According to collective buyer feedback in the post-event survey, NZ$170 million in business events transactions are likely to be completed with sellers at MEETINGS, held in Auckland last month.
This is a 55 per cent increase on the projected business outcomes after the 2025 show.
MEETINGS 2026 was also the largest iteration of the event to date in terms of attendees, with 1,600 participants, including over 700 qualified buyers and more than 260 exhibitors.
“This reinforces the positive momentum which is being felt across the sector, with strong interest from both domestic and international buyers to hold business events in New Zealand,” said Lisa Hopkins, chief executive of Busines Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA), which owns and runs MEETINGS.
“It also underscores the importance of MEETINGS as the industry’s flagship trade event, connecting the industry with key decision-makers and creating opportunities that translate into future business.”
The figures from MEETINGS align with broader statistics from the sector in New Zealand showing there has been a turnaround in business events activity in Australia’s nearest neighbour in recent times.
According to statistics from the Business Events Data Programme, following eight straight quarters of falling event and delegate volumes, the number of business events held in New Zealand and delegates attending them has been rising since the December quarter last year.
“The strong satisfaction scores from exhibitors and visitors show the quality of the connections taking place and the importance of MEETINGS for building new partnerships and future events,” said Hopkins.
“Next year marks 30 years of MEETINGS, a significant milestone for an event that has welcomed thousands of decision-makers, organisers and planners, and resulted in billions of dollars being pumped into New Zealand’s economy over the past three decades.”
MEETINGS 2026 was held in the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) for the first time, with the venue opening in February after a decade under construction. The convention centre is set to host the event again in 2027, on June 29 and 30.
