dunedin venues

What dunedin venues does

Dunedin Venues Management Limited (DVML), trading as Dunedin Venues, is a Council Controlled Organisation wholly owned by the Dunedin City Council that manages a portfolio of three interconnected civic venues in Dunedin, New Zealand: Forsyth Barr Stadium, the Dunedin Centre, and the Dunedin Town Hall. The organization provides venue hire and end-to-end event management services for sports, entertainment, conferences, corporate functions, weddings, and community events, serving event organizers, corporate clients, community groups, and individual consumers. Its anchor tenants include the Highlanders and Otago Rugby teams, which play home matches at Forsyth Barr Stadium.

Forsyth Barr Stadium, opened in 2011, is New Zealand's first fully enclosed natural grass stadium, featuring a transparent roof that allows natural light penetration and supports grass growth while providing all-weather protection for events up to 30,000+ attendees. The stadium employs smart sensor and automation systems for energy management. The Dunedin Centre (at 1 Harrop Street on the Octagon) and the adjacent Town Hall are historic heritage buildings that host conferences, exhibitions, weddings, concerts, and community events. All three venues are centrally located within walking distance of one another, enabling flexible event configurations across the portfolio.

DVML generates revenue through three primary streams: venue hire fees for conferences, corporate events, private gatherings, and weddings (transactional); ticketing and box office revenue for concerts, rugby matches, and other entertainment (transactional); and a stadium membership program offering exclusive access, VIP treatment, priority seating, and member-only invitations (recurring subscription). The company operates with approximately 30 employees and is led by a four-person board of professional directors chaired by Lee Piper, with an executive team comprising CFO Deryk Cleland, General Manager of Event Operations Brenna McCann, and General Manager of Commercial Rachael Jenkins. As a council-owned entity, DVML's mandate is civic stewardship of Dunedin's premier event infrastructure rather than profit maximization.

Name

dunedin venues

Legal name

Dunedin Venues Management Limited

Website

https://dunedinvenues.co.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dunedin Venues (DVML) is a Dunedin City Council-controlled organisation that manages Forsyth Barr Stadium, the Dunedin Centre, and the Dunedin Town Hall, providing venue hire and full-service event management for sports, concerts, conferences, weddings, and community events across its three interconnected Dunedin venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Venue Management

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Spectator Sports (7112), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Venue Operations, Management & Facility Services (MPAKAEAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Venue Booking, Ticketing & Event-Day Services (Box Office, Guest Services) (MPAKAEAO), Venue-Owned/Operated Event Organizers (In-House Promoters) (MPAKADAI), Arena & Stadium Operations (Large-Capacity Venues) (MPAGALAA), Sports & Arena Event Venues (Stadiums, Arenas) (THAHAAAF), Government & Municipal Event Venues (THAHAAAE)

Keywords

• Venue management services
• Event hire services
• Conference venue hire
• Stadium event hosting
• Corporate event planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Dunedin

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Venue Hire: Revenue is generated through venue hire fees for conferences, corporate events, private gatherings, and weddings at Dunedin Centre and Town Hall facilities.
2. Ticketing & Box Office: Ticketing fees for concerts, rugby matches (Highlanders, Otago Rugby), and other entertainment events held at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
3. Stadium Membership: Stadium membership program offering exclusive access, VIP treatment, priority seating, and member-only event invitations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Dunedin Venues (DVML) manages and hires out a portfolio of civic venues in central Dunedin — Forsyth Barr Stadium, the Dunedin Centre and the Dunedin Town Hall — for conferences, corporate events, sports fixtures, concerts, weddings, and community gatherings. The company also provides end-to-end event planning services from initial planning through pack-down, supported by in-house event specialists and partner-provided catering and beverage services. Revenue is generated through venue hire fees, ticketing/box office transactions, and recurring stadium memberships.

Product overview

Dunedin Venues is a venue management organization operating a portfolio of three interconnected venues: Forsyth Barr Stadium (New Zealand's first fully enclosed, naturally grassed stadium with transparent roof opened in 2011), the Dunedin Centre (conference and entertainment complex at 1 Harrop Street), and the Dunedin Town Hall (historic concert and event venue). The company offers venue hire and end-to-end event planning services covering conferences, corporate events, live entertainment, sports, festivals, private gatherings, and weddings. All venues are centrally located in Dunedin within walking distance of each other, enabling flexible event configurations across the portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Forsyth Barr Stadium New Zealand's first fully enclosed stadium with a natural grass playing surface and transparent roof for all-weather comfort. Hosts rugby (home of Highlanders and Otago Rugby), concerts, festivals, and community events; venue is hireable for large-scale events up to 30,000+ attendees.
• Dunedin Centre Multi-purpose entertainment and conference venue located at 1 Harrop Street on the Octagon in central Dunedin, part of the same complex as the Town Hall. Used for conferences, corporate events, exhibitions, weddings and private functions.
• Dunedin Town Hall Historic heritage venue within the Town Hall complex on the Octagon, offering spaces for concerts, conferences, and special occasions such as weddings and civic events.
• Event Planning Services End-to-end event management service covering planning, venue setup, catering coordination, logistics and pack-down for conferences, corporate events, private gatherings and weddings at Dunedin Venues' portfolio of venues.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Forsyth BarrcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNaming rights partner for Forsyth Barr Stadium. The stadium bears the Forsyth Barr brand name and the partnership enables delivery of world-class events.
• Restaurant AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatering and hospitality partner providing food and beverage services at venues.
• LionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeverage partner aligned with DVML's sustainability and environmental goals.
• Mitre 10minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHardware retailer partnership supporting venue operations.
• Allied MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner supporting event promotion and communications.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• ASM Global: Global leader in venue management and live entertainment operating 350+ venues worldwide including stadiums, arenas, and convention centers. Comparable in venue management services and third-party operator model, though at much larger scale.
• TEG (Ticketek Entertainment Group): Asia-Pacific live entertainment and ticketing group operating venues and promoting events across Australia and NZ. Comparable as a vertically integrated venue, ticketing, and event promotion operator in the broader Australasian market.
• Live Nation Australasia: Global live entertainment giant promoting concerts and events across Australia and NZ. Comparable as a major event promoter competing for the same touring concert content that DVML books at Forsyth Barr Stadium.

Direct peers

• Auckland Live: Auckland Council's venues and events arm managing Town Hall, Civic Theatre, and Aotea Centre. Directly comparable as a council-controlled multi-venue portfolio operator focused on conferences, concerts, and civic events.
• Venues Ōtautahi: Venues Ōtautahi (formerly VBase) manages Christchurch's premier civic venues including Town Hall, Arena, and stadium under Christchurch City Council ownership. Closest direct peer given shared council-controlled venue management model and multi-venue portfolio strategy.
• Hamilton City Venues: Hamilton City Council's venue management unit operating Claudelands Arena, FMG Stadium Waikato, and the Meteor Theatre. Comparable as a regional NZ council venues entity serving sports, conferences, and live entertainment.
• Wellington Regional Stadium Trust (Sky Stadium): Trust-operated Wellington stadium hosting All Blacks, Hurricanes, and major concerts under a public-benefit governance structure. Comparable in operating model (stadium trust), customer base (rugby and live entertainment), and venue management scope.
• Eden Park Trust: Eden Park operates New Zealand's largest stadium in Auckland, hosting rugby, cricket, and concerts. Directly comparable to Dunedin Venues as a NZ stadium operator with public-purpose governance and anchor tenant relationships (e.g., Auckland Rugby, NZ Cricket).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Dunedincentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dunedin-venues
• Instagraminstagram.com/dunedincentre
• TikToktiktok.com/@dunedincentre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 dunedin venues