Past Event
Lifetime
One Crew, One Course: A National Conference Gala for 146 Guests
One Crew, One Course: A National Conference Gala for 146 Guests
Lifetime is a New Zealand financial advice firm with more than 100,000 client relationships and over 150 staff across 12 offices, from Invercargill to Auckland.
In August 2026, the team gathered in Auckland for its national conference and finished the week with a nautical-themed corporate gala dinner at The Maritime Room.
The conference itself was held at the Hilton, just 350 metres along the waterfront. After pre-dinner drinks and nautical fancy dress at the hotel, all 146 guests would walk around to Princes Wharf and arrive together at 7pm.
General Manager Tina Evans wanted everyone seated quickly, with drinks in hand and no allocated seating to hold things up.
The theme was One Crew, One Course, making our waterfront setting a natural fit. Our job was to deliver a polished three-course private dining experience around a live charity auction while carefully managing 27 individual dietary requirements.
The room had hosted another corporate client earlier that day, leaving just one hour to prepare for Lifetime.
Our team cleared and rebuilt the space as a 15-table gala, complete with hired ghost chairs, tinsel overlays, centrepieces, a 5m × 2m stage, photo wall, dessert bar and satellite arrival bar. The entire reset was completed in just 27 minutes.
All 146 guests arrived through the main entrance beneath custom-printed signage and were seated across 15 round tables.
Because there was no fixed seating plan, dietary cards were handed to the client on arrival to distribute to the relevant guests. This allowed our team to match every dietary meal to the right person without slowing down the room.
The first course was served just 15 minutes after guests sat down. Wine was already waiting on the tables, with carafes of still and sparkling water replenished throughout the evening. The main bar also remained open on consumption for any additional drinks.
The floor was handed over to Lifetime’s Dream Days charity auction, featuring 11 lots. Our wait staff worked around the auctioneer while spotters watched the room for bids, allowing the evening to continue smoothly without interrupting the auction.
The main course was an alternate drop of chicken supreme and braised beef rib.
Alongside the main service, the kitchen prepared six gluten-free arancini meals, five tofu marsala dishes and individual plates for guests with anaphylaxis, dairy-free and no-mushroom requirements. Every meal reached the room as part of the same service.
The evening moved into a dessert bar featuring a candy station and macaron tower, accompanied by organic Kōkako coffee and Forage & Bloom teas.
The balcony remained open with festoon lighting and heaters, while the band kept guests entertained through to midnight.
One Event Director, Mel McBride, managed the event from the first site visit through to the final run sheet. This gave Lifetime one consistent point of contact and ensured the theming supplier, AV team, band, kitchen and venue staff were all working from the same plan.
Meredith Drucker from The Events Group managed the themed installation, bringing together the photo wall, centrepieces, tinsel overlays and 150 ghost chairs. Everything had to be installed that afternoon while the room was still being used by another client, and it was all completed on time.
Much of what made the evening work happened out of sight. The venue was turned over following another event that afternoon, then reset again for a different client the next morning. Lifetime’s guests walked into a room that felt as though it had been prepared exclusively for them all week, which is exactly how it should be.
This fantastic venue and the team’s incredible service will bring your event vision to life.
The oceanside setting is sensational; the Viaduct is exciting; and the parking’s good too.
Get a taste of The Maritime Room Event Suite and put yourself
– and your guests – in the picture.
One Crew, One Course: A National Conference Gala for 146 Guests
Lifetime is a New Zealand financial advice firm with more than 100,000 client relationships and over 150 staff across 12 offices, from Invercargill to Auckland.
In August 2026, the team gathered in Auckland for its national conference and finished the week with a nautical-themed corporate gala dinner at The Maritime Room.
The conference itself was held at the Hilton, just 350 metres along the waterfront. After pre-dinner drinks and nautical fancy dress at the hotel, all 146 guests would walk around to Princes Wharf and arrive together at 7pm.
General Manager Tina Evans wanted everyone seated quickly, with drinks in hand and no allocated seating to hold things up.
The theme was One Crew, One Course, making our waterfront setting a natural fit. Our job was to deliver a polished three-course private dining experience around a live charity auction while carefully managing 27 individual dietary requirements.
The room had hosted another corporate client earlier that day, leaving just one hour to prepare for Lifetime.
Our team cleared and rebuilt the space as a 15-table gala, complete with hired ghost chairs, tinsel overlays, centrepieces, a 5m × 2m stage, photo wall, dessert bar and satellite arrival bar. The entire reset was completed in just 27 minutes.
All 146 guests arrived through the main entrance beneath custom-printed signage and were seated across 15 round tables.
Because there was no fixed seating plan, dietary cards were handed to the client on arrival to distribute to the relevant guests. This allowed our team to match every dietary meal to the right person without slowing down the room.
The first course was served just 15 minutes after guests sat down. Wine was already waiting on the tables, with carafes of still and sparkling water replenished throughout the evening. The main bar also remained open on consumption for any additional drinks.
The floor was handed over to Lifetime’s Dream Days charity auction, featuring 11 lots. Our wait staff worked around the auctioneer while spotters watched the room for bids, allowing the evening to continue smoothly without interrupting the auction.
The main course was an alternate drop of chicken supreme and braised beef rib.
Alongside the main service, the kitchen prepared six gluten-free arancini meals, five tofu marsala dishes and individual plates for guests with anaphylaxis, dairy-free and no-mushroom requirements. Every meal reached the room as part of the same service.
The evening moved into a dessert bar featuring a candy station and macaron tower, accompanied by organic Kōkako coffee and Forage & Bloom teas.
The balcony remained open with festoon lighting and heaters, while the band kept guests entertained through to midnight.
One Event Director, Mel McBride, managed the event from the first site visit through to the final run sheet. This gave Lifetime one consistent point of contact and ensured the theming supplier, AV team, band, kitchen and venue staff were all working from the same plan.
Meredith Drucker from The Events Group managed the themed installation, bringing together the photo wall, centrepieces, tinsel overlays and 150 ghost chairs. Everything had to be installed that afternoon while the room was still being used by another client, and it was all completed on time.
Much of what made the evening work happened out of sight. The venue was turned over following another event that afternoon, then reset again for a different client the next morning. Lifetime’s guests walked into a room that felt as though it had been prepared exclusively for them all week, which is exactly how it should be.
This fantastic venue and the team’s incredible service will bring your event vision to life.
The oceanside setting is sensational; the Viaduct is exciting; and the parking’s good too.
Get a taste of The Maritime Room Event Suite and put yourself
– and your guests – in the picture.
One Crew, One Course: A National Conference Gala for 146 Guests
Lifetime is a New Zealand financial advice firm with more than 100,000 client relationships and over 150 staff across 12 offices, from Invercargill to Auckland.
In August 2026, the team gathered in Auckland for its national conference and finished the week with a nautical-themed corporate gala dinner at The Maritime Room.
The conference itself was held at the Hilton, just 350 metres along the waterfront. After pre-dinner drinks and nautical fancy dress at the hotel, all 146 guests would walk around to Princes Wharf and arrive together at 7pm.
General Manager Tina Evans wanted everyone seated quickly, with drinks in hand and no allocated seating to hold things up.
The theme was One Crew, One Course, making our waterfront setting a natural fit. Our job was to deliver a polished three-course private dining experience around a live charity auction while carefully managing 27 individual dietary requirements.
The room had hosted another corporate client earlier that day, leaving just one hour to prepare for Lifetime.
Our team cleared and rebuilt the space as a 15-table gala, complete with hired ghost chairs, tinsel overlays, centrepieces, a 5m × 2m stage, photo wall, dessert bar and satellite arrival bar. The entire reset was completed in just 27 minutes.
All 146 guests arrived through the main entrance beneath custom-printed signage and were seated across 15 round tables.
Because there was no fixed seating plan, dietary cards were handed to the client on arrival to distribute to the relevant guests. This allowed our team to match every dietary meal to the right person without slowing down the room.
The first course was served just 15 minutes after guests sat down. Wine was already waiting on the tables, with carafes of still and sparkling water replenished throughout the evening. The main bar also remained open on consumption for any additional drinks.
The floor was handed over to Lifetime’s Dream Days charity auction, featuring 11 lots. Our wait staff worked around the auctioneer while spotters watched the room for bids, allowing the evening to continue smoothly without interrupting the auction.
The main course was an alternate drop of chicken supreme and braised beef rib.
Alongside the main service, the kitchen prepared six gluten-free arancini meals, five tofu marsala dishes and individual plates for guests with anaphylaxis, dairy-free and no-mushroom requirements. Every meal reached the room as part of the same service.
The evening moved into a dessert bar featuring a candy station and macaron tower, accompanied by organic Kōkako coffee and Forage & Bloom teas.
The balcony remained open with festoon lighting and heaters, while the band kept guests entertained through to midnight.
One Event Director, Mel McBride, managed the event from the first site visit through to the final run sheet. This gave Lifetime one consistent point of contact and ensured the theming supplier, AV team, band, kitchen and venue staff were all working from the same plan.
Meredith Drucker from The Events Group managed the themed installation, bringing together the photo wall, centrepieces, tinsel overlays and 150 ghost chairs. Everything had to be installed that afternoon while the room was still being used by another client, and it was all completed on time.
Much of what made the evening work happened out of sight. The venue was turned over following another event that afternoon, then reset again for a different client the next morning. Lifetime’s guests walked into a room that felt as though it had been prepared exclusively for them all week, which is exactly how it should be.
This fantastic venue and the team’s incredible service will bring your event vision to life.
The oceanside setting is sensational; the Viaduct is exciting; and the parking’s good too.
Get a taste of The Maritime Room Event Suite and put yourself
– and your guests – in the picture.
One Crew, One Course: A National Conference Gala for 146 Guests
Lifetime is a New Zealand financial advice firm with more than 100,000 client relationships and over 150 staff across 12 offices, from Invercargill to Auckland.
In August 2026, the team gathered in Auckland for its national conference and finished the week with a nautical-themed corporate gala dinner at The Maritime Room.
The conference itself was held at the Hilton, just 350 metres along the waterfront. After pre-dinner drinks and nautical fancy dress at the hotel, all 146 guests would walk around to Princes Wharf and arrive together at 7pm.
General Manager Tina Evans wanted everyone seated quickly, with drinks in hand and no allocated seating to hold things up.
The theme was One Crew, One Course, making our waterfront setting a natural fit. Our job was to deliver a polished three-course private dining experience around a live charity auction while carefully managing 27 individual dietary requirements.
The room had hosted another corporate client earlier that day, leaving just one hour to prepare for Lifetime.
Our team cleared and rebuilt the space as a 15-table gala, complete with hired ghost chairs, tinsel overlays, centrepieces, a 5m × 2m stage, photo wall, dessert bar and satellite arrival bar. The entire reset was completed in just 27 minutes.
All 146 guests arrived through the main entrance beneath custom-printed signage and were seated across 15 round tables.
Because there was no fixed seating plan, dietary cards were handed to the client on arrival to distribute to the relevant guests. This allowed our team to match every dietary meal to the right person without slowing down the room.
The first course was served just 15 minutes after guests sat down. Wine was already waiting on the tables, with carafes of still and sparkling water replenished throughout the evening. The main bar also remained open on consumption for any additional drinks.
The floor was handed over to Lifetime’s Dream Days charity auction, featuring 11 lots. Our wait staff worked around the auctioneer while spotters watched the room for bids, allowing the evening to continue smoothly without interrupting the auction.
The main course was an alternate drop of chicken supreme and braised beef rib.
Alongside the main service, the kitchen prepared six gluten-free arancini meals, five tofu marsala dishes and individual plates for guests with anaphylaxis, dairy-free and no-mushroom requirements. Every meal reached the room as part of the same service.
The evening moved into a dessert bar featuring a candy station and macaron tower, accompanied by organic Kōkako coffee and Forage & Bloom teas.
The balcony remained open with festoon lighting and heaters, while the band kept guests entertained through to midnight.
One Event Director, Mel McBride, managed the event from the first site visit through to the final run sheet. This gave Lifetime one consistent point of contact and ensured the theming supplier, AV team, band, kitchen and venue staff were all working from the same plan.
Meredith Drucker from The Events Group managed the themed installation, bringing together the photo wall, centrepieces, tinsel overlays and 150 ghost chairs. Everything had to be installed that afternoon while the room was still being used by another client, and it was all completed on time.
Much of what made the evening work happened out of sight. The venue was turned over following another event that afternoon, then reset again for a different client the next morning. Lifetime’s guests walked into a room that felt as though it had been prepared exclusively for them all week, which is exactly how it should be.
This fantastic venue and the team’s incredible service will bring your event vision to life.
The oceanside setting is sensational; the Viaduct is exciting; and the parking’s good too.
Get a taste of The Maritime Room Event Suite and put yourself
– and your guests – in the picture.
One Crew, One Course: A National Conference Gala for 146 Guests
Lifetime is a New Zealand financial advice firm with more than 100,000 client relationships and over 150 staff across 12 offices, from Invercargill to Auckland.
In August 2026, the team gathered in Auckland for its national conference and finished the week with a nautical-themed corporate gala dinner at The Maritime Room.
The conference itself was held at the Hilton, just 350 metres along the waterfront. After pre-dinner drinks and nautical fancy dress at the hotel, all 146 guests would walk around to Princes Wharf and arrive together at 7pm.
General Manager Tina Evans wanted everyone seated quickly, with drinks in hand and no allocated seating to hold things up.
The theme was One Crew, One Course, making our waterfront setting a natural fit. Our job was to deliver a polished three-course private dining experience around a live charity auction while carefully managing 27 individual dietary requirements.
The room had hosted another corporate client earlier that day, leaving just one hour to prepare for Lifetime.
Our team cleared and rebuilt the space as a 15-table gala, complete with hired ghost chairs, tinsel overlays, centrepieces, a 5m × 2m stage, photo wall, dessert bar and satellite arrival bar. The entire reset was completed in just 27 minutes.
All 146 guests arrived through the main entrance beneath custom-printed signage and were seated across 15 round tables.
Because there was no fixed seating plan, dietary cards were handed to the client on arrival to distribute to the relevant guests. This allowed our team to match every dietary meal to the right person without slowing down the room.
The first course was served just 15 minutes after guests sat down. Wine was already waiting on the tables, with carafes of still and sparkling water replenished throughout the evening. The main bar also remained open on consumption for any additional drinks.
The floor was handed over to Lifetime’s Dream Days charity auction, featuring 11 lots. Our wait staff worked around the auctioneer while spotters watched the room for bids, allowing the evening to continue smoothly without interrupting the auction.
The main course was an alternate drop of chicken supreme and braised beef rib.
Alongside the main service, the kitchen prepared six gluten-free arancini meals, five tofu marsala dishes and individual plates for guests with anaphylaxis, dairy-free and no-mushroom requirements. Every meal reached the room as part of the same service.
The evening moved into a dessert bar featuring a candy station and macaron tower, accompanied by organic Kōkako coffee and Forage & Bloom teas.
The balcony remained open with festoon lighting and heaters, while the band kept guests entertained through to midnight.
One Event Director, Mel McBride, managed the event from the first site visit through to the final run sheet. This gave Lifetime one consistent point of contact and ensured the theming supplier, AV team, band, kitchen and venue staff were all working from the same plan.
Meredith Drucker from The Events Group managed the themed installation, bringing together the photo wall, centrepieces, tinsel overlays and 150 ghost chairs. Everything had to be installed that afternoon while the room was still being used by another client, and it was all completed on time.
Much of what made the evening work happened out of sight. The venue was turned over following another event that afternoon, then reset again for a different client the next morning. Lifetime’s guests walked into a room that felt as though it had been prepared exclusively for them all week, which is exactly how it should be.
This fantastic venue and the team’s incredible service will bring your event vision to life.
The oceanside setting is sensational; the Viaduct is exciting; and the parking’s good too.
Get a taste of The Maritime Room Event Suite and put yourself
– and your guests – in the picture.