10 Best Events & Conference Venues in Rarotonga & the Cook Islands

A favourite go-to for conferences and corporate functions in Rarotonga and the Cook Islands, Crown Beach Resort & Spa offers excellent conference facilities and accommodation less than a 10-minute drive from Rarotonga Airport.

Their conference room caters to between 10 and 150 delegates with the venue spilling out onto a central courtyard and break-out rooms offering plenty of room for workshops and networking during lunch breaks (where catering, too, can be arranged).

The air-conditioned conference room is secluded from the rest of the adults-only resort and a short walk from the car park, while offering a full-size LCD projector, a surround-sound PA system, dimmer lighting, and separate toilets from the main conference room. An electronic whiteboard, flipcharts, and Wi-Fi can also be arranged if required.

The largest resort in Rarotonga, Edgewater Resort & Spa offers the most comprehensive list of services and venues for corporate events.

Choose from either the Are Vananga Conference Centre, which can seat up to 120 delegates with its own self-contained "Conference Administration Office", the Te Kou Board Room for up to 12 people, the Umu Hut as an open-air alternative or Marae Tai, their sand deck by the sea.

There is also an array of catering options, ranging from finger foods to buffet dinners. Additionally, audio-visual equipment, WiFi, extra rooms, event managers, free parking, pre-function venues, and more are available.

A venue for island shows by night and a unique conference venue by day, Te Vara Nui Village is well worth considering for a corporate event.

Located in the tourist hub of Muri nearby a significant portion of Rarotonga's accommodation, the conference venue offers a generous package of a venue hire of one of their are (traditional-style bungalow restaurant) surrounded by tropical water gardens with catering complete with wait staff to serve all your food and beverage, full furniture set-up, PA system with a microphone and stand, and a speaker's water station.

Optional extras are additional 'are venues (there are three available), data projector and screen, WiFi, black and white printing and additional microphones.

A stellar and truly "local" conference venue on Rarotonga, Coastal Kitchen offers idyllic spaces for intimate corporate meetings and events. Either organise a marquee boardroom with all the audio-visual tools and whiteboard in place, or have something more intimate on the deck of the Coastal Kitchen crew's beachfront house with the home kitchen spilling onto the deck.

With its fabulous local food and hospitality, Coastal Kitchen is a great option for a unique conference experience in Tupapa, Rarotonga.

An impressive upstairs venue at The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Lagoonarium, the Treetops Verandah Function Room boasts fantastic views of the coconut trees, the beach and the ocean beyond.

The versatile conference venue can be transformed into a conference or seminar space, complete with a podium and microphone, a whiteboard and projector, a TV, and more. There is plenty of space for tea/coffee breaks, breakout meetings, and/or a business lunch.

An alternative Rarotongan inland venue, Highland Paradise, caters to groups of 10 to 250 delegates at their venue, nestled among rainforest, gardens, cultural and historical sites, as well as manicured lawns. Choose from an undercover venue that can be minimised for smaller groups or expanded with a marquee, torchlight dining or cocktail spaces for larger groups.

Venue hire includes wait staff preparing and serving food and drinks throughout the event, a full venue setup with audio-visual equipment, and exclusive use from 9 am to 5 pm. Additional extras include a projector and screen, WiFi, black and white printing and additional microphones.

A luxury resort on Muri Beach, Nautilus Resort is a worthy consideration for intimate seminars with their 20-pax boardroom set-up or a conference with up to 50 seats in a theatre-style set-up.

Anything larger can be arranged at the resort's poolside marquee. Most conferences, however, take place in their private function room, which leads onto a beachfront terrace and is equipped with top-of-the-line audio-visual tools.

Primarily a fine dining restaurant in Tupapa, on the outskirts of Rarotonga's capital, Avarua, Tamarind House offers a fabulous beachfront venue in a colonial building. There are two venues to choose from: the main restaurant holding a maximum of 75 guests or the Summer House for up to 45 guests.

Higher numbers can be catered to with an outdoor marquee. Needless to say, Tamarind House is a good choice if catering is one of your key focuses for your business meeting or event on Rarotonga.

Specialising in tailored events, including workshops, seminars, meetings and conferences, Aitutaki Lagoon Private Island Resort offers a unique location on a private island just off the mainland of Aitutaki and a short drive from the airport. There's an indoor conference room, a restaurant and outdoor spaces available to make a memorable tropical private island experience.

One of the largest resorts on the mainland of Aitutaki, Tamanu Beach Resort offers a range of indoor, outdoor, and semi-outdoor spaces suitable for various functions and events. They are a popular resort for yoga retreats, but the resort caters to a wide range of functions, including business meetings in their fully enclosed conference room.

Additionally, there are options for island buffets, cultural dancing, and beach venues to make for a more memorable meeting.