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The enhanced dinner experience perfectly blends the work delegates might do throughout their business day with the restorative power of a food and wine journey that is educational while still being fun.

Masterclass guests will soak up wine knowledge from a Mt Difficulty Wines representative including the region’s social history from the time of European settlement in 1860’s to environmental factors such as geology, latitude and climate that allows Central Otago to produce world-class wines.

Crowne Plaza Queenstown General Manager Anna Edie said the Masterclass product was the perfect way to help ignite the spirit of conference delegates.

“From mid-sized conferences to incentive groups and intimate meetings in the boardroom, we host a diverse range of events each year,” said Ms Edie.

“As market leaders, we’re always looking at ways of improving our conference packages and feel we’ve ticked all the boxes for a truly memorable experience.

“While three different varietals are served with dinner as part of the Masterclass experience, Pinot Noir is known amongst winemakers as being notoriously fickle.

“Just like business, winemakers need to have robust processes in place which strive for perfection. When inspiring leaders like winemakers get it right, the result is a thing of beauty.”

The Masterclass package starts from $100 per person including three courses from the new-look banquets menu with Mt Difficulty wine matches, and is available for up to 100 delegates.

Conveniently located in the heart of Queenstown’s retail and business district, Crowne Plaza Queenstown is well-known as the hotel of choice for conference and events bookings, the home of inspiring meetings in an inspirational setting.

The property has recently completed a half a million-dollar refurbishment offering a fresh new look for guests including new furniture and carpets in its conference spaces, restaurant and bar, and public areas.

The hotel’s four meeting rooms look out over breathtaking Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables mountain range and are all located on one level, with floor-to-ceiling windows, high-end meeting technology and connectivity and balcony access with black-out capability when views threaten to become too distracting.

Crowne Plaza Queenstown’s ground-floor threesixty restaurant is the perfect place to sit back, relax and enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner, High Tea, or a good coffee as part of meetings or incentive packages.

Last year a High Tea experience was also launched for the meetings, conventions and business events markets. The High Tea can include such delights as a selection of finger sandwiches, homemade scones, and a range of sweets, all served on a three-tiered cake stand.

Picture caption:

1/ Crowne Plaza Queenstown’s threesixty restaurant overlooks the breathtaking Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables mountain range

Originally from the Bay of Islands, Sarah said she was committed to working in the Queenstown market and was thrilled to make the “obvious” move to a public relations company where she could expand on her skillset.

“I’m delighted to take up a streamlined communications role working alongside such a creative team with an exciting and diverse range of clients,” she said.

Southern PR Director Fiona Woodham said Sarah was a “very welcome” addition to the team.

“We’re at a stage of expansion where we’re exploring new areas of social and digital marketing where the most successful PR campaigns are executed simultaneously across multiple channels,” she said.

“Sarah has superb local knowledge, having lived and worked in Queenstown for six years, and the ability to help drive new business opportunities for the company.

“She’s a dynamic and forward-thinking individual who will be a huge asset to our creative team, bringing fresh ideas and a new perspective.”

The Southern PR team includes director Fiona Woodham, a former UK-based national newspaper journalist who set up Southern PR 22 years ago, and experienced PR professional Laura Nicol who works with many clients across traditional media, PR strategy and communications channels.

Southern PR offers outstanding levels of service, reliability and creative energy for all clients, with tangible results. Its team of specialists offers the complete spectrum of services including public relations, strategic communications plans, social media, media releases, famils, marketing and specialist writing. It offers crisis management and training and media training, and assists with events and awards.

Picture caption:

1/ New Southern PR Account Manager Sarah Vujcich

Members of the public will be asked to donate to the cause, effectively ‘sponsoring’ the students in what is a ‘first’ for the World Vision 40 Hour Famine fundraiser.

The beauty of the idea is that charity starts at home with the meals urgently needed and very much welcomed by the charities within New Zealand. However as major meal components are being donated by New Zealand companies, that means all money raised can be directed to help the millions of Syrian refugees forced to flee their homes in search of safety.

World Vision says the money will help re-establish the basic needs of refugees and supply them with things New Zealand families take for granted, like clean drinking water and a safe place for children to be children.

The student team is “thrilled” with the level of support they’ve had to date from local companies. Working with them is leading chef Mark Gregory, the first New Zealand chef awarded the ‘Master of Culinary Arts’ by the Royal Academy and the French Master Craftsman status. Now a culinary consultant and director for leading companies, he is a founding trustee of DineAid, the charity for the New Zealand restaurant industry.

As well as being a guiding hand over the 40-hour weekend, he has provided them with their three meal options — Shepherd’s Pie, Thai Chicken and Coconut Rice and Spiced Apple cake.

Silver Fern Farms has donated 400kg of beef to the ‘Cook for a Cause’, apples have been donated locally and Wholesale Foodservice Distributors Bidfood Queenstown is supplying ingredients.

NZSki’s Coronet Peak ski area is supporting Cook for a Cause by donating the use of its industrial kitchen on the mountain and some staff, as the students prepare, cook and package the meals over the 40-hour weekend.

All containers and packaging has come from Packaging Plus, and transport company Big Chill has pledged to chill and deliver the meals all around the country.

Harley Hamilton, the Christchurch-based Senior Schools Partnership Manager for World Vision who is working with the students, said he wanted to stress how “grateful, inspired and impressed” he was with everyone involved.

“From the initial blue sky ambitions back in December, to the work that has gone in behind the scenes from students Beatrice Onions, Hugh Taylor and Zed Moore, teacher Penny Hearn and the rest of the leadership team, to all of the community support and involvement – it’s insane!”

“I’ve worked with schools for three years and I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Wellington City Mission Foodbank and Volunteer Co-Ordinator Louise Mearns said the charity was equally impressed.

“We’re so impressed by the project these young student leaders have come up with to help combat food poverty in New Zealand. The food they’re providing will be used in our Drop-in Centre kitchen to serve meals to our community, and distributed to individuals via our Foodbank service,” she said.

“We’re very grateful for this amazing contribution.”

A Facebook page set up by the students to publicise their efforts goes live today (Thursday May 18) and links to the Wakatipu High School World Vision Cook for a Cause fundraising page.

The World Vision 40 Hour Famine is New Zealand’s largest youth fundraising event, attracting each year more than 90,000 young Kiwis to participate.

The situation in Syria is described as the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time. Over six years, fighting in Syria has reportedly killed as many as 400,000 people, including nearly 14,000 children. Nearly five million people have fled the country and 6.1 million are displaced in Syria. In the past year, hundreds of thousands have fled to Europe to seek safety. More than half of those affected are children – more than the entire population of New Zealand.

Money raised from the campaign will be used to fund World Vision’s child-friendly spaces in Jordan. They’re safe, supportive learning environments where children have access to arts, sports, education and counselling, enabling them to be kids again.

Photo caption:

1/ Wakatipu High School student team leaders with Harley Hamilton from World Vision (L to R) Hugh Taylor, Harley Hamilton, Beatrice Onions, Zed Moore

The hotel rooms, including eight suites, enjoy unique views to the city, coast, hills and Southern Alps, with features in each room designed to make the most of the scenery.

A comfy window seat with cushions invites guests to sit back and relax with a book and a freshly-brewed T2 tea, while thanks to a glass panel between the bathroom and bedroom in some rooms, guests can even soak up the view from the shower.

Guests are guaranteed a peaceful night’s sleep with new beds in comfortable ‘zen-like’ rooms and a range of Executive, Deluxe and Superior configurations. With leisure travellers in mind, the hotel also offers extra spaces to relax such as the hotel library, or guests can stay active in the brand-new fitness centre.

The hotel hasn’t scrimped on technology that really works — staying connected to the outside world is easy with unlimited free WiFi and Samsung Smart TV’s complete with Bluetooth connectivity and wireless mobile device mirroring. Several USB ports throughout the room mean guests can easily recharge devices.

The new hotel also features the 80-seat Market Place restaurant and bar, it’s ground-floor Café 1851, and the upmarket Social Wine Bar.

Swiss-born head chef Mirco Turtschi brings to the table a wealth of experience from hotels and restaurants in Switzerland and New Zealand, and said his vision for the restaurant, café and bar was to capture a diverse audience at different times of the day and become known as a popular dining hub for locals and visitors.

“We’re aiming to appeal to everyone, keeping good old-fashioned favourites that are generous in portion but reasonable in price, while offering health conscious guests some lighter options,” said Chef Mirco.

Market Place restaurant and bar takes inspiration from the local markets which once thrived just metres away in Victoria Square. Featuring an interactive marketplace dining concept, diners will be encouraged to pick and choose from a range of dishes, showcasing the best local produce the city has to offer.

There will be a live cooking station where guests can choose from a selection of meat, fish or seafood each evening, cooked to order just how they like it.

Café 1851 is set to delight tastebuds and give friends, locals and families a place to connect in a contemporary environment. Serving expertly brewed Mojo coffee, T2 tea, fresh juices and smoothies, pastries, cakes, sandwiches and salads, the light-filled café features clean lines and Scandinavian-inspired décor.

Social Wine Bar will be the place for get-togethers and drinks over shared plates, an extensive wine list and a selection of NZ craft beers, an “elegant and comfortable” space with a cosy fireplace.

General Manager Reinier Eulink said he could not wait to open the doors to the hotel’s first guests.

“We know it will be a hub for leisure and business travellers and a meeting place in the heart of the city for our wider community,” he said.

The 4.5-star hotel is part of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).  With the opening of the new hotel, IHG will operate six properties in New Zealand including Crowne Plaza hotels in Auckland, Queenstown and Christchurch, two Holiday Inn properties in Rotorua and at Auckland Airport, and the InterContinental Wellington.

Click here to visit Crown Plaza Christchurch’s website

Picture caption:

1/ Cool, clean lines at Café 1851 at Crowne Plaza Christchurch