The New Zealand International Convention Centre in Auckland will host two major medical conferences next year — after finally opening following a near six-year delay.
A spokesperson for the convention centre, which was initially scheduled to open in 2020 but was delayed following a devastating fire, said both the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists would hold their conferences at the centre.
The events would be held from April 30 to May 5 and November 5 and November 9, respectively.
The convention centre would officially open in February next year. According to NZ Herald, nine other events had already been booked at the centre.
It was expected both newly announced events would include a combined total of 3300 delegates, “generating millions of dollars in economic activity”, according to a spokesperson for the centre.
NZICC director of sales and planning, Alana Bicknell, said it was a “major boost” to secure two major conferences during the convention centre’s first year of opening.
“We can’t wait to extend our manaakitanga to the delegates of both conferences. We’re confident the NZICC will absolutely wow them.”
“We appreciate the support from our industry partners to help bring these events to New Zealand, and also the government for their recent announcement regarding changes to the law around the advertising of medicines that have previously been a barrier to international medical conferences coming here,” Bicknell said.
SkyCity, which owned the convention centre, filed legal proceedings against Fletcher Building and The Fletcher Construction Company, seeking compensation of $330 million for “ongoing delays” to the project.
SkyCity said the project was nearly six and a half years behind the contractually agreed delivery date of January 2019.
SkyCity claimed it was entitled to $330 million in liquidated damages from Fletchers under the contract.
Fletcher Building said it would “vigorously” defend the legal action and had already paid “significant” liquidated damages to SkyCity over the delays.
