Prue Daly: NZ International Convention Centre general manager on the project being handed to SkyCity
November 4, 2025 • 5 mins
The long-delayed International Convention Centre in Auckland has formally been handed over to SkyCity - several years behind schedule.
The works began in 2015, and the project was impacted by additional delays, extra costings and the infamous 2019 fire.
NZ International Convention Centre general manager Prue Daly says it's a relief to finally get the keys to the building to get it ready for next February.
"We've been patiently waiting, but actually now we're just super-focused on getting that building ready for February - and make sure that when we're open, we're delivering really well."
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, after a decade of building works, the keys for
the International Convention Center have been formally handed over to
Sky City. The works began all the way back in
twenty fifteen. They were supposed to take three and a
half years, ten years, a huge fire and an ongoing
legal dispute, and finally we've made it there. Pre Daily
is the general manager of the New Zealand International Convention
(00:20):
Center and with us, Hey.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Prue Kyota, thanks for having me. Is it a relief, Oh,
it's more than relief, it's absolute elation. We are so
excited to have the keys and finally get into the
building and start getting it ready.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
To truly give you keys.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
They literally give us a whole lot of keys. It's
not just one. Like a box of keys got handed
over to our security team and they said, here you
go and you look after it from there. So, yes,
there are keys, but not like you would think of
in a twenty first where you get a big key
like that.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
To hear it, I thought that the place was supposed
to open in twenty nineteen. It was actually supposed to
open in twenty seventeen, wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah, we've I mean, as you said in the in
the intro. You know, we're supposed to be three years.
It's been ten years, so we've been patiently waiting. But actually,
you know, now we're just super focused on getting that
building ready for February and make sure that when we open,
we're delivering really well.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah, so all of the building works is done right correct,
So what do you do now?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
So our job as the operational team is to really
get in there and we're doing some commissioning of our own.
We've got a whole lot of loose equipment that needs
to come in, about one hundred and fifty thousand items
that the team needs to like what ah, So if
you imagine you're going in for a gala dinner and
we can do a gala dinner for up to three
thousand people, think of the spoons, the cutlery, the crockery,
(01:37):
the glass where the tables, the chairs, everything that you
touch when you come into a room for a dinner.
That's what's coming in at the moment. And the team
is unwrapping and unpacking and washing if required, and putting
it into its future homes.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So you enjoyed doing that because that is fun. If
you like when you move into a new house. That's fun?
Is this fun?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
This is fun? I think, you know, through the whole
procurement process, being able to pick out plates and glasses
and make sure that we're putting a unique New Zealand
touch on it, it has absolutely been fun hard work
at the same time. But I think this is what
makes our team really proud about what we're doing, is
we hope that it'll be a little bit different, a
little bit unique, but we'll actually speak to New Zealand
(02:16):
for all those international visitors who are coming through our doors.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
And so you're going to be bringing in events, right,
So you you've announced some, haven't you.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
We have announced some. So we've already got about one
hundred events or over one hundred events confirmed for the
twenty twenty six calendar year, with plenty more to come.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
From all announced. Those one hundred all announced.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Not all of them have been announced. We've got quite
a few that have, but some that are not ours
to announce there for our clients to announce as well.
So I think about you know, from a conference perspective,
we've got the Australian New Zealand College of Anethesis coming
in April sixteen hundred people, huge Medical Congress. Really great
get We've got school balls, We've got charity events. We've
(02:55):
got Mail Robbins coming to speak into our theater. She
just sold out tonight in March. So quite a different
mix of events that we've got. But really, you know,
great to be able to have events that will bring
new international visitors into the country, but also some for
our Kiwis to.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Enjoy space for music like musicians.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Absolutely, yes them. We've got a teared auditorium that can
do just under three thousand people. So bands, speakers, any
kind of musical acts. Absolutely, we're looking forward to bringing
those in. I can't tell you any yet. I can't
tell you any yet.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I'm trying to get this out of you the whole time.
I Okay. So what I've established is it's it's not
it's not oil cool.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
It's not level, it's not a stadium show. It's not aga.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Nothing that would go in the stadium. So is it
more like your your weird little random thing that you like,
Like eldest.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Hardings, definitely don't think weird and random. I think that
we've got some announcements coming up in the next couple
of months, and I think they'll they'll be artists that
definitely resonated with a lot of people.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
A d floor if you want to get up and boggy, well.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Actually, our theater has retractable seating in it and it
retracts back, so we can have a general admission standing
floor in our theater as well as a fully seated space,
so quite flexible and allows us to do all kinds
of things proved.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Do you think that you're bringing an event like Extra
above what was already going to be brought in or
are you cutting the lunch of smaller venues like the Civic.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
No, absolutely bringing in new business and that's where these
international conventions come in. A lot of them are the
size and scale that would never have come to New
Zealand with our ns ICC being open. So we've anticipated
that once we're up and running at full strength. You know,
we expect to bring about thirty three thousand new international
visitors into the country every year and that will equate
(04:49):
to about ninety million dollars of economic impact. So well, yes,
absolutely we have you know, New Zealand events as well.
We are out there and our sales teams out there
target new business for New Zealand very strongly.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Oh fantastic. And so you're doing an open day for
the public at some stage, are you.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
We will do an open days for the public and
go so you can come and have a little finger
or telling you things that you come and see the
amazing artwork we've got. Come and walk through the building.
It is absolutely stunning and honestly, as a team, we
just can't wait to share it with everyone. We're really excited.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Mate, Thank you so much for coming and I really
appreciate it. Prank daily having me general manager of the
New Zealand International Convention Center. For more from Hither Duplessy
Allen Drive, listen live to news talks. It'd be from
four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
Now, after a decade of building works, the keys for
the International Convention Center have been formally handed over to
Sky City. The works began all the way back in
twenty fifteen. They were supposed to take three and a
half years, ten years, a huge fire and an ongoing
legal dispute, and finally we've made it there. Pre Daily
is the general manager of the New Zealand International Convention
(00:20):
Center and with us, Hey.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Prue Kyota, thanks for having me. Is it a relief, Oh,
it's more than relief, it's absolute elation. We are so
excited to have the keys and finally get into the
building and start getting it ready.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
To truly give you keys.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
They literally give us a whole lot of keys. It's
not just one. Like a box of keys got handed
over to our security team and they said, here you
go and you look after it from there. So, yes,
there are keys, but not like you would think of
in a twenty first where you get a big key
like that.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
To hear it, I thought that the place was supposed
to open in twenty nineteen. It was actually supposed to
open in twenty seventeen, wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah, we've I mean, as you said in the in
the intro. You know, we're supposed to be three years.
It's been ten years, so we've been patiently waiting. But actually,
you know, now we're just super focused on getting that
building ready for February and make sure that when we open,
we're delivering really well.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah, so all of the building works is done right correct,
So what do you do now?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
So our job as the operational team is to really
get in there and we're doing some commissioning of our own.
We've got a whole lot of loose equipment that needs
to come in, about one hundred and fifty thousand items
that the team needs to like what ah, So if
you imagine you're going in for a gala dinner and
we can do a gala dinner for up to three
thousand people, think of the spoons, the cutlery, the crockery,
(01:37):
the glass where the tables, the chairs, everything that you
touch when you come into a room for a dinner.
That's what's coming in at the moment. And the team
is unwrapping and unpacking and washing if required, and putting
it into its future homes.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So you enjoyed doing that because that is fun. If
you like when you move into a new house. That's fun?
Is this fun?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
This is fun? I think, you know, through the whole
procurement process, being able to pick out plates and glasses
and make sure that we're putting a unique New Zealand
touch on it, it has absolutely been fun hard work
at the same time. But I think this is what
makes our team really proud about what we're doing, is
we hope that it'll be a little bit different, a
little bit unique, but we'll actually speak to New Zealand
(02:16):
for all those international visitors who are coming through our doors.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
And so you're going to be bringing in events, right,
So you you've announced some, haven't you.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
We have announced some. So we've already got about one
hundred events or over one hundred events confirmed for the
twenty twenty six calendar year, with plenty more to come.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
From all announced. Those one hundred all announced.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Not all of them have been announced. We've got quite
a few that have, but some that are not ours
to announce there for our clients to announce as well.
So I think about you know, from a conference perspective,
we've got the Australian New Zealand College of Anethesis coming
in April sixteen hundred people, huge Medical Congress. Really great
get We've got school balls, We've got charity events. We've
(02:55):
got Mail Robbins coming to speak into our theater. She
just sold out tonight in March. So quite a different
mix of events that we've got. But really, you know,
great to be able to have events that will bring
new international visitors into the country, but also some for
our Kiwis to.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Enjoy space for music like musicians.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Absolutely, yes them. We've got a teared auditorium that can
do just under three thousand people. So bands, speakers, any
kind of musical acts. Absolutely, we're looking forward to bringing
those in. I can't tell you any yet. I can't
tell you any yet.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I'm trying to get this out of you the whole time.
I Okay. So what I've established is it's it's not
it's not oil cool.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
It's not level, it's not a stadium show. It's not aga.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Nothing that would go in the stadium. So is it
more like your your weird little random thing that you like,
Like eldest.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Hardings, definitely don't think weird and random. I think that
we've got some announcements coming up in the next couple
of months, and I think they'll they'll be artists that
definitely resonated with a lot of people.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
A d floor if you want to get up and boggy, well.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Actually, our theater has retractable seating in it and it
retracts back, so we can have a general admission standing
floor in our theater as well as a fully seated space,
so quite flexible and allows us to do all kinds
of things proved.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Do you think that you're bringing an event like Extra
above what was already going to be brought in or
are you cutting the lunch of smaller venues like the Civic.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
No, absolutely bringing in new business and that's where these
international conventions come in. A lot of them are the
size and scale that would never have come to New
Zealand with our ns ICC being open. So we've anticipated
that once we're up and running at full strength. You know,
we expect to bring about thirty three thousand new international
visitors into the country every year and that will equate
(04:49):
to about ninety million dollars of economic impact. So well, yes,
absolutely we have you know, New Zealand events as well.
We are out there and our sales teams out there
target new business for New Zealand very strongly.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Oh fantastic. And so you're doing an open day for
the public at some stage, are you.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
We will do an open days for the public and
go so you can come and have a little finger
or telling you things that you come and see the
amazing artwork we've got. Come and walk through the building.
It is absolutely stunning and honestly, as a team, we
just can't wait to share it with everyone. We're really excited.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Mate, Thank you so much for coming and I really
appreciate it. Prank daily having me general manager of the
New Zealand International Convention Center. For more from Hither Duplessy
Allen Drive, listen live to news talks. It'd be from
four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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