“Experience Extraordinary” will be the theme of the conference, to be held in ASB Theatre, Marlborough, and Marlborough Convention Centre in Blenheim, located at the tip of New Zealand’s South Island.
“Leading into Business Events Week, our conference is focused on elevating the discussion on the impact of business events – their impact on our economy, our society, our culture, and our environment,” said BEIA chief executive Lisa Hopkins.
“We are working to shine a light on our industry from a global perspective, looking at the data, and amplifying the legacies created by knowledge sharing and connecting at business events.
“We will be looking at how the industry continues to raise the bar given the pressures and opportunities we have in front of us. Our speakers will be challenging us all to rethink how we view the business events industry.”
Reflecting the intention for a global outlook at the conference, support from Tourism New Zealand will see two international speakers attend the event in person to share their insights – Senthil Gopinath, current CEO of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), and Martin Sirk, former CEO of ICCA and an expert on the social and economic impact of business events and the evolution of the industry.
BEIA has also created space in the three-day program to showcase the conference destination, with an afternoon to be spent out and about in Marlborough, exploring the Marlborough Sounds by boat, wine tasting, nature walks and wildlife.
Following the BEIA conference, New Zealand’s Business Events Week will go on tour, stopping in Wellington for a policy forum, before travelling to Auckland for workshops and Tourism New Zealand’s Business Events National Awards.
Announced at MEETINGS in June, BEIA’s Business Events Week aims to help the business events industry grow in New Zealand, with the week set to present, discuss and plan growth strategies as well as raising the profile of business events in New Zealand.
