THE INFLUENCERS
LIANNE DALZIEL
ROSS STEELE
CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL | MAYOR
TE PAE CHRISTCHURCH | GENERAL MANAGER
Lest we forget
Warm welcome back
The slow, beautiful changing colours of the leaves on the trees around the city are a sure sign that autumn is upon us.
A few weeks ago, I was delighted to join with colleagues from across the world for the Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME), held in Melbourne.
A
O
pril this year brings us two long weekends – Easter and Anzac - to enjoy the delights of autumn in Ōtautahi Christchurch. I hope you can all enjoy some restful time over these weekends, as well as supporting our local businesses who have been doing it tough. Anzac Day normally brings thousands of people out early for a special dawn service in the centre of Christchurch. This year the RSA has made the call there will be no mass gathering because they want to protect the health of their veterans and the public. There are other ways
to commemorate the day - laying a poppy at your local war memorial – there are several around Christchurch and Banks Peninsula. Or standing in silence at the end of your driveway at dawn, as many of us did in 2020 when the whole country was in lockdown. A virus can’t stand in the way of each of us holding fast to the tradition of remembering our veterans, and calling upon leaders across the world to commit to the peaceful resolution of conflict. The cost is too high, and the pain is too great. We must never forget.
ne of the business event industry’s largest trade events, AIME is a proven and valuable tool for connecting with clients, and sharing knowledge, insights and best practice with the best and brightest in business events. This year was no exception. While we’ve been fortunate to maintain a presence at AIME for the past few years, this trip marked the first time since 2020 that our Christchurchbased team has been able to travel to Melbourne and meet with clients in person. That the trip was prefaced by the announcement of New Zealand’s border opening to Australia in April and the rest of the world from 1 May was timely. With numerous Australasian conferences and events planned at Te Pae Christchurch
this year, the announcement was welcome news for our team, industry and the wider tourism sector in Ōtautahi. For our industry to survive and thrive, borders must be open. There is pent-up demand for our city and all the wonderful things it has to offer, but with the uncertainty around travel and quarantine restrictions, the confidence needed by many to take that next step and book has been missing. If anything was evident at AIME, it is that confidence is now returning to the market. We were absolutely blown away by the level of interest in Christchurch as a business events destination, and we can’t wait to welcome those guests to Te Pae Christchurch, Australasia’s newest convention centre.
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