MTG Hawke's Bay

What MTG Hawke's Bay does

MTG Hawke's Bay, legally the Hawke's Bay Museums Trust (Ruawharo Tā-ū-rangi), is a New Zealand charitable trust operating a two-site cultural institution in the Hawke's Bay region. The Napier site (Kahukura, 1 Tennyson Street) combines the 1936 Art Deco museum, the 1977 330-seat Century Theatre, and a 2013 unified complex that won two New Zealand architectural design awards. The Hastings site (Amokura, 307 Queen Street East) is a NZ$23 million purpose-built collections facility opened in 2026 with climate-controlled storage for over 90,000 taonga spanning nine collection areas (Archives, Fine Arts, Taonga Māori, Photographs, Social History, Decorative & Applied Arts, Costume & Textile, Natural History, and Pacific & World Cultures); 31,530+ objects are searchable through the online collection database.

The business model is a hybrid of public-sector funding and commercial revenue. Operational funding flows from Napier City Council and Hastings District Council rates, supplemented by Ministry of Education grants for curriculum-based EOTC programmes for schools. Commercial streams include ticketed Century Theatre performances and film-festival screenings (NZ$15–$69 per ticket across recent programmes), venue hire for corporate events and weddings, Friends annual memberships with exhibition previews and a 10% shop discount, retail sales from the on-site shop, and philanthropy via the Hawke's Bay Museum Foundation, benefactors, and bequests. Exhibition entry is free to the public. The customer base spans families and general visitors, Hawke's Bay schools, domestic and cruise-ship tourists, corporate event clients, and academic researchers.

The institution was renamed in 2025 with names gifted by mana whenua Ngahiwi Tomoana and Ngāti Hori of Ngāti Kahungunu. It holds taonga featured in the landmark 1984 Te Māori exhibition that toured the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Technology is limited to standard museum collection management, a digital archive, online ticketing via Eventfinda, and the searchable online collection database; no public-facing API, SDK, or AI capabilities are disclosed.

Name

MTG Hawke's Bay

Legal name

Hawke's Bay Museums Trust

Website

https://mtghawkesbay.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1859

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hawke's Bay Museums Trust operates a two-site New Zealand regional museum and theatre (Kahukura in Napier, Amokura in Hastings), preserving 90,000+ taonga, hosting exhibitions, theatre performances, education programmes, and venue hire for families, schools, tourists, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Museum Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

Keywords

• Regional museum services
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Exhibition programming
• Venue hire services
• Education programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Napier

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding & Rates: Community funding through Council rates from Napier City Council and Hastings District Council covers day-to-day operational expenses.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Friends membership programme providing annual subscriptions with benefits including exhibition previews, discounts, and behind-the-scenes access.
3. Venue Hire: Rental of event spaces including Century Theatre, gallery spaces, meeting rooms, and foyer areas for corporate functions, weddings, conferences, and private screenings.
4. Theatre & Event Tickets: Ticket sales for Century Theatre performances, film festival screenings, and special events. Pricing varies by event with concessions available.
5. Philanthropy & Donations: Support from benefactors, patrons, and donors including gifts, bequests, sponsorship of rooms and specific exhibitions, and the Hawke's Bay Museum Foundation.
6. Retail Shop: Museum shop selling merchandise, books, and gift items. Members receive 10% discount.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MTG Hawke's Bay operates a two-site regional museum and cultural institution governed by the Hawke's Bay Museums Trust. Kahukura in Napier houses public exhibitions, gallery spaces, and the 330-seat Century Theatre for performances and screenings, while Amokura in Hastings provides climate-controlled storage and research access to over 90,000 collection objects. The institution offers free admission to exhibitions, ticketed theatre and film events, curriculum-based education programmes, venue hire for corporate and private events, Friends membership, and behind-the-scenes collection tours.

Product overview

MTG Hawke's Bay operates as a two-site cultural institution comprising Kahukura in Napier (museum, gallery, and theatre) and Amokura in Hastings (collections facility). The Kahukura site offers free entry to exhibitions across multiple galleries, houses the 330-seat Century Theatre for performances and screenings, and provides venue hire spaces for events. The Amokura facility preserves and provides access to over 90,000 taonga and treasures spanning nine collection areas. Additional offerings include curriculum-based education programmes, Friends membership with exclusive benefits, behind-the-scenes collection tours, and a searchable online collection database of over 31,000 objects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Collection Database Searchable digital database providing free public access to over 31,530 collection objects spanning archives, fine arts, taonga Māori, photographs, social history, decorative and applied arts, costume and textile, natural history, and Pacific and world cultures. Intended for researchers, students, educators, and the general public.
• Education Programmes Curriculum-based EOTC programmes for ECE, primary, intermediate, secondary, and specialist schools. Includes Te Matau-a-Māui Purakau (Stories of Hawke's Bay), Te Ao Hurihuri (The Changing World), Te Rū o te Whenua (The Earth Quakes), Ngā Toi (The Arts), and Hikoi (Walks). Aligned with the New Zealand curriculum and supported by Ministry of Education funding.
• Venue Hire Rental of event spaces including the 330-seat Century Theatre, Museum Foyer, West Foyer (97m²), Auditorium Lounge (84m²), Conference and Meeting Rooms, and Gallery Spaces (400m²). Suitable for corporate functions, weddings, conferences, and private screenings with digital cinema projection, professional sound system, stage and backstage facilities.
• Friends Membership Annual membership programme providing benefits including exclusive event invitations, exhibition previews, 10% museum shop discount, NZ International Film Festival ticket discounts, and a monthly e-newsletter. Designed for community supporters and regular museum visitors.
• Behind the Scenes Tours Guided one-hour tours led by the collection team at Amokura, Hastings, providing access to climate-controlled storage and insight into how over 90,000 taonga are cared for. Targeted at visitors, researchers, and community members interested in the collections.
• Theatre and Event Tickets Ticketed performances and screenings at the 330-seat Century Theatre, including the NZ International Film Festival, NZTrio+ and Lucas & Arthur Jussen concerts, and other curated performances. Tickets sold via Eventfinda and the museum store with concessions available.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free entry to all museum exhibitions making culture accessible to all
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū AkecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Shockwave: Hawke's Bay's Great Quake, 1931 exhibition. The commission supports the museum's educational mission to teach visitors about natural hazards and earthquake safety. This exhibition teaches about the seismic events that shaped Hawke's Bay and how to build a safer future.
• Art Deco Masonic HotelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Hawke's Bay Museum. Boutique hotel on Napier's waterfront opposite Kahukura museum. Partnership provides mutual exposure to visitors interested in Art Deco heritage and cultural experiences.
• Paritua WineryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Hawke's Bay Museum. Family-owned organic winery in Hawke's Bay's Bridge Pa Triangle. Partnership connects wine enthusiasts with cultural tourism experiences at the museum.
• NZ International Film FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual film festival hosted at Century Theatre. Whānau Mārama NZIFF brings world-class cinema to Hawke's Bay, with the museum serving as venue host and partner. Festival runs 27 August - 6 September with approximately 35 films and 45 screenings.
• Te PapacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational museum providing travelling exhibitions. Currently hosting Robin White: Tuituia | Something is Happening Here exhibition celebrating 50 years of Dame Robin White's art practice.
• Ngahiwi Tomoana and Ngāti Hori of Ngāti KahungunucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMana whenua partners who gifted new names to both museum sites in 2025. Kahukura (the red cloak, rainbow guardian, atua of wonder) and Amokura (the red-tailed tropicbird) reflect Māori cultural heritage and identity.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki: New Zealand's largest art institution based in Auckland, operating a free-entry public gallery with a major historic and contemporary art collection. Comparable as a regional NZ gallery with council funding, education programmes, venue hire, and event programming similar to MTG's Kahukura.
• The Dowse Art Museum: Lower Hutt-based public art gallery operated by Hutt City Council. Comparable as a free-entry NZ regional gallery with curated exhibitions, retail shop, venue hire, and education programmes targeting schools and families.
• Whanganui Regional Museum: Long-established (1893) regional museum in Whanganui with comparable scale to MTG Hawke's Bay. Comparable as a free-entry NZ regional museum with diverse collection areas, education programmes, and community/council funding mix.
• Canterbury Museum: Major regional museum in Christchurch with extensive collections spanning natural history, human history, and applied arts. Directly comparable as a multi-disciplinary NZ regional museum offering free admission, education programmes, and a long-established collection predating MTG's 1859 origins.
• New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui A Tangaroa: Auckland-based maritime heritage museum with free-entry exhibitions and educational programming. Comparable as a NZ regional museum with a specialized curatorial focus, council funding, and venue hire, similar to MTG's thematic collection areas.
• Otago Museum: Dunedin-based regional museum operated as a charitable trust with council and University of Otago support. Comparable operating model to MTG Hawke's Bay with free admission, diverse collection areas (including taonga Māori), education programmes, and event venue hire.
• Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa: New Zealand's national museum in Wellington and the country's flagship cultural institution. Directly comparable as a NZ museum operating free-entry public galleries, education programmes, and curated collections including significant Māori taonga. Active travelling-exhibition partner of MTG Hawke's Bay.
• Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū: Major South Island public art gallery operated by Christchurch City Council. Compares as a free-entry NZ civic gallery with a significant fine arts collection, education programmes, and event venue operations similar to MTG Hawke's Bay's Kahukura complex.
• Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato: Hamilton-based regional museum with council funding from Waikato District Council. Comparable as a mid-sized NZ regional museum offering free-entry exhibitions, education programmes, and heritage collections including significant Māori taonga.
• Tauranga Art Gallery Toi Tauranga: Public art gallery in Tauranga operating free-entry exhibitions with council support and venue hire. Comparable operating model to MTG's Kahukura gallery spaces, including event programming and education outreach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hawkesbaymuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/hawkesbaymuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mtg-hawke's-bay

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MTG Hawke's Bay