The private developer of Queenstown's second proposed convention centre, for Remarkables Park, in Frankton, says plenty of hotels and restaurants will surround the centre.
Plans for the Remarkables Park centre were made public last year while the Queenstown Lakes District Council was considering whether to move forward with a council-led centre for Lakeview, above the resort's central business district.
Tourism Industry Association policy and research manager Simon Wallace said convention centres needed to have ''easy access'' to accommodation options and entertainment facilities, and when asked if this could be achieved at a Frankton centre, Remarkables Park co-director Alastair Porter said yes.
Hotels, from different operators, were planned for the top and bottom of a high street and ''we expect other hotels will want to talk to us as well and we are perfectly open to that'', Mr Porter said.
''One of the smartest high streets in New Zealand, if not Australasia'' is planned.
''It will be what's called a shared living street,'' he said, adding vehicles would have access but it could easily be closed to traffic for events.
Restaurants and bars, which Mr Wallace used as examples of entertainment facilities were also planned, Mr Porter said.
Mr Wallace said networking was ''an important element of any business event and much of this happens outside the conference programme''.
Rather than saying which of the Remarkables Park or Lakeview options was more appropriate for a convention centre, Mr Wallace said that was a decision for the community to make as it was best placed to decide.
Both the planned International Convention Centre for Auckland and the Christchurch Convention Centre will be in central city locations.
On average, people travelling for business events spend $318 per night compared with international visitors who spend $208.
• At the Queenstown Lakes District Council's meeting in Wanaka on Thursday, the council agreed to put the proposed council-led convention centre into the draft annual plan.
Yesterday, the Otago Daily Times reported the council's chief executive said the council did not have definitive facts and figures about the Remarkables Park centre and therefore, could not consider the Frankton centre ahead of its own.
