| 61 EVENTS Tākina Events Highly focused Tākina Events team Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre is owned by Wellington City Council. Photo: Jason Mann. Being nominated as a finalist in this year’s New Zealand Event Awards (NZEA) is representative of the highly focused commitment of Tākina Events team, general manager venues Andrew Dorrington says. In 2022, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa launched Tākina Events, a wholly owned subsidiary that manages a portfolio of spaces at Wellington’s new, purpose-built convention centre, Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre, as well as venues in the museum. Described as a ground-breaking facility, Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre is owned by Wellington City Council and was completed at a cost of $180 million after a three-year construction period and opened in June 2023. The NZEA awards represents a broad cross section of event and venue providers nationwide and Tākina Events was a finalist for the HX2024 Harcourts annual conference and awards which had 900 attendees. “We feel that we delivered an exceptional event for Harcourts,” Andrew says. “The Tākina Events teams really came together early on, and project managed with the event managers and the client in terms of the event style and branding, food and beverage and some different menus and tastings.” The award nomination was a consolidation of this team effort and the commitment to deliver and outstanding event to Harcourts, Andrew says. “You’ve got to be selected to be put forward, [for the awards] so that was really an achievement on its own in terms of what we’d achieved in the recognition for the team. We were delighted that we were nominated. There’s a lot of people doing great things in the industry and you’re only as good as your last event.” Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre is a special place, Andrew says. It offers modern, light-filled spaces of various sizes which can be customised to suit every event and – designed with the public in mind – the building includes a ground floor public space with a walk-through that is open seven days a week. Also on the ground floor is Wellington’s isite visitor information centre, a major exhibition gallery, and Zephyr Café, an award-winning café and bar open 364 days a year. This ability for the public to connect and engage with the building and its facilities was a key aspect of its design and development, Andrew says. “It’s very much for the public. That’s a point of difference because convention centres normally sit idle when there’s nothing happening.” Tākina Events has been enjoying a stand-out period during 2024-2025, having delivered 337 events in the past 12 months. T T Russell Fredric Bringing together Te Papa’s exhibitions and events experience and the new, cutting-edge facilities of Tākina Events delivers a combination of spaces and expertise that strengthens Wellington’s appeal as a destination for hosting local and international events. “Some of the larger events like Harcourts, that would have space in Te Papa for break-out for social events as well as at Tākina. “The synergy is immense because we’ve got a significant car park at Te Papa, we’ve got the national museum, we’ve got the national art gallery, Wellington’s very walkable in terms of hotels and accommodation, we’ve got the waterfront.” “To have the two facilities side-by-side and having access to all of that if you need it, or parts of it or vice-versa is really unique.” “Every event managed by Tākina Events also helps to support the education, research, and preservation work done by Te Papa, so it’s a win-win for clients looking for a special event with purpose”. Specialising in event design and styling for corporate dinners, conferences and celebrations. Red Pebble works with you to make your event a stand-out success. redpebble.co.nz 027 3288734 info@redpebble.co.nz New Zealand’s Finest Meats MEATDIRECT.CO.NZ New Zealand's First Choice for Premium Meat
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