Wellington’s new convention centre to open mid-2023

New Zealand’s Tākina Convention and Exhibition Centre is on track for its mid-2023 opening. The venue, located in Wellington, has had its exterior, façade, and roof completed, with its opening celebrated with a ‘roof shout’ party – a New Zealand tradition. The facade features around 1,300 glass panels installed across the building’s curved profile, which has been designed to reduce heat, peak cooling requirements, and associated energy. With a scheduled opening date of mid-2023, the venue reports that they have upwards of 70 bookings already confirmed. While 50 of the 70 bookings made are in its first 12 months, Tākina’s leadership suggests that interest has increased since New Zealand’s borders reopened, and has led to longer lead-times. The date range of the centre’s booking span across several years with its first conference being the Festival for The Future in 2023, while the Congress of the International Association of Sedimentologists has been booked for 2016. Tākina will be operated by Tākina Events, which also provides services at the conference venue of New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa. This enables event organisers to book spaces and services at the two Wellington venues in tandem. The Tākina centre will sit across two levels and house up to 1,600 delegates.