It was a step back in time for a group of business event organisers, who were greeted with classic mustangs and dazzling roller skaters as they dined at an intimate 1950s-themed dinner inside Hamilton’s GLOBOX Arena, Claudelands on Tuesday night (6 December).

Dubbed ‘Nifty Fifties’, the dinner took place in a bespoke retro diner adorned with black and white checkered flooring, chrome-edged tables, red and white leather seating and a jukebox. The dinner included an exquisite five-course meal from Claudelands’ catering partner Montana Food and Events, who took classic diner dishes and beverages like mac and cheese, ice cream sundaes and Shirley Temple cocktails and gave them a modern, fine-dining twist.

Prior to guests arriving at Claudelands they were transported from their accommodation at Novotel Tainui in classic mustangs, driven by the Waikato Mustang Owners Club. During their short journey Claudelands’ naming rights partner, GLOBOX Digital Billboards displayed a personalised message for the guests on their CBD digital billboard, generating lots of excitement among the group.

H3 Business Development Manager Melissa Williams says the team are delighted to showcase what Claudelands can offer and understand how incredibly valuable this opportunity is, more so now than ever before.

“It’s always a privilege hosting business event organisers from across the country – we truly appreciate their valuable time on site with us and strive to make their visit extra memorable and special.

“This was a chance for us to demonstrate just how impressive and versatile our venue is by going bigger and bolder than ever before. Using the expertise and creative ideas of our team we embarked on creating an atmosphere that truly took guests back in time and left them with a long-lasting positive impression.” 

The dinner was part of a two-day famil of the region hosted by Business Events Waikato. Other locations visited by the group including Waitomo Caves, Hobbiton Movie Set, The Red Barn, and Hamilton Gardens.

Claudelands is managed by H3, a unit of Hamilton City Council responsible for overseeing Hamilton’s premier event venues.