The business events industry body has released its election priorities positioning business events as “New Zealand’s silent strategic economic and intellectual asset” and laying out several actions that will help the country leverage business events to strengthen New Zealand’s economy and further build core industries as well as raising the nation’s profile, influence and connections on the global stage.
The actions in BEIA’s election agenda include being more deliberate about using business events to accelerate economic development and priority sector growth and drive social benefits, creating long-term funding mechanisms to attract business events, setting up a national accommodation levy and a short-term rental accommodation register, better coordination across government and industry to support business events and reviewing policy settings to eliminate barriers to New Zealand being selected as a host for international events.
The priorities document highlights the value business events bring to New Zealand – multi-day conferences injected $925 million into New Zealand’s economy in 2025, according to research commissioned by BEIA – while suggesting that the sector should be measured via other metrics alongside economic and tourism impact.
“Business events are already generating considerable economic value,” said BEIA chief executive, Lisa Hopkins.
“The opportunity now is to build on that contribution by using them more strategically to support New Zealand’s wider economic priorities.
“This is not at the expense of the tourism and hospitality benefits generated by events, which are already substantial.
“The question for New Zealand is no longer whether business events matter. It is how they can be used more strategically to support national priorities and long-term economic growth.”
