Venues Ōtautahi Reports NZ$106.99 Million Economic Impact for Canterbury

Venues Ōtautahi estimates that its events generated NZ$106.99 million in direct and indirect economic contribution to Canterbury during 2025/26. The Christchurch council-owned operator's annual report records 474 events and 933,962 guests across its venues, exceeding its targets for both measures. Chair Gill Cox and chief executive Caroline Harvie-Teare jointly wrote: “It demonstrates the value created by events across the venue portfolio does not stop at the doors of our venues.” Their report describes benefits for accommodation, hospitality, transport, retailers, food producers and other local suppliers. The economic-contribution estimate is separate from the company's own revenue and profit. One New Zealand Stadium opened in April 2026, giving it 10 weeks of operation within the reporting year. During that period it hosted 35 events and 249,191 guests and generated NZ$15.6 million in event income. The report says the portfolio's wider results were not attributable to the stadium alone. The company also reports that 83% of its food was procured from Canterbury and 73% of suppliers and contractors were local, excluding capital purchases. Community rates provided 57 groups with discounts worth NZ$201,000. For the year ended June 30, 2026, the company recorded NZ$6.0 million in net profit after tax and NZ$40.7 million in operating revenue. Its report says it achieves independence from council operational funding from 2026/27; the year just reported still included NZ$2.5 million in operational grants.