Te Pae Christchurch – A Gathering Place for Meaningful, Magnetic Events

When it comes to venues that balance architectural impact with seamless functionality, few compare to Te Pae in Christchurch. Located in the heart of the city, this purpose-built convention centre is more than just a space—it’s a statement. A hub for innovation, creativity and connection.

Whether you’re hosting a multi-day conference, a corporate gala, or an editorial-level brand event, Te Pae offers a canvas designed for experiences that leave a lasting impression. And when you combine that with a trusted supplier who understands design, logistics and guest flow from the inside out—you get an event that doesn’t just work. It wows.

We’ve worked extensively with the team at Te Pae, and what stands out time and time again is their professionalism, their hospitality, and their unwavering commitment to excellence. It’s a joy to collaborate here—not just because of what the venue offers, but because of how it feels to work within it.

A Design-Led Venue That Delivers

From the outset, Te Pae Christchurch was designed to be more than a building. It draws its name and inspiration from te reo Māori:

• Te Pae Maunga – the mountain views

• Te Pae Whenua – the plains we inhabit

• Te Pae Tangata – a place to meet and converse

This philosophy of gathering is embedded into every inch of the space. From soaring foyers to acoustically superior auditoriums, Te Pae feels both grounded and elevated—making it a dream setting for both intimate gatherings and large-scale impact.

And the numbers? Equally impressive:

• 1400-seat auditorium, divisible into two

• 24 meeting rooms, accommodating between 50 and 1500 attendees

• Banquet space for up to 1800 guests, overlooking the Ōtākaro Avon River

• 3300m² of exhibition space

• 28000m² of total design-savvy adaptability

These figures don’t just signal size—they speak to versatility, flow and guest comfort. And for our clients? That means confidence. You’re never locked into a single layout or limited by space.

Design That Speaks to Your Brand

Our background in marketing gives us a distinctive edge in this industry. We don’t just fill a room—we craft visual strategies that align with your brand identity, your message, and the emotional tone you want to strike.

At Te Pae, we often support events by styling staging areas, crafting custom brand moments, and curating immersive atmospheres from entry to exit. With an extensive collection of high-quality furniture, we tailor the look to match corporate palettes, seasonal tones, or campaign-specific visuals.

Living elements—like trees and structural greenery—are a favourite of ours. They soften harder surfaces, bring the outside in, and create a more grounded, human-centred atmosphere on stage. This kind of tactile styling is especially effective at Te Pae, where natural light and modern finishes create the perfect backdrop for warm, intentional design.

Expo spaces styled well - from floorings, furniture, signage and floral.

Creating Memorable Guest Journeys

We often say: guest comfort isn’t just a bonus—it’s the benchmark. At a venue like Te Pae in Christchurch, where scale can be significant, creating pockets of intimacy and ease is key.

We love designing guest entrance moments that instantly establish tone. Whether it’s a floral installation, sculptural lighting, or branded signage, it’s about more than just “pretty”—it’s about emotional impact from the very first step inside.

For seated dinners or galas, Te Pae’s round tables provide the perfect foundation for layered styling. We incorporate rechargeable lighting (from modern table lamps to glowing orbs) and textured layers that reflect the mood of the event.

Florals play a huge part in this—sometimes as simple bud vase clusters, other times as elevated installations on plinths that draw the eye and spark conversation. One of our go-to techniques is alternating centrepiece styles across the room—giving rhythm to the visual language and enhancing the guest experience.

Style with Substance: Our Sustainability Promise

Working sustainably isn’t just an option for us—it’s embedded in our operations via our core values.

All our furniture is carefully chosen for longevity, aesthetic versatility, and comfort. We maintain each piece regularly to ensure it's not only event-ready but has a long lifecycle. Every item we choose is considered for its form and footprint.

We also avoid single-use materials at every opportunity. All our lighting elements are rechargeable and we’ve phased out traditional floral foam completely—opting instead for techniques using moss, stones and compostable oasis materials.

Every bloom you see in our arrangements is locally grown, sourced from a mix of small flower farms and trusted larger-scale growers in Canterbury. We never import florals—reducing our carbon footprint and supporting local growers is important to us.

Any plastic materials we do use such as flower vessels are fully recyclable and constantly reused across multiple events, never discarded.

We believe in styling that stuns—but also respects the environment, and our clients love knowing their event looks good and feels good.

Emirates 20 Year Celebration in New Zealand, held at Te Pae

One Vision. One Team. One Cohesive Experience.

Because we have the expertise and team, we handle everything in-house—from hire to styling, florals to signage—your event runs on a single, unified design. This isn’t just visually impactful. It saves time, eliminates vendor miscommunication, and delivers a seamless process from first communication through to packdown.

We’ve worked closely with the team at Te Pae for years, which means we know the logistics, access points, and best practices. That insider knowledge? It saves our clients hours and gives the peace of mind that you have seasoned professionals on your team with the same goals. You don’t need to chase five different vendors or juggle timelines—you just show up and enjoy the moment.

And most importantly, we take time to understand your goals. What’s the purpose of this event? How should guests feel? What do you want them talking about afterwards? These are the questions that guide every styling decision we make.

Because events shouldn’t just be beautiful. They should be emotionally resonant. Strategic. Memorable.

Hosting at Te Pae in Christchurch?

If you’re planning your event at Te Pae, we’d love to help you bring your vision to life with clarity, cohesion and calm confidence.

We’ve got the experience, the team, and the design sensibility to make sure it feels like you—only bolder, more elevated, and absolutely unforgettable.

Let’s chat. Your event deserves it.

“Last night was great - thank you.

The room set up really added to the wow factor and the delegates were really impressed.

Thanks so much to both of you and your team for your help with our events this week.

Everything looking fantastic. really appreciate your work.”

Sue Henderson, Airways

“Fallon, Tom and the team at The Little Hire Co were nothing short of amazing for our recent corporate events, which was spread across two locations.

The attention to detail, expertise, and support given by their entire team throughout the process—from enquiry to delivery—was top notch.

You NEED these guys on your team for any successful event! If you haven’t used them before, you won’t regret booking these guys,

and you’ll have a new secret weapon for success.”

Savannah Hazlewood, NOIA Australia

“On behalf of the ICMS Australia team, thank you for a wonderful event last week.

We were absolutely thrilled to work with you featuring a “Taste of Canterbury”

at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Cnetre to officially celebrate

the opening of ICMS Australasia Christchurch office.”

Selina Moscatt, ICMS Australasia