One New Zealand Stadium opened on the ANZAC weekend with three sunny autumn days of Super Rugby attended by 75,000 people, including many Australian visitors.
Amongst the big name sponsors, Scenic Hotel Group hosted guests for their first look at the stadium. Everybody was impressed and in awe of the facility, the atmosphere – and the catering.
The Scenic Hotels’ Circle sits on level three of the West Stand and has a dedicated entrance close to the city centre on Madras Street, with its own food and beverage outlets. It is designed to operate across major sporting events, concerts and other large-scale occasions.
Scenic Hotel Group is New Zealand’s largest locally owned hotel operator, with properties across New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Executive chairwoman Lani Hagaman said the partnership had personal as well as commercial significance, pointing to the group’s long association with Canterbury sport, including ties to the Crusaders rugby franchise.
“This partnership genuinely feels like coming home,” Hagaman said. “Scenic has grown alongside Canterbury sport for many years, so this is not just about putting our name on a space. It is about being part of the moments that bring people together and create pride, connection and lifelong memories.”
Scenic Hotel Group chief executive Karl Luxon said the stadium represented an opportunity to extend the group’s hospitality offering to a national and international audience.
“At its core, hospitality is about how you make people feel. As Christchurch steps into this next chapter, we are proud to play a role in creating experiences that make people feel welcome, proud to be here and eager to return,” he said.
Venues Ōtautahi general manager, Danny Schroder, said Scenic’s focus on quality and community connection made it an ideal partner for the venue.
Christchurch has been steadily rebuilding its events and hospitality infrastructure since the 2010–11 earthquakes, and One New Zealand Stadium is among the most significant additions to the city centre.
For event planners, the stadium adds a large-format venue option to a destination already served by daily direct flights from all major Australian cities.
Business events are set to be a significant part of the stadium’s business mix.
