Te Papa has appointed Jake Downing as their new Director, Museum and Commerical services. Jake will be managing the team behind Tākina Events' operations.
Tākina Events has announced the appointment of a new Director, Jake Downing. Taking on the role of Director Museum and Commercial Services, means Jake will have the operational team for the new convention centre as part of his portfolio.
For those of you who engage with Aotearoa’s tourism sector, Jake’s name will be familiar from his role as Head of Tourism at Wētā Workshop, which he has occupied since 2014. As a member of Wētā’s executive team, Jake developed Wētā’s tourism operations, including the development and opening of the Wētā Workshop Unleashed experience in Auckland. Before joining Wētā, Jake was Commercial Channel Manager at Te Papa Atawhai Department of Conservation, where he created and implemented a national strategy for DOC’s 23 visitor centres, amongst other responsibilities.
With a career in tourism dating back to the late 1990s, Jake holds deep relationships within the national tourism sector, and currently holds positions with the TIA (Tourism Industry Aotearoa) board, Business Events Industry Aotearoa and the Tourism Export Council.
It is a fitting appointment for this role, where the commercial and tourism aspects are so fundamental. Jake joins the team at a pivotal time, in the lead up for the much-anticipated opening of Tākina in 2023. With a career that brings together innovation in visitor experiences, commitment to excellent customer service, and deep values around people and the environment, Jake looks to be a great fit for the Tākina team and mission.