Open to anyone running a business event in New Zealand, The Bizzies are a first for recognising those working in the business events industry in New Zealand and have received wide support from the sector.
Electrify Queenstown was the biggest winner at The Bizzies 2025, taking out the Business Events Legacy Impact Award and the Excellence in Environmental Sustainability Award.
Delivered by Destination Queenstown, the summit seeks to promote the electrification of Queenstown to bring down carbon emissions.
“This is a powerful recognition for the dedicated team behind Electrify Queenstown and also the strength of the idea,” said chief executive of Destination Queenstown, Mat Woods.
“We set out to create a summit that would inspire action – showing how electrification can save money, boost resilience, and meaningfully cut emissions for businesses and households alike.
“The 2025 summit was a pivotal moment, helping cement Electrify Queenstown as a nationally significant platform for change. To see it acknowledged at the inaugural Bizzies is incredibly encouraging and motivating.”
Christchurch also fared well at the awards, with Te Pae Christchurch’s Camila Andrew taking out the Emerging Business Event Professional Award while ChristchurchNZ won the Best Marketing Award for its Be Everything. Be Here. campaign.
“Since joining Te Pae Christchurch, Camila has enjoyed a strong progression through the organisation, which is a great credit to her and reflects her dedication and commitment to professional development and the industry,” said Te Pae’s general manager, Ross Steele.
“Camila’s work ethic, commitment to delivery for our clients and support of her team have been frequently recognised within Te Pae Christchurch so it is wonderful she has now been recognised on the national stage.”
Other winners were Louise Ryburn from Celebrity Speakers who took home the award for Exceptional Business Event Professional, Wētā Workshop Unleashed, which took home the Innovation Award and Water New Zealand and Avenues Event Management who won the Outstanding Business Events Partner Award.
The awards ceremony at Cordis, Auckland was attended by 280 people.
“There was such a buzz in the room,” said the awards’ co-chair, Rachel Cook.
“It was fantastic to see everyone come together to acknowledge the achievements, innovation, and contributions of the people and events helping to shape the future of our industry.
“The Bizzies are more than an awards night — they are a platform to elevate the industry, strengthen its collective identity and highlight the vital role business events play in driving economic growth, fostering collaboration, and creating social impact.
“From creative event ideas and sustainability initiatives to the individuals driving impact behind the scenes, the talent and professionalism in our industry really shone through in The 2025 Bizzies awards.”
The next Bizzies will take place in 2027, with the awards program set to run on a two-year cycle.
