Grassroots Trust Velodrome

The Grassroots Trust Velodrome at 15 Hanlin Road, Cambridge, is New Zealand's national cycling centre of excellence and doubles as one of the Waikato's more distinctive event venues. Built around a 250 m indoor wooden track, it is owned and run by the Home of Cycling Charitable Trust and offers meeting rooms, a boardroom and a large infield space — a combination that suits conferences with a team-building element, awards dinners, expos and product launches as much as it does sport.

The spaces

Velo 1 (11 m x 6 m, with kitchenette) and Velo 2 (12 m x 6 m) are air-conditioned lounges overlooking the track. Each seats 60 theatre-style, 21–28 classroom, 20 boardroom, 18 U-shape, or 40 for cocktails and banquets. Combined, they take 100 theatre, 100 cocktail, 80 banquet, 40 boardroom and 30–36 classroom with breakout space. Both have built-in projectors and screens, sound systems, whiteboards, HDMI connections, an LCD TV and Wi-Fi. Note that Velo 2 is not wheelchair accessible when booked on its own.

The APL Room (9.2 m x 3.37 m) is a naturally lit boardroom seating 14, or 12 when the screen is in use, with an LCD TV, HDMI connectivity and Wi-Fi. It can be hired in two-hour blocks or by the half or full day.

The infield is the venue's signature space: 954 m² measuring 35 m x 39 m, set at the centre of the track and surrounded by spectator seating. It has an extensive lighting and sound system and wireless internet, food trucks can be driven directly in, and the layout can be styled for awards evenings, gala dinners, expos, celebrations and sporting events. It has hosted university and corporate awards dinners, the NZ CrossFit Championships, boxing, cycling and music events, expos and weddings.

Catering, rates and access

Catering can be arranged through the on-site Bikery Café or Fresh Balance, with meals delivered to function rooms, and self-catering is permitted. The venue is not licensed, though alcohol may be served in some circumstances by arrangement with the functions team. Published half-day and full-day room rates are available, with reduced rates for not-for-profit groups, and an after-hours surcharge applies.

History

The facility was developed after Sport & Recreation New Zealand selected the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Home of Cycling bid to build the National Cycling Centre of Excellence, confirmed in September 2011 following a $6 million investment from Waikato Regional Council. Construction began in June 2012 and was completed in February 2014. Originally named the Avantidrome, it is also the future home of the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame, and operates as a UCI World Cycling Centre satellite.

On-site gym, classes and track "have-a-go" sessions make it easy to build an incentive or team-building component around a meeting — a genuine point of difference for conferences in the Waikato.