New Zealand convention centres

nelson convention bureau •
news from nelson

Autumn 07

May We Be of Service?

To Nelsonians, May means crisp sunny days and delicious autumn colours. The city is encased by Tasman Bay on one side, and a sea of hills in hues of red, rust and yellow on the other.

Autumn and winter are perfect times for holding conferences, events, and meetings in Nelson. The country's sunniest region has the venues, professional services and boutique cosmopolitan culture to provide professional, personal experiences. 

Having joined the Nelson Convention Bureau three months ago, I am here to answer any questions you may have about the region, and advise you on what venues and businesses will suit your meeting, incentive, conference and events needs.

Please don't hesitate to contact me for a chat, a copy of our Nelson Tasman Conference  Planner, or to arrange a catch up when I'm next your way (Wellington people I'll be there in June, and Auckland and Christchurch in July).

Give me a call on (03) 545 6854 or email angela@nelsonNZ.com.

Cheers,

Angela

Entering New Stage onCue      

Nelson Tourism Services' conference and events arm is entering an exciting new stage.

The department launched its new brand - onCue - seamless conferences, dynamic events - at a function at the Nelson Provincial Museum early this month.

Business manager Julie Baxendine has added the role of conference manager to her repertoire, with the team being joined recently by new conference organiser Debbie Bradford and event coordinator Diana Molnar.

Mrs Baxendine says the new brand reflects the creativity and professionalism of the team, as well as its commitment to deliver on time, all the time.

"Timing is everything in our industry. Clients need to know deadlines are going to be met and onCue reflects our absolute commitment to ensuring this happens."

For your conference, event, retreat, incentive or festival enquiries, visit www.on-cue.co.nz or contact Julie Baxendine on 0800 350 010.

Nelson Taking Care of Business      

Nelson was voted the fifth favourite business travel destination in a recent wotif.com survey, following the country's three main centres and the ever popular Queenstown.

Even more telling, Nelson didn't feature at all in the `least favourite' business travel destinations top 10.

82% of respondents listed a comfortable bed as the most important aspect of their business trip (they must need their beauty sleep!), with location, modern decor, inclusion of breakfast, free parking and internet access in rooms as the next most important factors.

Wear for Art      

A group of Plastics New Zealand conference delegates dye-ing to get their hands into something creative this month, found their solution thanks to two local artists.

Fashion designer Jill Alexander and silk artist Suzanne Williamson hosted a Saturday morning workshop for the group. Participants had a tour of the Madcat design workshop and then created their own hand painted silk scarves.

The tutors report they were a bright lot - with magenta and purple being the most popular colours of choice.

Jill and Suzanne host workshops for a minimum of eight delegates in the Madcat workshop. Enquiries to madcat@ts.co.nz.

New Member Offers Cruisy Option      

Abel Tasman Cruises, who have joined the Nelson Convention Bureau, are developing a new trip to Golden Bay.

Their vessel, Caretta, currently links Nelson city to the Abel Tasman National Park, sailing across Tasman Bay on both scheduled trips and charters.

Conference groups can charter the vessel for transport to a venue within the park, or use the launch as a more informal meeting setting. The Caretta, which holds 70 people, can also cruise directly into Golden Bay.

For further information visit www.abeltasmancruises.co.nz or freephone 0508 488 066.

Great Offer on the Table      

Looking for that perfect Nelson gift for your conference and meeting delegates?

The Suter is offering a special deal for conference organisers and businesses on The Outside Table - food and flavours of the Nelson region.

This gorgeous book with photography by Veronique Cornille really says `Nelson' - combining delectable local recipes with stunning stories and imagery.

The recipes were provided and the book developed by people who love the Nelson Tasman region and want to share our place and flavour.

RRP for the book is $39.95, but the Suter is offering a discounted rate of $15 per book for orders of 50 or more. Smaller orders cost $24 per book. If you're interested please contact Anne Rush - annerush@orcon.net.nz

Sustainable Conferencing      

Sustainability is a hot topic worldwide and conferencing is in a fantastic position to lead the way in sustainable practice.

The Nelson Tasman Sustainable Tourism Charter now has 24 members, who have been assessed and worked with Latitude Nelson's charter coordinator to draw up an action plan to build on their sustainable practices.

Sustainable initiatives not only save money, but the environment - not to mention supporting the local economy.

You can start with simple things like:

* Ask venues and pre and post programme operators about their sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices
* Ask your caterer if they separate organic waste for composting
* Reuse water bottles
* Encourage recycling during conferences and seminars
* Make sure you print your material double sided ...and if you want to be really good print on 100% recycled content paper and use suppliers who use vegetable oil-based inks
* Use local suppliers for everything from catering to collateral to reduce those carbon miles!

If you're interested in getting a bit more serious about it, the carboNZero programme has a huge range of tips.

Planning On Holding a Conference?      

Interested in a copy of our free Nelson Tasman Conference Planner or need spares for your colleagues?

Send me an email with your address and I'll pop one in the post - angela@nelsonNZ.com