94 | EVENTS Willeston Conference Centre T T Rosa Watson Technology boosts success for centre The centre offers six conference rooms ranging from small rooms that can cater for up to eight people, to large spaces that can take up to 120 people in a theatre-style set up. Wellington’s Willeston Conference Centre is boosting its IT and technology assets to meet the growing demands of the functions and events industry. Owner Farooq Mirajkar took over the business in 2018 after having managed the place for a year, and set about completely updating the equipment they could provide clients. The centre offers six conference rooms ranging from small rooms that can cater for up to eight people, to large spaces that can take up to 120 people in a theatre-style set up. The majority of clients are corporate or government, he said. Most of their bookings are weekday only, but they can cater for weekend events on request. Conferences are the main business for Willeston, but also workshops, staff training, seminars or interviews, Farooq said. Video conferencing has grown in popularity, Farooq said, and Willeston had beefed up its IT equipment to cater for this. It was becoming popular before the pandemic but was even more so now. Before, they may have catered for one or two a week, but now there were up to six a week. He said having the appropriate and most up to date equipment was essential. “No matter what your requirement is, we can definitely do it.” Farooq has had to undertake very little upgrades on the building as it was in great condition. The only upgrades that were being undertaken were the IT system. When he took over, a lot of the equipment was hired from suppliers, but he has since gradually purchased equipment to own. “I made sure we brought all the equipment for day-to-day use.” This had saved a lot of time and money, he said. “There was a delay (in getting equipment from suppliers), and it was getting quite expensive. When you buy it, you can give the clients a discounted price. You save a lot actually.” Willeston uses popular Wellington caterers In House Catering that takes care of all their catering requirements. “The food quality is very high, and that’s what we want.” The company has built up a solid name and good client base, which meant it did not struggle for business, Farooq said. There were at least four rooms booked every day. “Things have picked up a lot since I took over. We’ve started getting a lot of new clients.” A lot of that was down to word of mouth. “We hardly ever spend on marketing or advertising.” They also provided a high quality of service. “One thing that has always worked is the customer service we provide for clients.” They also got referrals from other venues that were full. “Most of our rooms have a view of the harbour. People love the centre for the location.” Often when they would become repeat clients. “It just shows that clients like us for what we provide.” Willeston provided a tailored service to whatever function or meeting was taking place, and anticipated their needs, he said. He had been looking into expanding the centre, but when COVID hit it put a hold on plans. However, there are plans to expand within the building, and altering one or two rooms to increase capacity. Another opportunity could be looking to open something similar in Auckland, where many of their clients were based, he said “They would prefer to have the same style in both.” He was already referring clients to Auckland venues, so it made sense. “Instead of doing that, we could have it for ourselves.” The location at 15 Willeston Street in central Wellington was “perfect”, he said. “The location is very central.” It was also close to the harbour, boasting views from its 11th floor location. “Most of our rooms have a view of the harbour. “People love the centre for the location.” • Conferences & Seminars • Video Conference Meetings • Staff Training • Board Meetings • Workshop Space • Interviews • Corporate Functions 04 473 0524 L11, 15 Willeston St, Call Active House, Wellington
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=