The Hawke's Bay Racing Centre is the function and hospitality complex at Hawke's Bay Racecourse, 300 Prospect Road, Hastings. It is operated by Hawke's Bay Racing, the thoroughbred racing club whose activity at the site dates back to the 1860s. Alongside its race programme, the club markets the property as a multi-use events venue, and it hosts conferences, expos, festivals and concerts as well as race meetings.
The centre lists more than 15 separate indoor and outdoor spaces available for hire, ranging from small meeting rooms to large function lounges. Named spaces include the Cheval Lounge, Champion Lounge, Kelt, Karamu, Estella, Silks Lounge, Exchange, Sasanof and Horlicks lounges, together with the birdcage and owners' bar areas. Room sizes vary considerably, so the venue can be scaled from a board-level meeting through to a large gala dinner or trade display.
Outdoor areas include the racecourse lawns and grounds, which give the site capacity for large-format outdoor events and marquee builds well beyond what the indoor lounges alone would allow.
The club promotes the facilities for corporate meetings, conferences, awards dinners, charity galas, expos, weddings, reunions and family functions. Extensive on-site parking and level, open grounds are among the practical advantages the venue highlights, and the scale of the site makes vehicle access, load-in and outdoor staging straightforward compared with inner-city rooms.
Raceday hospitality is a natural extension of the venue's offer, which makes it relevant to incentive programmes and client entertainment as well as conventional conferencing — a conference session can be paired with a race meeting or a themed function in one of the trackside lounges.
The Hawke's Bay Racing Centre suits organisers who need multiple rooms on one site, generous parking and the option of combining an indoor programme with outdoor or hospitality elements. It is a strong fit for regional conferences, awards nights, exhibitions and incentive days in Hastings. Browse more Hawke's Bay venues.
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Nearby listings on the MICE record — indicative only, not a recommendation unless marked Featured.