With business events collectively the fourth most valuable visitor segment to New Zealand – after Australia, the USA and the UK – the nation is in the midst of a major business events infrastructure boost and the week-long focus on the sector aims to raise the profile of the industry more broadly.
“The global business events industry, which is valued at $1.6 trillion USD, is now in full recovery mode and New Zealand is set to attract high quality events to our shores that will benefit our economy, society, culture, and environment,” said BEIA chief executive Lisa Hopkins.
“Our industry has come of age with new world-class infrastructure including two new conventions centres, Te Pae Christchurch and Tākina Wellington, and the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) in Auckland set to open in 2025.”
BEIA’s national conference in Marlborough on New Zealand’s South Island marks the start of the nation’s Business Events Week today, with New Zealand convention bureaux meeting this afternoon, before a first-timers event and the welcome function in the evening.
The one and a half days of sessions includes some big international industry names, including the current CEO of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Senthil Gopinath, as well as a former CEO of the global association, Martin Sirk, who will challenge the “business as usual” mindset in the conference and meeting industry.
An invite-only policy forum for industry leaders will take place in Wellington on Thursday, before Tourism New Zealand’s national awards dinner for the industry takes place in Auckland that evening. There will be a business forum in Auckland on Friday in addition to an ICCA International Conference Seminar also in Auckland that day.
“This is a great time for the business events sector to work together and achieve sustainable business events growth that will support New Zealand’s economy,” said Tourism New Zealand’s chief executive René de Monchy, also referencing New Zealand’s extraordinary growth in meetings infrastructure.
