Te Pae Christchurch Combines Sustainability Innovation and Event Excellence to Elevate New Zealand’s Profile

Published on February 11, 2025

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre celebrated another year of remarkable milestones, driven by high event demand and a commitment to sustainability and excellence, delivering substantial economic, environmental, and social benefits to the region.

In 2024, Te Pae hosted over 220 events, drawing more than 80,000 attendees, with a robust schedule of bookings already in place for 2025, 2026, and beyond. The convention centre continues to play a pivotal role in supporting local businesses and enhancing New Zealand’s profile as a global destination. Notably, delegate surveys revealed that over 80% of international attendees plan to return to New Zealand for a holiday within the next five years, highlighting its growing appeal.

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre General Manager Ross Steele says the organisation takes the investment the community has made in developing the purpose-built convention centre very seriously.

“We recognise how significant our role is, both as a showcase for the region and as driver of economic development,” says Ross Steele. “We also see it as our responsibility to provide an international-standard platform for local businesses and organisations – from agri-tech to space exploration, and health sciences to education – to reach a national and international audience.”

Mr Steele says Te Pae Christchurch also understands the importance of taking on a leadership role in the international events industry, especially when it comes to key issues like sustainability.

“That approach informs every part of our decision making, enabling us to demonstrate real leadership on issues that are vitally important to conference organisers, decision-makers and delegates, as well as our community,” Mr Steele says.

Te Pae Christchurch is recognized as the only convention centre globally to hold Toitū Net Carbon Zero certification, which was recently renewed for a second consecutive year. The venue actively prioritizes sustainability, as evidenced by its Toitū Environmark Gold Certification and Qualmark Gold Sustainable Tourism Accreditation.

These certifications highlight the significant environmental strides Te Pae has achieved. In 2024, the centre recorded a 12% overall reduction in carbon emissions, including a 20% drop in power usage and a 35% cut in transport-related emissions. Beyond meeting certification requirements, the organisation offset scope 1 and 2 emissions as well as measurable scope 3 emissions. Sustainability efforts extend across all aspects of operations, with numerous initiatives aimed at minimizing waste. These include replacing plastic milk bottles with kegs, preventing over 2,400 bottles from ending up as waste, adopting an eWater system for natural sanitisation, and dehydrating food waste to produce soil food for local community gardens.

Belinda Mathers, Chief Science and Advisory Officer at Toitū Envirocare says, “Te Pae Christchurch sets an impressive example of climate leadership in the hospitality industry to reduce their emissions and environmental impact. They’re not afraid to try new ways of operating, and it’s this innovative approach and willingness to share their journey that sets them apart. The efforts by organisations such as Te Pae Christchurch is critical for New Zealand to meet its climate targets and make a positive difference.”

Te Pae Christchurch has demonstrated its commitment to excellence by earning Gold Certification in the AIPC Quality Standards programme in December 2024. This achievement places the venue in an elite group of just 30 convention centres globally to meet these high standards.

Mr Steele says the organisation is looking forward to demonstrating what it has achieved to the wider industry when Te Pae Christchurch hosts the Professional Conference Organisers Association (PCOA) conference in December.

“From the quality of our award-winning building to the outstanding flavours, sights and sounds of our dynamic region, we’re looking forward to providing the industry with a taste of what our team and our wider community have worked so hard to achieve over the past three years.”