photos by QT Wellington
10 Best Conference Venues in Wellington
by Luke Ellery | 31 Mar 2023
Looking for a conference venue in Wellington? Then this list is perfect for you. Taking into account a few conference essentials, including space, top-notch audiovisual technology, catering, and, of course, location, we've narrowed down the top choices in the city. Here are the best conference venues in Wellington. For even more venue options, take a lot at our comprehensive guide to Wellington venues here.
Featured venues
QT Wellington
QT Wellington is an eccentric hotel venue in the heart of our capital city. Surrounded by a blend of urban and harbour views, QT Wellington offers colourful spaces, state-of-the-art facilities and decadent dining.
Atura Wellington
A streamlined experience awaits you at Atura Wellington. Set in the creative capital, this venue is conveniently within walking distance of the business and government precinct, the waterfront and all the must-see locations.
Generator Bowen Campus
Generator Bowen Campus is a newly-launched Wellington venue and the latest addition to the esteemed Generator collection. Designed to support hybrid events, Bowen Campus is an innovative space showcasing the latest tech solutions.
Rydges Wellington
Immerse yourself in the heart of the capital at Rydges Wellington. A landmark hotel and one of the top venues in the region, Rydges welcomes conferences, meetings, weddings and beyond.
Rydges Wellington Airport
Save time and skip to the good part at Rydges Wellington Airport. Situated at the Wellington Airport terminal, Rydges is the most accessible and comprehensive conference venue for guests flying in from out of town.
30 Waring Taylor
Plug into the energy at 30 Waring Taylor Street, a contemporary work and event space shaking things up in Wellington Central.
30 Waring Taylor
Image by Generator
Set in the heart of Wellington City, 30 Waring Taylor is a space designed to facilitate collaboration and spark innovation. This double-storey venue has six bookable meeting rooms, a premium boardroom, and three main event spaces accommodating up to 160 guests. With on-site catering, a dedicated event manager, quality AV facilities and tech support, 30 Waring Taylor is a dynamic venue for your next event.
Bowen Street
Image by Generator
The newest venue by the visionaries at Generator, Bowen Street, is an ultra-modern venue with beautiful rooms and innovative tech solutions. Bowen Street is a central hub for workshops, meetings and seminars in Wellington's parliamentary precinct.
NZCIS
Image by NZCIS
Nowhere does conferences quite like NZCIS. This incredible, all-in-one facility is nestled on park-like grounds just 30 minutes from Wellington City. With conference rooms, lecture theatres, lounges, media rooms, and accommodations, NZCIS is an impressive destination for your half-day or multi-day event.
Rydges Wellington Airport
Image by Rydges Wellington Airport
Rydges offers a purpose-built conference centre located at the Wellington Airport terminal. Hosting meetings, multi-day conferences, awards dinners, celebrations and most things in between - Rydges is a top-tier venue for events of the utmost convenience.
Atura Wellington
Image by Atura Wellington
A streamlined experience awaits you at Atura Wellington, a cutting-edge meeting and conference venue. The Conference Centre is an adaptable space with large windows, individually adjustable air con, top-notch built-in audio-visual equipment, soundproof interconnecting doors, high-speed WIFI and capacity for 130 delegates. Atura has several other spaces of varying size and privacy.
The Shamrock Suite
The Shamrock Suite
The Shamrock Suite is a conference venue that is undeniably Wellingtonian to its core. Situated within a landmark heritage building just minutes from Wellington CBD, The Shamrock Suite is available in several configurations, hosting up to 80 guests. With rich wooden floors, designer furnishings, artwork and tasteful details, The Shamrock Suite will lend your conference a unique atmosphere.
QT Wellington
Image sourced from QT Wellington
QT Wellington is an eccentric conference venue in the heart of our creative capital city. Celebrating creativity and innovation, the walls are adorned with art, while the rooms include high-end technologies designed to elevate your event. Surrounded by urban and harbour views, QT Wellington offers colourful spaces, state-of-the-art facilities and decadent dining.
TSB Arena
Image by TSB Arena
2,186sqm of open space that can be arranged in almost any setup makes TSB Arena one of Wellington’s favoured venues for large scale conferences. The vast space makes for easy flow in, out, and around the venue. Dramatic black curtains can be draped as a backdrop in the venue to convert the arena from a daytime conference space to a themed gala dinner venue. TSB Arena can host up to 6000 people depending on the setup of your conference, so there is more than enough space for your guests. Its central location along the Wellington City harbour means the conference venue is easy to find, and from it, one can easily access nearby local attractions, from the shopping district to delicious restaurants.
Willeston Conference Centre
Image by Willeston Conference Centre
Willeston Conference Centre is here to make your Wellington conference run as smoothly as possible with free-flowing spaces, tranquil views of the harbour and close proximity to the CBD. This Wellington conference venue is equipped to handle conferences of every kind, offering total event management and secretarial services, as well as on-site catering for your upcoming event. Their professional and friendly team is always around to lend a hand, whether it's to help with your audiovisual needs or to help organise your conference. Willeston Conference Centre is Wellington's premier conference centre, hosting anywhere from 50 to 80 delegates in their spacious venue.
Tiakiwai Conference Centre
Image by Tiakiwai Conference Centre
Tiakiwai Conference Centre is an engaging venue in the heart of Wellington's Government precinct. As part of The National Library, Tiakiwai Conference Centre is a place that connects guests through its stories, knowledge and memory. Rich in New Zealand heritage and cultural significance, Tiakiwai Conference Centre is sure to leave a lasting impression. The venue features a contemporary design and versatile spaces, including an award-winning auditorium, spacious foyers, and configurable meeting rooms. Just a stone's throw from the CBD and waterfront, a unique experience awaits you at Tiakiwai Conference Centre.
Michael Fowler Centre
Image by Wellington NZ
Award-winning architecture and a prime location, Michael Fowler Centre is a sophisticated luxury venue for your next Wellington conference. The centre has a three-story glass facade, and the interior is comprised of Italian marble and native timber. Michael Fowler Centre is also a cultural hub for many Wellingtonians as it functions as the home to the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Two of their unique event spaces are the Renouf Foyer and the Lion Harbourview Lounge. The Renouf Foyer boasts plenty of natural light, a sophisticated-looking hardwood floor, and space for up to 300 seated guests. The Lion Harbourview lounge boasts (as expected from its name) beautiful views over the Wellington harbour. It also has floor-to-ceiling windows to enhance that view and create a consistent flow of natural light.
The Opera House
Image by Venues Wellington
Host a conference on stage in one of Wellington’s oldest and most extravagant buildings, The Opera House. The massive dome ceiling and the raked stage will have you feeling like you’ve travelled back in time. This setting is perfect for all conferences, lending an air of extravagance that will blow your guests away. The stage space is only suitable for about 130 seated guests, which speaks to a more moderately-sized conference. But if that's what you're after, then The Opera House is a conference venue that should be very high up on your list of Wellington event spaces.
Shed 6 (TSB Auditorium)
Image by Wellington NZ
With its pillarless floor and soundproof walls, Shed 6 is a versatile conference venue in Wellington. You can arrange tables in a myriad of ways because the open space has next to no obstructions. This Wellington venue also boasts the latest in audio-visual technology, perfect for conferences, seminars and other corporate functions. As the home of the annual WOW Arts Show (World of Wearable Arts Show), it needs to be continually ahead of the game in lighting and sound display. Shed 6 is a part of a trio of venues that include TSB Auditorium, TSB Arcade, and TSB Arena. The latter is Wellington’s largest indoor event space and can host over 1000 people in a seated banquet setting.
Grand Mercure Wellington
Image by Travel Talk NZ
With a plethora of rooms bathed in natural light and a dedicated events team that can accommodate any number of guests, from 2 to 200, the Grand Mercure in Wellington is a premium choice amongst Wellington hotel venues for their polished service and scenic setting, overlooking Cuba Quarter and a stone’s throw from the middle of the city. Grand Mercure Wellington offers 8 different spaces to choose from when planning your conference, from a dedicated conference floor, with the latest in audiovisual technology, to The Residence, conveniently situated right next to their kitchen and suitable for catering lunches, dinners and the like.
Wallaceville House
Image by Sarah McEvoy Photography
Wallaceville House is a stunning venue located around 25 minutes outside of the Wellington CBD. This enormous and charming space offers onsite accommodation for conferences that span multiple days, with gorgeous gardens surrounding it that are sure to spark creativity and wonder. Built in the 1900s by celebrated architect Charlesworth, Wallaceville House retains the structure and beauty of old, with accents of modern times to give your Wellington conference everything it needs to succeed. There are multiple spaces to choose from, including the gardens, to host your Wellington event, alongside a team dedicated to helping you through the process of planning and organising your conference.
Cliftons
Image by Scaling Matters
Cliftons is a dedicated conference venue that boasts the best views of Wellington. They are all about hosting corporate and educational events, so they supply a few things that your average venue space might not have thought about. A few things you can expect from Cliftons include acoustically treated walls, whiteboards, 360-degree magnetic strips, and ergonomic furniture. Cliftons prepares your room before you arrive, and while you are busy working, the team can prepare the breakaway room with a fully catered in house menu.
Terrace Conference Centre
Image by Terrace Conference Centre
The Wellington Terrace Conference centre has a total of 14 rooms spread out over 4 levels, serving as the ultimate Welling conference venue. They can fit up to 100 people in a room depending on the style of your conference. Each level is a fully equipped conference space with high-speed WiFi and client-controlled air conditioning. Terrace Conference Centre firmly believes that a successful conference requires good food, good space, and reliable equipment – they stand by this mantra to make sure that every conference they host is a successful one.
Rydges Wellington
Image by Agoda
Rydges Hotel is located just one minute from Wellington's central train station and is only a few minutes from many iconic landmarks in Wellington City, including Queens Wharf, Te Papa, The Beehive, and the Wellington Botanic Gardens. Rydges Hotel can host seminars or grand banquets with up to 230 guests. Aside from a dedicated event manager to handle the details of your conference, Rydges Hotel offers flexible spaces, on-site catering options, spacious breakaway areas, styling and entertainment options, bespoke menus, complimentary WiFi, and so much more. Your Wellington conference is in the best of hands with this flexible venue.
Oaks Wellington Hotel
Image by Oaks Wellington Hotel
Take things up a notch with Oaks Wellington Hotel, a Wellington conference venue that brings a luxe feel to every function it hosts. Choose between their array of rooms, from the intimate Fairlane Room to the larger Mustang Falcon, as you plan your conference. Beloved for how close it is to areas of the city full of colour and culture, including incredible wines, craft beers, dining spots and events, this Wellington venue is the ideal location for a swanky hotel conference of up to 200 guests. The events team at Oaks Wellington Hotel is made up of seasoned experts and can help with the planning and running of your Wellington conference from start to finish, boasting polished facilities and options such as on-site catering, accommodation and more. Customising each and every moment to your tastes, Oaks Wellington Hotel is a conference venue that won't let you down.
Intercontinental
Image by Intercontinental
Intercontinental is all about conferences and events that can create a sense of luxury and exclusivity. Anyone who attends a conference at the Intercontinental will feel like they've had an insider experience. Intercontinental has a local team with powerful connections, ready to curate a conference to your exact specifications. They can give you the best local cuisine, access to celebrity/motivational speakers, and the best team-building experiences to bond your guests - and with room for up to 400 people in any one space, Intercontinental can bring that impeccable service to nearly any conference.
CQ Hotel
Image by CQ Hotel
The Cuba Meeting Rooms in CQ Hotel is a versatile venue that can be converted into five individual soundproof rooms. At its full size, this Wellington conference venue can hold up to 250 guests. The exposed brick wall gives The Cuba a modern touch, and the drive-in car park makes for easy setup and pack-down. Like all hotel venues, CQ Hotel can provide plenty of on-site accommodation and catering options for your guests. The central location in the vibrant Cuba Quarter is perfect for any locals as the venue is very easy to find. Any conferences centred on queer issues or businesses might appreciate this venue being located in the heart of Wellington’s LGBTQ+ area.
Sofitel
Image by Sofitel
Give your event an air of French luxury. Sofitel proudly imagines your event into existence through a sophisticated French lens. Three versatile venue spaces are available, all on the same level in the hotel. If your conference requires multiple rooms, you can rest assured that there will be easy to travel between your various conference spaces. Sofitel’s event team works in tandem with an AV team from Encore Event Technologies to ensure that your event doesn’t hit any technical speedbumps. Finally, our favourite part of any event, the food; Sofitel catering is described as “delightful gastronomy and 5-star service”, so it is bound to leave your guests with a good taste in their mouth.
Brentwood Hotel
Image by Agoda
Brentwood Hotel and Conference Centre offer what they describe as the complete package: extensive venue selection, audiovisual solutions team, complete catering packages, and accommodation in Wellington. Being the closest hotel and conference space to the Wellington Airport, they have put in place a free shuttle service between Brentwood and the Wellington Airport to make it even easier for their high-flying guests. Brentwood Hotel has six conference spaces available and can host anywhere up to 500 guests depending on the venue setup.