Skycity Convention Centre has been awarded the contract for 2008 because it is a larger venue able to cater for the 1000 plus people who attend the event, says awards manager Sue Archibald.
She says it is becoming increasingly important to make preparations more than a year in advance because of the growing popularity of the awards.
Next year’s event will also be the first time the order of the Awards’ hosting cycle has been altered.
“In past it has been Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Rotorua. But due to the demanding nature of the event, its growth and the need to move the crowd around effortlessly in the venue, the Pride In Print Awards will not now necessarily follow that order.
“Last year 1000 people attended the Awards Night held at Auckland’s Skycity,” she adds.
Skycity Auckland general manager David Christian says last year’s event was also the venue’s second-largest in terms of associated accommodation bookings, following a Microsoft Tech Ed event attended by 2300 delegates.
“Over 300 room nights were secured over our two hotels — the five-star Skycity Grand and the 4.5-star Skycity Hotel — which is unusual as most guests normally return home or stay with family and friends,” he says.
Mr Christian says catering for the 2006 event – which had a strong boxing theme – presented some unique challenges.
“A key challenge for our convention operations team was building a boxing ring in the centre of a room and seating an audience of 1000.”
Meanwhile the awards have received a record number of entries this year and winners will be announced in Christchurch in June.
