It’s another win for the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) which is due to open next year.
The World Dairy Summit is the flagship event of the International Dairy Federation (IDF) which has over 40 member countries who collectively produce more than 75 per cent of the world’s milk.
Auckland last hosted the event in 2010, with 2,000 attendees.
“Worldwide, New Zealand is seen as a leader in the sector, from farming practices and welfare through to marketing strategies and everything in between,” said the conference’s convenor, Andy Williams.
New Zealand’s largest company is Fonterra, owned by a cooperative of dairy farmers, and the country is the source of 40 per cent of traded dairy products globally.
“Hosting this summit will be great for New Zealand, it’s recognising our dairy expertise and leadership,” said Williams.
“We’ll be able to showcase what New Zealand is doing to stay at the forefront of this important global industry and how we’re adapting to emerging challenges.
“Dairy has an important role to play in the sustainability, safety and security of the global nutrient supply, and it is important that New Zealand is at the table when the sector discusses how we will respond to these important issues.”
The bid to host the event in New Zealand was led by New Zealand International Dairy Federation (IDFNZ) and supported by Auckland Convention Bureau and Tourism New Zealand.
The event is expected to generate an economic benefit of $2 million for New Zealand.
The summit will be followed by technical tours of various elements of New Zealand’s dairy industry.
Williams also expects having the event in New Zealand will provide a significant boost to the local dairy industry.
“You get a lot of cross-fertilisation of ideas,” he said.
Head of Auckland Convention Bureau, Ken Pereira, also sees the multifaceted benefits for Auckland and New Zealand in hosting the event.
“Bringing this conference to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is a great opportunity to showcase the region, both as a centre for agri-tech and as a top business events destination.
“The IDF World Dairy Summit will provide invaluable opportunities for collaboration, promoting New Zealand’s innovation to global leaders in the industry.”
