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Whaia te pae tawhiti kia tata, whaia te pae tata, whakamaua kia tina.
At Love the Centre, we're committed to fostering a vibrant business community in Hamilton Central. Whether you're an established local favourite or a newcomer with big dreams, we're here to support your success and help you connect with the pulse of our city.
Sign up to the City Centre Newsletter below to stay up to date on all that is happening in the city centre.
Joining the HCBA opens doors to a wealth of resources and networking opportunities. Enhance your business visibility and connect with like-minded professionals in the Hamilton community.
networking opportunities
01.
Connect with local businesses and expand your professional network through exclusive events.
marketing resources
02.
Access valuable marketing tools and material to elevate your business strategy.
Advocacy
03.
We represent your interests to local government and wider regional stakeholders.
Connection
04.
Connect with like-minded professionals and share insights to drive success together.
Exclusive Perks
05.
Enjoy discounts, promotional opportunities, and event opportunities.
stay informed
06.
Receive the latest news and updates that impact your business and the community.
Our Women in Business Expo showcases some of the support options available for women in business in Aotearoa New Zealand.
This event is suitable for any women in business - whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, startup founder or business owner
We'll kick off the event with a light lunch and hear from our guest speaker (to be announced). This will be followed by networking and an opportunity to talk to support agencies about how they can support you and your business.
Thanks to our sponsors Maisey Harris & Co, and the Ministry for Business, Innovation & Employment for supporting this event,
Women in Business Expo
11.00am Arrival - lunch & networking
12.15pm Welcome and guest speaker + Q&A session
12.45pm Networking and expo
2.00pm Event ends
When disruption hits, the businesses that recover the fastest are the ones that planned ahead. This three-hour, hands-on workshop is designed for New Zealand business owners and managers who want a practical approach to business continuity planning, built around real-world disruption, not hypothetical risk.
You’ll leave with the practical tools to assess your vulnerabilities, build a plan tailored to your business, and respond with confidence when disruption arrives. You’ll also receive practical resources and templates to help tailor continuity planning to your operations, industry, location and risk scenarios.
What you’ll learn:
What business continuity planning is, why it matters and how to apply a BCP framework to your business
How to identify your most vulnerable business areas and understand the real cost of disruption
The importance of preparing across every part of your operation
Response frameworks and scenario testing to help you act quickly and communicate clearly when disruption hits
How to maintain and approve your plan over time so it stays relevant and useful
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Every Wed-Fri 4pm-6pm, you can play a round of mini golf for just $5 per person. All you need is at least one person in your group who works for a central city business to get the deal for everyone!
Email the team at Tipsy Putt to verify your workplace and make a booking ->> info@tipsyputt.co.nz
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Running a small business in today’s climate means wearing too many hats, too often. From HR headaches and payroll glitches to compliance challenges and the pressure of day-to-day operations, it’s all too easy to get bogged down in the business, rather than working on your vision. We know how draining it is to chase your tail—when evenings and weekends disappear and you’re struggling for time, clarity, and support.
That’s where Pivotal People comes in. We’re a Waikato-based team specialising in practical, plain-English business support made for New Zealand Small businesses just like yours. Our mission is to remove the pain points that keep you awake—so you can gain time, control, and enjoy the fruits of your hard work.
No need to juggle multiple providers: with Pivotal People, you get business advice, coaching, HR, health & safety, payroll, accounting, admin, marketing, website development, graphic design, and training—all under one roof. By understanding your business inside and out, we offer solutions tailored to your unique journey—whether you seek a trusted ongoing partner or just one-off, “fix it now” support.
Interactive workshops focused on the Universal Wellbeing Model and the Universal Wellbeing Evaluation Tool. These workshops will provide hands-on training, insights into universal wellbeing practices, and guidance on using digital wellbeing tools effectively. Stay tuned for dates and special early bird pricing—don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding and skills!
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Soda has created an online Business Fundamentals platform with short courses to help aspiring entrepreneurs and new business owners succeed.|
These short online courses provide the necessary tools and frameworks to guide aspiring entrepreneurs and new business owners through all the steps of being a business owner.
Each course features videos of real founders and experts sharing valuable advice, downloadable check lists and templates, step-by-step instructions and practical guidance.
Topics include:
Your Business Vision & Goals
From Idea to Marketing: Problem Solving, Validation & Customer Fit
Crafting Your Unique Brand Story & Competitive Edge
Money Matters: Getting to Grips with Financials
Marketing & Sales: Building Connections that Drive Growth
Legal, Compliance & Future Planning
Prices start at just $49 per course or $245 for all six courses.
Use discount code HCBA20 to receive 20% off the bundle.
Access valuable insights into Hamilton Central's economic trends, visitor patterns, and business performance. Our reports provide the data you need to make informed decisions and seize opportunities.
View reports
Unlock a wealth of tools, guides, and materials designed to help your business thrive in Hamilton Central. For more information contact our team, we've got you covered.
Access resources
Templeton Group, one of New Zealand's most experienced high-rise developers, today presented its preliminary design for Victoria Street Tower to Hamilton City Council – a project that will deliver Hamilton's first true high-rise tower.
Situated on Victoria Street beside the Waikato River, the $100 million-plus landmark tower will rise 25 levels, with a total gross floor area of approximately 25,000 square metres.
Templeton Group founder and chairman Nigel McKenna said Victoria Street Tower is not simply a new building.
“It is a vertical city – a fully integrated mixed-use development with a complexity and depth of programme that places it alongside the most significant urban projects ever delivered in New Zealand.”
The development will include:
Two levels of basement car parking
Three levels of hospitality and dining, including five food and beverage venues at ground level opening to an activated public plaza
A 200-plus room international 5-star hotel with conference and pre-function facilities
A world-class health, wellness and spa facility with pool terrace
27 serviced apartments and 25 branded residences, including sub-penthouses and a penthouse
A rooftop sky bar and club lounge with panoramic views of the Waikato River and Hamilton skyline
Mayor Tim Macindoe said “The latest images shared by Templeton Group are exciting and reveal a bold vision for Hamilton’s future. A 25‑storey riverfront development of this scale will continue Hamilton’s evolution into a thriving, modern city, with a hotel, apartments, and a world‑class dining precinct right on our river’s edge.
"This development also arrives at exactly the right time for Hamilton. With Fieldays and the Chiefs currently drawing huge crowds, and a growing calendar of major events bringing visitors here from across New Zealand and beyond, the need for more accommodation has never been clearer.
"A 2025 feasibility study shows Hamilton will require around 500 additional hotel rooms by 2030, and demand will continue to grow across the city, including close to Claudelands, where increased accommodation capacity would deliver significant economic benefits associated with major events" said Mayor Macindoe.
McKenna said Victoria Street Tower will be the most complex, most visible, and consequential private development Hamilton has ever seen.
“It will bring international hotel brands to the city for the first time at this level, activate one of Hamilton’s most significant riverfront precincts, generate substantial construction and operational employment, and signal to investors, visitors, and residents alike that Hamilton is a city building for its future with confidence and ambition.”
McKenna is one of just a handful of New Zealand developers with a proven track record in delivering multiple high-rise towers. His completed projects include the Abstract Hotel (12 levels), Rydges Hotel (18 levels), Unilodge on Anzac (20 levels), and the Quadrant Hotel (24 levels), each delivered over a typical five-to-six year development cycle.
Across more than three decades, McKenna has delivered more than 1000 hotel rooms across New Zealand, from The Sebel at the Viaduct in 1998 through to the recently opened Abstract Hotel and Residences in Auckland, which Templeton owns and operates. McKenna’s earlier projects, including The Viaduct in Auckland, and Dockside and Shed 5 in Wellington, remain active and greatly valued parts of their cities more than 30 years on.
Waikato travellers have taken to a return of trans-Tasman flights from Hamilton, with a 39% leap in Hamilton Airport passenger numbers in the second half of last year.
And along with more incoming Aussies, some Kiwis are even driving down from Bombay to skip a trip out of Auckland over a Waikato offering.
Hamilton Airport recorded the surge in passenger numbers during the six months to December 2025 - an increase of 71,000 travellers on the year earlier.
According to their six-month report around 55,000 flyers were taking to the skies for international routes between Hamilton, Sydney and the Gold Coast.
Hamilton Airport chief executive Mark Morgan said that since the start of Jetstar’s daily international flights across the ditch, “the buzz hasn’t stopped since”.
The Waikato Times had earlier revealed that in the first month since the service launched, almost 9000 passengers took flights to Australia.
The commercial property market appears to be on a strong footing in the regions.
From his base in Hamilton, Mike Neale is well positioned to assist vendors and purchasers across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
Demand is pushing up prices, rents and leases, but supply is growing too. Coupled with growth in transport networks, this is highly promising for the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, Neale says.
“Hamilton was once the poor cousin in the Golden Triangle, but it’s firmly on the radar now.
“We’re seeing an increasing amount of investors from outside come in, from Auckland and Wellington particularly,” he says.
“Tauranga has been the golden child in many ways, with a more affluent population, but I think it’s evened out a lot more now.”
Neale is managing director of NAI Harcourts in Hamilton and has more than 20 years’ experience specialising in commercial real estate.
Overall, the commercial real estate market has been showing a return to good form, he says.
“There’s certainly a lot more interest in commercial property. It’s been driven by the lowering of the Official Cash Rate and particularly bank deposit rates.
“People are looking at other forms of investment so there have been significantly more inquiries and we’re certainly starting to see a rise in values.”
Corporate Sponsorship Package We have a unique opportunity to partner with us and promote your business directly to our customer base. The partnership will boost your brand, logo and products as well as showing your support for the arts right in the heart of the inner city. This is a unique opportunity to gain a presence in a very special inner-city space with ALWAYS ON marketing activity. For more information contact ross@cathaycinemas.co.nz
Inner City Workers Special Lido Cinema Hamilton has an exciting offer for all inner-city workers looking for after work activities. We have a great after work offer at a fantastic price that your company's staff can access. For more information again please contact ross@cathaycinemas.co.nz for more information.
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