Capital's unfinished Tākina conference centre looking to fill its books

Wednesday, 10 February 2021

Tākina, the Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, is due to open in 2023.

The capital’s under-construction convention centre is already on the radar of event organisers ahead of its projected mid-2023 opening.

The first firm booking for the Tākina exhibition and conference centre has been made among a steady stream of inquiries, the Wellington City Council’s promotional company WellingtonNZ says.

The Festival for the Future had been confirmed in 2023 at the $179 million council-backed facility, said WellingtonNZ general manager David Perks. The festival focuses on young New Zealanders who are making a difference in areas such as climate, enterprise and wellbeing. It will run across several days and is expected to attract more than 1200 delegates.

Concept rendering of Wellington’s Tākina exhibition and conference centre which is scheduled for completion in 2023.

Perks said Wellington’s central location and status as the seat of government made it an attractive location.

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The 18,000-square-metre facility is located across the road from Te Papa, near Wellington’s waterfront. Work can be seen from Cable St.

“A number of clients who originally planned conferences in other destination for 2021 have stated access to government officials and Wellington’s central location as key reasons to move their conference to the capital. We expect that interest to intensify as the opening of Tākina nears.”

Diane Calvert, the council’s economic development portfolio holder, said the Tākina build, which began in 2019 was progressing on time and on budget.

While Covid-19 had hit the international events and conference industry hard, Calvert said the facility would still be able to contribute to the city’s economy.

Tākina had been designed to cater for the New Zealand and Australian markets and the effects of the virus on large-scale international gatherings would not impact its operations as seriously as other larger centres.

“We’re confident we can still attract those big domestic and Australasian [events].”

The 18,000-square-metre facility on Wellington’s waterfront will include two conference rooms and two exhibition spaces and will feature a wavy bronze facade on Cable St. .

The three-storey building would create hospitality jobs, but would also help stimulate business in the surrounding area, Calvert said. The ground floor, which will house a public exhibition gallery and outdoor courtyard, will include a public walkway between Wakefield and Cable streets.

“It can’t be looked at as a standalone building – it will regenerate that whole area between Te Papa and Courtenay Place.”