Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre has been recognised for its commitment to sustainability, winning the Building Sustainability through People Award at the 2025 NZ HR Awards.

Now in its 26th year, the HRNZ Awards celebrate outstanding organisations and individuals driving positive change and promoting best practices across the country.

Judges said the Building Sustainability through People Award was given to Te Pae Christchurch for “embedding sustainability into its culture and operations,” adding that the organisation had aligned its work with Christchurch’s redevelopment vision and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“Te Pae set out to create a workplace where employees feel connected to a meaningful purpose,” the judges said.

Te Pae Christchurch Director of Human Resources Vanessa McBean said the award reflected the centre’s ongoing focus on sustainability, which is at the heart of its decision-making, team engagement, recruitment, and workplace wellbeing.

“Since the establishment of Te Pae Christchurch, we have recognised the need to demonstrate that we are an organisation with purpose, which every member of our team can be passionate about,” McBean said.

“With over half of our casual team aged between 16 and 24, we were particularly aware of the importance of our approach to sustainability in attracting and retaining talent.”

She said staff are actively involved in a range of sustainability initiatives, from induction training on corporate social responsibility to hands-on involvement in recycling, e-water use, and food waste dehydrator systems.

“Being constantly engaged with our sustainability programme has fostered a strong sense of collective pride across our team,” McBean said.

“We also engage our community through a range of activities and initiatives that contribute to the broader social and economic development of the region in a sustainable way.”

Te Pae Christchurch General Manager Ross Steele said the centre had embraced a leadership role in sustainability for the events industry, which had led to a number of local and international awards and accreditations.

“Achievement of awards like this reflects the commitment of the whole team – led by our Human Resource and sustainability champions across the organisation – to living our commitment to sustainability goals through every aspect of our operation,” Steele said.

“We are exceptionally proud of what the Te Pae Christchurch team have achieved and pleased to see our passion and purpose recognised at the national level through the HRNZ Awards.”