The Influencers: John Bridgman
Construction is back up and running at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre after a shutdown during the COVID-19 restriction period.
Work kicked off again at Level 3 with a smaller team and strict social distancing requirements, and as we return to the city it is brilliant to see how quickly the building façade is progressing along Oxford Terrace.
The pandemic is affecting the business events industry worldwide and we are not immune to that.
The centre’s Business Development team has been working closely with affected clients to reschedule their events to a later date, which has kept most of these events in Christchurch.
General Manager Ross Steele has advised they now have 67 events confirmed for Te Pae Christchurch, which is a 30% increase on the number of bookings at the end of 2019.
These are projected to bring over $40 million of economic benefit to the city.
Understandably, given the current climate, eight upcoming events have been cancelled due to uncertainty around travel and the delayed completion of the building.
When the venue opens, personal safety is likely to still be at the front of people’s minds.
The hygiene and safety standards being used will be consistent with other venues around the world managed by our venue operator, ASM Global.
In business as usual, an exceptional local winery, Sherwood Estate Wines, has secured the first major supply contract.
Supporting the city’s economic and social recovery is one of Te Pae Christchurch’s key objectives and they tell me they expect to sign up more local suppliers shortly.
