WellingtonNZ.com,
New Zealand 

Wellington is ‘the coolest little city indeed’ according to the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) following their annual convention in New Zealand’s capital.

The 450 pax conference represented the equivalent of six years worth of hosted international media files in the space of just five days for Positively Wellington Tourism and the Wellington Convention Bureau. As well as a thorough convention programme featuring meetings, keynote speakers, lunches, ceremonies, awards, professional development and a marketplace, some 60 half and full day tours were also arranged across three of the days.

Following the event, SATW President Dale Leatherman was full of praise for the diversity, creativity, and planning in the capital.

“I knew Wellington would be a great place for our conference, but it exceeded all expectations.  SATW has never had a convention with so many outstanding venues and restaurants within easy walking distance of the hotels.

“Many members told me they thought this was one of the best conventions in recent memory - and that was not idle praise. Everyone commented how smoothly everything ran, with no glitches or delays… There were so many choices that the hard part was making a decision.”

The week-long conference was hosted at Positively Wellington Venues and managed by Conference Innovators. Off-site functions included a dine-around around some of Wellington’s most popular restaurants, a cocktail bar crawl, dinner at the award-winning The Rock international terminal at Wellington Airport and a ‘Wonderful World of Weta’ themed farewell function at Te Papa.

It was “a simply phenomenal display of Wellington and what it can do”, Ms Leatherman said.

“Our evening at The Rock with Ruth and Paul Pretty's catering and the World of WearableArt models was one our members won't soon forget. It was a total surprise to most of them, and utterly delightful.  Te Papa, of course, was perfect for our final dinner.  It's amazing how the essence of New Zealand is captured under one roof.”

Positively Wellington Tourism and Tourism New Zealand jointly pitched for the SATW convention back in 2009 and planning has been underway ever since.

PWT Chief Executive David Perks says the group had absolutely positively made the most of the coolest little conference capital in the world.

“It was such a delight to host such an adventurous group – they really made the most of what the city has to offer and put on the ultimate conference programme.”

Glenys Coughlan, Chief Executive of Positively Wellington Venues, says the travel writers were a great group to host.

“They get to experience the best travel offerings in the world and so being able to offer them an event experience that was quintessentially Wellington and truly world class is really rewarding.”

SATW would “absolutely” recommend Wellington to anyone looking for a base for their international conference, Ms Leatherman says.

“The success of any convention - particularly for travel writers - is the people hosting. New Zealanders are genuinely friendly and love to work with visitors. The country has a wealth of attractions and activities, but ultimately the kiwis themselves are its greatest resource.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

Positively Wellington Tourism (PWT)
PWT is the regional tourism organisation for Wellington. It is a council-controlled organisation primarily funded by Wellington City Council through the Downtown Levy, a targeted rate paid by commercial ratepayers in downtown Wellington.

Wellington Tourism statistics
• Visitors spend over $2200 in the Wellington region per minute - $1.2 billion every year. (Source: Ministry of Economic Development Regional Tourism Data). Over four million visits are made to Wellington every year: 750,000 international and over 3.4 million domestic. (Source: Ministry of Economic Development Regional Tourism Data).

Positively Wellington Venues (PWV)
PWV was established as a new Council Controlled Trading Organisation (CCTO) in February 2011. It is responsible for the management of The Wellington Town Hall, Michael Fowler Centre, TSB Bank Arena, Shed 6, St James Theatre and Opera House.

10 Reasons There’s No Place Like Wellington for International Conferences & Incentive Events:
1. Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2011 labelled the ‘coolest little capital in the world’ 4th best city in the world to visit in 2011 for good reason.
2. It's just a fifteen minute drive from Wellington Airport to the heart of the city.
3. Our compact central business district makes walking between the city’s venues and hotels a breeze.
4. Wellington’s home to a fabulous range of unique venues and operators who know how to deliver memorable experiences.
5. Extensive choice of quality, well-located accommodation; from globally branded business hotels to boutique properties.
6. The ‘coolest little capital in the world’ is renowned for world class culture, cuisine and nightlife.
7. Plenty of activity options, from passive to high adrenalin; ranging from Wellywood and The Lord of the Rings tours to the superlative Boomrock.
8. Wellington is tucked between two of New Zealand’s finest wine regions - Wairarapa and Marlborough.
9. The events capital always has something exciting going on to entertain delegates after hours or as part of your programme.
10. Easy and direct trans-Tasman access.