Location, accessibility, reliability and extraordinary visitor experiences are all key factors that contribute to executing a successful event, particularly when it comes to attracting attendees from around New Zealand and the world.

Located in the very centre of the country, Nelson Tasman is highly connected to other main centres with over 400 direct flights touching down on the runway each week. The new regional airport is the fourth busiest in the country, and is only a short drive from central city accommodation, waterfront dining, performance venues and an abundance of activities.

What’s more, a consistently pleasant climate and the most sunshine hours in the country mean less risk for event organisers relying on mother nature to pull through, with Autumn, Winter and Spring renowned for their crisp, clear days.

Nelson Tasman offers a flexible range of venues and spaces suitable for all types of events, from small community gatherings to the famed Bay Dreams Festival and All Blacks test match, attracting in excess of 20,000 attendees. Rich cultural and artisan diversity form a great foundation of skills and content for gourmet, performing arts and music festivals that abound on the annual events calendar.

Mass participation events work exceptionally well here as do international sporting codes, with a sports complex in Stoke boasting a 7,000m2 stadium, five international sized netball courts, five basketball courts, 12 volleyball courts, and a cricket oval with international ICC accreditation. Then there’s the Trafalgar Centre, which is Nelson Tasman's largest multi-purpose spectator sports and events arena, just over the bridge from the Trafalgar Park which hosts a raft of international sporting fixtures. Not to be forgotten, Tasman Bay itself is a drawcard, hosting the Ocean Swim Series and Waka Ama race events each year.

The Adam Chamber Music Festival and Nelson Centre of Musical Arts are international drawcards, whilst Light Nelson, MarchFest, New Zealand Cider Festival and the Nelson Arts Festival attract thousands of visitors to the region each year.

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