Pioneering conference centre brings world-class connectivity

Media Release
19 April 2013

Pioneering conference centre brings world-class connectivity to NZ

Global leaders in the provision of 4-star conference facilities since 1886, Wairakei Resort Taupo has beaten the odds and launched the industry’s only bespoke fibre installation – despite sitting smack in the middle of the largest geothermal field in the world.

When Sam Morgan tweeted about Wairakei’s lack of data speed while attending the legendary entrepreneurs conference Morgo at Wairakei in 2011, he became the catalyst for change and innovation at the resort.

The management team knew that their service provision was outstanding in every way, but their connectivity wasn’t where they wanted it to be.

With no prospect of being added to the rural broadband initiative anytime soon, and being surrounded by sinkholes, fissures and steam vents, finding development partners was, in itself, a task. Most said it couldn’t be done.

But two years of planning, development and implementation later, Wairakei Resort has the only fibre connectivity solution in the country in a location that is off the grid. Not only that, but it promises customers zero business interruption for the duration of their conference regardless of whether they have 500 simultaenous wi-fi connections running in the main meeting room or are off the clock in the farthest reaches of the complex.

General manager Kathy Guy is thrilled to be able to offer clients not only a destination experience that can’t be beaten, but also a business one.

“We’ve always been incredibly proud of our heritage here at Wairakei. There’s a reason the finest minds in the land have been coming here for over a hundred and twenty five years – this is a wonderland. But gosh we were getting frustrated with our ability, or lack of it, to keep up with technology delivery.

“I guess you could say Sam’s tweet was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I simply couldn’t take not being the best in the business for one more minute!”

And so began the hunt for companies that shared her vision to bring a full-service connectivity solution where the government feared to tread.

“I got a few doors slammed in my face, but eventually our lovely friends at Gen-i, Chorus and Firestar came to the party and started a two year journey with us.”

The project team had to navigate and map every inch of the resort precinct – all 169 acres of it – to avoid a complex maze of hot earth, sulphur, steam and hotspots all competing to destroy equipment and damage infrastructure.

“Turns out you can beat Mother Nature,” says Guy.

“But we had to. It’s not like it was twenty years ago when you could shut the office doors and take half your company away for four days to lie around drinking cocktails. Business these days never stops. I needed to be able to promise my customers that they could not only have the time of their lives, but conduct every aspect of their business as efficiently while at Wairakei as they could back at the office. And now I can.”

Wairakei Resort Taupo’s fibre optic internet service is now live, and, with full ownership of the infrastructure, can promising unbeatable prices to go along with an unbeatable service.

Guy is thrilled with the end result and is looking forward to challenging organisers of even the most technically demanding events to find a reason to go anywhere else.

“I’m delighted that our guests and conference delegates can now work hard and play hard here in paradise, but with business connectivity solutions you’d be lucky to find in the big city.

“Perhaps Sam would like to pop by one day and see what he doesn’t yet know he achieved. I sure hope so.”

Ends

Notes for Editors

About Wairakei Resort Taupo

Wairakei Resort Taupo is a purpose-built Qualmark-graded convention hotel and is the largest 4-star facility in the North Island.

Established in 1886, the resort sits in 169 acres of beautiful gardens and features leisure and recreational pursuits ranging from spa pools, tennis courts and saunas, through to its own 9-hole golf course.

The range of in and outdoor settings are used for private meetings, conventions, conferences, functions and trade shows catering for six to six hundred delegates.

An in-house technical team assures all audio visual needs are taken care of from concept to delivery; award-winning catering is always available; event planners ensure a memorable experience that goes off seamlessly, and the only fibre connectivity wi-fi solution available in a New Zealand hotel delivers business continuity – guaranteed.

Kathy Guy is Group General Manager of both Wairakei Resort Taupo and Chateau Tongariro and has been involved in tourism and hospitality for over forty years. Kathy is a Director of Mountain Air, a trustee of Visit Ruapehu, the Central Regional Chair of the New Zealand Hotel Council and has held two terms on the Board of Tourism New Zealand.
For more information visit www.wairakei.co.nz

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