New ICON Conference Centre for Queenstown

Tourism Award-winning Heritage Queenstown has announced details of their soon to open ICON Conference Centre, with the international standard conference centre, due to open in April 2008, set on the lakeside of the hotel, with magnificent uninterrupted views of Queenstown’s scenic icons; Lake Wakatipu, the Remarkables mountain range, plus Walter and Cecil Peaks.

The aptly named ICON Conference Centre is designed by respected New Zealand architects’ Warren and Mahoney, a leading practice in environmentally sustainable design who produce consistently high quality, award-winning buildings. 

The venue is two storeys high with a conference room catering for 200 people seated theatre style and 160 people banquet style. On the roof to maximise the enjoyment of the views is a terrace for special outdoor and marquee events.

“The ICON Conference Centre will delight every conference delegate who can sit bathed in natural light and gaze out at the beauty of Queenstown, whilst attending a business event,” says Carey Norton, general manager of Heritage Queenstown.

The ICON Conference Centre’s technical facilities include high speed broadband, video conferencing and live TV streaming, ceiling mounted projection, large drop down screens, built-in sound, flexible lighting, wireless microphone, automated black out screens and integrated touch control panels. The lectern and stage can also be placed in three different parts of the room for multiple layouts.

The room is 192 square metres with a 140 square metres in exhibition space available in the pre-function area where there is also an area for a car display for car launches. The conference room divides into two halves for breakouts with additional break-out space available in the Pounamu Rooms of the existing hotel.

The ICON Conference Centre has its own external staircase, and is linked at the conference floor level with the lake and forest accommodation wings of the hotel.

All catering is prepared in the ICON Conference Centre’s dedicated banquet kitchen, plus there is a built-in bar in the pre-function area. Disabled facilities are also on site.

Heritage Queenstown opened in 1996 and quickly developed a reputation for its authentic southern hospitality. From the use of local river schist stone in the hotel’s architecture, to cuisine profiling regional ingredients and wine, the hotel has strived to provide a 100% Pure New Zealand visitor experience.

Heritage Queenstown offers 175 well appointed deluxe rooms including a range of self-contained suites and 36 three-bedroom luxury villas. A recent addition is 14 new lake-front Esplanade Residences By Heritage Hotels, ideal for VIPs or guest speakers.

Heritage Queenstown’s facilities include Mackenzies restaurant, a stunning indoor-outdoor swimming pool, sauna, gym, tennis court and beauty spa.

Heritage Queenstown is a past winner of the New Zealand Tourism Industry Awards both in 2005 and 2006 in the hotel and major visitor accommodation categories and recently won the 2007 Queenstown Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award in the large accommodation category.

Heritage Queenstown was the first hotel to be Green Globe benchmarked in Queenstown. Heritage Hotels have been involved in Green Globe since 2002 and to date 1300 hotel rooms in the group’s inventory are now Green Globe benchmarked, making Heritage Hotels the largest subscriber to Green Globe in New Zealand.

For the Heritage Queenstown conference centre bookings and inquiries call ++ 64 3 442 4563 or visit www.heritagehotels.co.nz

A Report by The Mole