do so, then an engineer’s work is often buried in the ground, or hidden behind building finishes, quietly doing […]

Ivan Iafeta

The Influencers Column: Ivan Iafeta

After five weeks, our Red Zone Futures exhibition has ended and we are now assessing the feedback provided by everyone who visited the Cashel Mall site, engaged with our travelling exhibition and commented via the online exhibition.   This information, as well as the findings of qualitative research carried out during the exhibition period, will […]

Amy Carter

The Influencers Column: Amy Carter

Irecently had the pleasure of attending a presentation from four millennials talking about social enterprises here in Christchurch. The future leaders were excited to share their findings with the baby boomers and gen Xers. After all, in their minds, social enterprise is a relatively new concept, largely driven by their generation.   Those of us […]

Keith Beal

The Influencers Column: Keith Beal

Te Pae, the official name for the Christchurch Convention Centre, was recently unveiled at MEETINGS 2018, New Zealand’s largest business events tradeshow, in Auckland. The name is a unique yet simple way for domestic and international visitors to identify this premium, purpose-built convention and exhibition venue. We worked with local cultural advisers, Matapopore on a […]

Leeann Watson

The Influencers Column: Leeann Watson

Living in Christchurch should offer an experience comparable to other major cities and that which is expected of the second largest city in NZ. That’s why we need to commit to building a multi-use stadium.   The economic and social benefits of a vibrant sporting and contemporary events calendar are considerable, as evidenced in Dunedin […]

Albert Brantley

The Influencers Column: Albert Brantley

You may notice a change in the Christchurch skyline this month with the first of the steel trusses being placed to support the roof of the Convention Centre. These first trusses span 50 metres and sit over the 1400-person auditorium. They give you the first real opportunity to gain some appreciation of the scale of […]

Nathan Godfrey: Canterbury Rugby Football Union CEO

The Influencers Column: Nathan Godfrey

I’m often asked about the new stadium and, although this is a complex subject, my answer is simple. Time is money. We are grateful for the temporary stadium and what it once represented, but extending its life is a growing concern. Another is the escalating cost of delaying construction of a replacement home for Lancaster […]

Dr Megan Woods: Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister

The Influencers Column: Dr Megan Woods

For seven years, a generation of young Cantabrians has had to make do without important sporting facilities. These were meant to be provided by early 2016 in the Metro Sports Facility, a proposed world class sporting facility. When this Government came to office, all this had come to was an empty lot. Beset by a […]