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Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre and Toitoi - Hawke’s Bay Arts and Events Centre welcome EVANZ Awards

Toitoi - Hawke’s Bay Arts and Events Centre and the Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre have each welcomed their receipt of two awards at the 2023 New Zealand Entertainment Venue Awards.

Presented at last week’s Entertainment Venues Association of New Zealand (EVANZ) Awards Dinner held in Dunedin, Te Pae was named Medium Venue of the Year and Te Pae Christchurch Food and Beverage Operations Manager, Marzena Orlecka was acknowledged as EVANZ’s Rising Star of the Year.

The judges of the awards, explained "Te Pae Christchurch’s venue entry demonstrated clear strategic priorities including client success, business optimisation and innovation. It clearly expressed the value placed in its people and its role as a custodian of community and sustainability."

Toitoi - Hawkes Bay Arts and Events Centre was named Small Venue of the Year, and its Technical Manager, Dane Fletcher, was named Team Member of the Year.

Judges said Toitoi’s venue entry was a “great snapshot of why Toitoi is such a special venue.

“It’s ambitious, innovative, and proud to be part of the community that it works with. We loved the examples of partnering with local suppliers and businesses, and the examples of staff that have gone from being trainees through to fulltime staff members.”

The EVANZ Awards define a small venue as one which has fewer than 1000 seats, with Toitoi’s Opera House seating 979.

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre
Advising of his pride in receiving the awards, Te Pae Christchurch General Manager, Ross Steele stated “Te Pae Christchurch has made a significant impact in a short space of time thanks to our people, our community and our clients.”

Te Pae Director of Event Services, Nicolette Elia accepted the Medium Venue of the Year Award and paid tribute to the Te Pae team, commenting “I am immensely proud and honoured to accept this award on behalf of Te Pae Christchurch.

“We couldn’t have won this award without the Te Pae team’s hard work, commitment towards achieving our vision, and passion to deliver the best experience for our clients.”

Honoured to receive her award, EVANZ Rising Star, Orlecka advised “it was so unexpected, especially with such strong nominees. I could not have achieved this accolade without the support of the wonderful Te Pae Christchurch team.”

Marzena leads a large F&B department, which manages the venue’s food service and logistics. She has quickly risen through the ranks due to her positive professional attitude, high quality standards and values of manaakitanga.

EVANZ General Manager, Sally-Anne Coates commented "today’s rising stars will one day lead our industry. The judges were very impressed with Marzena - clearly she is a highly valued member of the Te Pae team. The submission was full of examples highlighting her achievements and commitment to customer satisfaction."

Te Pae Christchurch congratulates all EVANZ awards finalists for their amazing contribution to the New Zealand venue industry.

Toitoi - Hawke’s Bay Arts and Events Centre
Hastings District Council Arts & Culture Manager and Toitoi Kaiwhakahaere Megan Peacock-Coyle said it was an honour to win the award, which reflected the ongoing success and hard work of the whole Toitoi team.

Peacock Coyle commented “we’ve been through some hard times since we opened in 2020, but in that time we’ve had an amazing team of people who have just made things happen. I’m just so proud of everybody.”

Toitoi’s Technical Manager Fletcher said it was an unexpected honour to win Team Member of the Year, noting “this award isn’t just a reflection of me, but of all the excellent work done by our whole technical team over the past 12 months. I have a great team who always work hard to anticipate our clients’ needs and exceed their expectations.”

Hastings District Council Chief Executive, Nigel Bickle said Toitoi has had an incredible year, despite the wider region facing new challenges thanks to Cyclone Gabrielle.

Bickle stated “it’s extremely gratifying to know that the heritage venue we have invested in, here in Hastings, isn’t just the best in Hawke’s Bay, but all of Aotearoa, for its size.

“Toitoi’s continued success at a national level reflects the skill and leadership of its staff. They are resilient and adaptable and always have manaaki for our community, when they need it most. Their audiences and their clients at the heart of all they do.

“The Toitoi team’s passion for Hastings and seeing arts and culture thrive in our district has seen it grow and in leaps and bounds since it reopened. Dane Fletcher played a key role in the restoration of Toitoi’s heritage buildings and it’s great to see him being recognised for his contributions to his industry on a national level. We look forward to celebrating this win with the Toitoi team and our community.”

Images: Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre executives Marzena Orlecka (left) and Nicolette Elia celebrating their EVANZ award wins (top, credit: Te Pae/Allison Images), the Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre (middle) and Toitoi - Hawke’s Bay Arts & Events Centre’s Technical Manager Dane Fletcher - named EVANZ Team Member of the Year (below, credit: Toitoi Hawke’s Bay Arts & Events Centre).

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