Wellington City Council has announced an exciting partnership with Te Papa Tongarewa.
Today Wellington City Council has announced the operator and operating arrangements for Tākina its new convention centre opening mid-2023, in the form of an exciting partnership with Te Papa Tongarewa, the National Museum of New Zealand. Since opening in 1998, Te Papa has been a leading conference and events venue in New Zealand’s capital city hosting more than 900 events per year. By bringing Te Papa’s exhibitions and events experience to Tākina and working with the Council and WellingtonNZ it will support the promotion of the Capital as a vibrant destination for hosting local and international events.
“The proposed operating model for Tākina is one of partnership and collaboration between the Council, Te Papa and WellingtonNZ. We intend to deliver an authentic Wellington experience, showcasing local produce, providing training and employment for young Wellingtonians adding further vitality to our city.” says Mayor Andy Foster.
Tākina’s 18,000 square metres of flexible, multi-purpose conference and exhibition space, spread across three floors, is right across the road from Te Papa and within walking distance to other venues around the city. This creates opportunities to deliver unique events on a scale the capital hasn’t seen before.
“We’re excited to be part of this amazing new asset for the city. The business events at Tākina will showcase New Zealand to the world and help grow our own knowledge, and the experience for visitors will be complemented by all we have to offer at Te Papa” says Courtney Johnston, Chief Executive Tumu Whakarae of Te Papa.
Under a new business unit, Tākina Events, Te Papa will market and operate its existing facilities and Tākina to attract and deliver a wider range of conferences, exhibitions and events. This is a solution that will provide multiple benefits to clients not least of which will be the ability to access and book the spaces and services of two of Wellington’s premium conference venues together. Creating this unique New Zealand venue combination will assist in ensuring that Tākina Events can deliver at an international standard with a distinctly Wellington flavour.
Mana Whenua have played a key role in shaping the building’s identity. Taranaki Whānui gifted the name ‘Tākina’ meaning “to invoke” to reflect its role as the nation’s newest meeting space for thinking, creating, learning and sharing ideas, along a karakia describing the different winds which cross Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington harbour). The sweeping architecture also invokes Wellington’s well-known winds and how they shape our harbour and city.
About Tākina
Opening mid-2023, Tākina’s top two floors will deliver the Capital's first premium space to host meetings and conventions with over 10,000sqm of flexible meeting and exhibition space scalable to suit event sizes.
The ground-floor public Exhibition Gallery will be the largest in New Zealand at about 1,600sqm. Larger-scale international touring exhibitions will be hosted here to attract visitors to the capital, as well as locals.
To enquire about booking a conference or event at Tākina email [email protected]