Conferences boost Qtown bookings

Resort hotels appear to be benefiting from corporate companies loosening their purse strings as conference bookings skyrocket.

Major Queenstown hotels are sporting back-to-back conference bookings for next month and a much busier than normal September, as the conference and incentive market bounces back after the global recession.

Conference and event bookings for Millbrook Resort next month are the biggest for August that the resort has had in its 17-year history.

Sales and marketing manager Matthew Gould said yesterday his hotel's occupancy was normally around 68 per cent for August but the percentage for August this year would be "well into the 90s".

"We've got 12 different corporates [incentive groups] in over four weeks and we've gone from two Olympic world ski teams to just confirming our seventh this year."

They included teams from United States, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Slovenia – all to be based at the resort.

"Monday was our biggest day ever – we took 500 bed-night [bookings] in eight hours for September and October," Mr Gould said.

While he would not name names, bookings included the third-largest IT company in the world, the world's second-largest petroleum company and a stream of conference, meeting and incentive bookings focused on educational development, a new resort focus.

Hotel Council of New Zealand regional chairman John McIllwain, of Rydges Queenstown, said his occupancies were "exceptionally good" for August, not just for conferences but from the Australian ski market.

Corporates that had held back during the economic crisis appeared to be making up for lost time, once again splashing out on incentives for top performers including all the trimmings.

His own bookings were about 10 per cent ahead of this time last year.

Millennium Queenstown general manager John Clarke has a "conference every day in August – that's pretty big".

Destination Queenstown's convention bureau manager Kylie Brittain said conference organisers were finding it hard to find a venue and accommodation for August.

"Things are definitely picking up – people are not afraid to spend again. A lot of [corporates] are coming this year because it's the Rugby World Cup next year and was the global financial crisis last year."

A lot of the business was from Australia, also Auckland, and companies were spending on activities, dining and team building, which they had cut down on during the recession, Ms Brittain said. Many conference guests were now opting to stay on for skiing or have their families join them afterwards.

Skyline Queenstown general manager Blair Deasy said August was looking busy, so much so that extra staff would be needed to cater for large conference groups. He was hoping next month the restaurant would match its March 2010 record, of serving 2587 meals in its function room.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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