What do the costs of a conference center in Christchurch look like?
It surprises me what conferences can cost in some other centers. (I’m writing this from Christchurch, the conference center capital of New Zealand.)Take the price for a room, for example. In the heart of London’s St James, the Royal Academy of Engineering charges US$1300 a day for an 80-seat lecture room. That is the cheapest option and you’ve got to say that every conference at the Academy will need a room of some sort — which makes that price the starting point.Some conferences have to be held in certain locations. A conference on engineering issues in the UK, for instance, would probably have to be held in Great Britain. As pleasant as it might be to meet in the Bahamas and offer delegates the delights of white sand, tropical beaches during less busy times of the conference day, the government departments, research institutes and engineering firms where those delegates will come from will probably question the location.So there will be times when high venue costs will simply have to be absorbed into the overall cost. Perhaps by trimming down on the food menus, or seeking sponsors who can provide transport etc.Never-the-less, it is nice to think there are places, like this city, where conference costs start a little cheaper than some other locations. A conference center in christchurch, for example, set in park-like grounds and yet just minutes from the center of town can be found for a very reasonable cost.