After just 19 months of site and construction work, main building contractor Mainzeal handed over the complex to the Rotorua District Council on February 16, 2007, just four days before hosting its first booking - the1200 delegate Learning @ Schools conference.
Tight deadlines aside, the conference was so successful that Learning @ Schools are back again this month for their 2008 conference. Repeat business has been a trend for the new complex with many 2007 conference and exhibition clients returning for 2008, including the country’s largest tourism tradeshow TRENZ (Tourism Rendezvous New Zealand).
Energy Events Centre manager, Elsa Bradbury and Sudima Hotel Lake Rotorua
Operations Manager, Gert Taljaard, celebrate the centre's first birthday
Elsa Bradbury, Energy Events Centre manager for *Events & Venues Rotorua says forward bookings for 2009 and beyond are very encouraging and space during peak conference months is filling fast.
Events & Venues general manager, Peter McLeod says bookings for major conferences, exhibitions and other events at the Energy Events Centre are well ahead of initial forecasts.
“Both the number of events and the number of delegates attending have shot our original targets out of the water,” he says.
With the launch of the Energy Events Centre, Events & Venues Rotorua formed its Premier Marketing Partners (PMP) group with local professional events businesses, to offer clients a comprehensive one-stop events package. The PMP group comprises Events & Venues Rotorua, Sudima, Millennium, and Novotel hotels, Skyline Skyrides, Dynamics Audio Visual and Event Impressions.
Gert Taljaard, operations manager of Sudima Hotel Rotorua - the newest member of the PMP group -was on hand with a cake to congratulate the Events & Venues team and to help celebrate the Energy Events Centre’s first birthday.
“The Energy Events Centre is a huge asset for Rotorua, and as I’m sure other local businesses will attest, the flow-on effect from increased delegate numbers coming to Rotorua, has been huge,” said Mr Taljaard.