| 17 ILT Stadium Southland ILT Stadium Southland is capable of hosting a wide range of events including conferences, exhibitions and trade shows, sporting, recreational, cultural, arts, corporate and even equestrian. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT A warm Southern welcome always awaits guests of Ascot Park Hotel, one of ILT’s premier facilities. Located on seven hectares and an icon of Invercargill for more than 40 years, the world class hotel o ers 92 four-star hotel rooms and 24 motel units, eight conference rooms, pool and spa facilities, a itness centre, a fully licensed bar and a restaurant. Executive manager Dean Nicol says events such as weddings and conferences are the main driver behind the hotel’s business, with the revenue from this part of the business being “quite strong” since covid restrictions were lifted. As part of the ILT’s portfolio the hotel does not operate in isolation and for large events held at facilities such as Stadium Southland, the hotel collaborates to provide a range of catering services. “We work closely with Stadium Southland on delivering catering for a range of events and it’s that working relationship that is important to ensure we can together achieve a great outcome for the event organiser, attendees, and the city. “Last year they hosted the national gymnastics championships which was massive for the city, bringing in competitors from all around the country and illing the city’s accommodation providers. It was a great event for the city and region”. It is Invercargill’s facilities and capacity, which includes the support of ILT, that makes it possible to attract and host such large events, Dean says. Southland’s premier function facility READ MORE AT: https://www.ascotparkhotel.co.nz/conferences-weddings-events He has 30 years’ experience in hospitality and took up his present role 18 months ago. He was attracted by the city’s lifestyle and the obvious growth it was undergoing, including the substantial inner-city redevelopment which included a new mall, while ILT was also building a new seven storey hotel, The Langlands. Seeing this and the other quality facilities and amenities the city o ers such as Stadium Southland, in conjunction with the high standard of Ascot Park Hotel and its surroundings was “quite impressive”, he says. The hotel’s accommodation is complemented by restaurant and bar options to cater for every need and situation, whether for attendees of events or independent travellers. EMBERZ restaurant and bar o ers southern hospitality and a combination of both casual or ine dining in the comfort of warm ambience, embellished with native timbers stonework and a welcoming ire. Its world class service is sure to satisfy the most discerning food traveller, while the Ascot Sports Bar is a great place to catch all the games and enjoy the highlights over a beer with likeminded travellers and locals. Connectivity to Invercargill is also part of the equation, Dean says, and Air New Zealand’s direct light from Auckland is an example of a service that creates quick, convenient easy access not only to Invercargill and Southland, but also to world-renowned areas like Stewart Island and The Catlins. CONFERENCES & CORPORATE EVENTS • WEDDINGS PRIVATE FUNCTIONS • FUNCTION ROOMS POOL PARTIES • CATERING • EVENT THEMING Conferences and Corporate Events Welcome to the premier & most comprehensive functions facility in Southland! We pride ourselves on the scale and flexibility of our venue and our eight dedicated conference rooms can host anything, whether it’s a simple meeting, wedding or large conference. Our facilities allow us to complement your event with displays in the foyer, meals in EMBERZ Restaurant or even marquees in our large sheltered car-park area with the following facilities provided on site: Meeting/Function rooms Catering Accommodation Conference equipment Partner’s programmes Let our helpful and experienced conference team plan your conference or event from start to finish and have it tailored to meet your every need! While in the area why not take some time out to visit one of our many outstanding scenic attractions. Check out the Venture Southland or Invercargill i-site for information about the province. of Academy Southland and a facility in the centre of the velodrome where all three local sporting franchises, the Southland Stags, the Southern Steel and the Southland Sharks are able to train. This facility is also used by Southland’s up and coming talented athletes. “Flexibility is the key; we try our best to never turn down an event. “We strive to turn what is traditionally know as a sports venue, into an entertainment or a cultural event [venue].” “I think we are up to about 75 events for this current financial year which was back up to a real high where we were pre-covid. Those events are critical to the Southland community for a whole raft of reasons.” Despite this, the full potential of the stadium is “relatively untapped” which leaves a lot of room for growth and wider collaboration within the community. Working alongside community funders is vital to attract as many events as possible, Ryan says. With good facilities and high-profile events offered in other major southern centres, there is plenty of competition, “but we just have to be sharper and smarter really”, he says. “It’s sometimes claimed it’s more difficult to bring and event down to Invercargill so we’ve got to make sure we can financially attract them as well. “We’ve begun creating own events, going forward, as well which is pretty important to us. “If we can create destination events where we can be the promoter obviously the financial reward from that is so much greater, but we have to be very strategic in how we do this.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=