The Asia-Pacific region has seen a slew of recent developments such as the new Kambri facility in Australia and expansion plans for Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands.
Australia
Set in the heart of the Australian National University campus, Kambri opened its doors to the public in February this year. The conference and event center is ideal for international conferences, small-scale meetings, gala dinners, popular concerts, open-air festivals or awards nights.
Kambri’s Culture and Events buildings offer a large multipurpose space with 500 retractable seats, staging, lighting and full production capabilities. There is also a smaller space with 220 retractable seats suited for speeches, small concerts, banquets and lectures; a 300-seat cinema, 150-seat drama theater, a lobby bar and aMBUSH Gallery’s latest exhibition space with a large outdoor balcony overlooking the precinct.
Catering is supplied by duo Sammy and Bella, who rose to fame as the winners of “My Kitchen Rules” in 2011, and have gone on to appear as resident chefs on dozens of TV shows.
“It’s an incredible honor to be working with one of Canberra’s best state-of-the-art venues,” said Bella in a press statement. “And we look forward to sharing our menu that incorporates handmade, sustainable Australian native produce with delicious flavors.”
In addition to Kambri’s Culture and Events buildings, the six-floor Marie Raey Teaching Centre building also offers a multitude of rooms available outside of University teaching hours. The top level Superfloor boasts high ceilings, uninterrupted views across Canberra, an outdoor balcony, and space for up to 300 people.
New Zealand
The construction of social buildings such as convention centers in New Zealand has tipped over the $1 billion mark and is double what it was five years ago due to large projects in Christchurch and Auckland.
The Christchurch Convention Centre, known as Te Pai, which means “gathering place,” is set to open in October 2020. The world-class facility will be located next to the Otakaro Avon River at the center of Christchurch and is expected to be a catalyst in the regeneration of the city.
Te Pai will be able host up to 2,000 people and will offer a 1,400-seat auditorium that can be divided to host two events simultaneously, as well as a 10,000-sf exhibition hall that will easily accommodate 200 booths. It will also feature a 5,250-sf banquet hall with additional meeting rooms and pre-function space.
“With Te Pae’s spectacular city center location and easy walking distance to 2,500 hotel rooms backed by supporting meetings industry infrastructure, it is not surprising Christchurch and Te Pae are capturing global attention,” said Ross Steele, general manager at Te Pae Christchurch, in a press statement.
The New Zealand International Convention Centre is also currently under construction and is scheduled to open in the second half of 2020. It will offer almost 22,000 sf of divisible multipurpose hall space that can accommodate up to 3,000 people, as well as 8,850 sf of meeting space configurable for up to 22 rooms.
The center will be connected to 1,000 hotel rooms via an airbridge at the SKYCITY Grand Hotel, SKYCITY Hotel and Horizon Hotel, and more than 10 world-class eateries will be located in its precinct.
Singapore
Marina Bay Sands in Singapore has announced plans to expand its integrated resort offering with a new 15,000-seat arena, a luxury hotel tower and additional meeting and convention space.
“Marina Bay Sands is an iconic tourism destination that has exceeded all of our hopes in growing leisure and business tourism in Singapore and it is a privilege to receive the Singapore government’s continued support of its development,” said Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Sheldon G. Adelson in a press statement. “The property has achieved amazing success for both Singapore and our company and we plan to create even more with this expansion.”
The new 15,000-seat arena will feature leading design and technology and aims to attract top entertainers from Asia and around the world, including performers who might not have previously included Southeast Asia on their tour schedule.
The hotel tower will boast approximately 1,000 all-suite rooms and will include a rooftop space with a swimming pool and signature restaurant. It will also feature a dramatic atrium and terraces and a combination of meeting rooms, ballrooms and exhibition halls.
Since opening in 2010, Marina Bay Sands has attracted more than 330 million visitors and has brought over 700 new MICE events to Singapore.
