numbers and stay within the region. In recent years the region has placed more emphasis on strengthening and developing new attractions and building on existing resources. CEDA’s Manawatū Destination Management Plan outlines opportunities to further develop iconic locations in the region, putting Manawatū firmly on the map for domestic visitors. These opportunities build on existing resources such as the New Zealand Rugby Museum, the Feilding sale yards and Coach House Museum, Arapuke Mountain Bike Park, Manfeild Park and country lodges in the district such as Makoura Lodge and Hiwinui Estate. Covid-19 bounce back Event and delegate numbers were impacted significantly by Covid-19 restrictions during the December 2021 quarter, with national delegate days declining from 431,786 in the December 2020 quarter to 80,387 in the December 2021 quarter. Event numbers declined from 2,719 in the December 2020 quarter to 688 in the December 2021 quarter. However, changes to New Zealand’s alert levels and restrictions have seen the region’s events industry bounce back strongly. “The Palmy Conference + Function Centre has hosted nine national conference PALME RSTON NORTH – MANAWATU] events in the last four months, and has also seen an increase in the number of other conference-type events over the last six months,” Ballinger says. Central Energy Trust Arena hosted four large, national conference events with 600+ attendees across 2021/22 and 2022/23. While these bookings were only 3% of the total venue use by category, they reflected more than 40% of revenue. “We are pleased that both 2021/22 and 2022/23 have seen both utilisation and revenue numbers return to ‘before Covid’ levels, and in fact, showing a slight increase.” Stand out venues Palmy Conference + Function Centre and Central Energy Trust Arena are leading multi-use sports and events facilities taking more than 3,000 bookings a year across both venues. The Conference & Function Centre has a versatile range of function spaces available to accommodate a vast number of guests and attendees under one roof, and in the heart of Palmy’s CBD. The Elwood Room is ideal for large meetings, conferences, exhibitions, trade shows, gala dinners, dances and social occasions, with capacity for 550 theatre-style or 320 for a banquet dinner. The room can also be divided into two spaces. Palmy city centre. “From mountain bike trails, mountain ranges, premier parks and glow worm caves, there is something for all.” Visitor market The region is a major destination for visitors, with 4.4 million visitor days in 2021. According to the Manawatū Region Tourism Sector Profile May 2022, the region’s greatest strength is in domestic tourism, which accounts for over 95% of electronic card spending by visitors to the region. Key strengths of the Manawatū region are its central position in New Zealand, and its proximity to the Wellington region. The unique geographic location of Palmy provides a strategic advantage for event organisers. The region has a catchment of more than 1.1 million people within a three-hour drive radius, while the city itself serves as a gateway for those arriving in the region by air. Its central location in the lower North Island places it strongly in the conference and business events market and the secondary school sports events market, both of which contribute significantly to its commercial accommodation nights each year. The events sector and major venues are key players in the attraction of the region’s visitor market, increasing spend, visitor 06 323 744 experience@manfeild.co.nz 59 South Street, Feilding manfeild.co.nz Think Manfeild for your next, meeting, event or training, and experience what New Zealand’s most diverse events centre has to offer. Palmy Conference + Function Centre Central Energy Trust Arena meeting newz [nov dec] 2022 [11]
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=