More than a decade in the making, the centre will offer two plenary space for 1,600 and 700 delegates, up to 2,500m2 of exhibition space and up to 11 break out spaces across two levels. The centre’s size and layout make it possible for larger conference groups to have exclusivity over one floor or the entire centre.
The ground floor of the building features a public exhibition space, which will see the crowd-pleasing Jurassic World by Brickman open this Saturday as its inaugural exhibition.
As the first of New Zealand’s three next-generation convention centres to open on time, David Perks, general manager of Tākina commercial development at Wellington City Council, says the stakeholders behind development of the venue had been “cautious…not to get ahead of ourselves”.
“One of the great pleasures of working on this project has been the whole family of people and organisations working upon it,” says Perks.
“This has delivered Tākina on time and very close to budget.”
Jake Downing, director of museum commercial services for the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, who will also have operational oversight of Tākina, says there’s a lot to look forward to in the centre’s first year.
“We have got a really diverse set of events in the first year which is super exciting, from Festival for the Future, New Zealand’s biggest leadership and innovation summit focused on the country’s future leaders, to the New Zealand Game Developers Conference expecting to break record numbers as it moves to its new home, Tākina,” says Downing.
“The team are also really looking forward to hosting MEETINGS23 and being able to showcase the amazing new space and F&B to their industry colleagues and friends.”
Tākina will host New Zealand’s flagship business events trade show MEETINGS within its first month of opening on June 21-22, showcasing the capabilities of the venue to hundreds of hosted buyers from around New Zealand, Australia and further afield internationally, as well as the wider business events community from around New Zealand.
“On the ground floor there is an exciting line-up of international touring exhibitions starting with Jurassic World by Brickman and more to come!” says Downing.
The team who will ensure the smooth running of the venue are fully focussed on delivering a world class experience to organisers and all who visit the convention centre, he says.
“There is a huge amount of excitement and energy, mixed with a little bit of apprehension on this new step in the journey of Tākina Events, overall, they just can’t wait.”
