New Zealand’s ultimate business event set to deliver millions

Conference and incentive business worth tens of millions of dollars will be contracted at New Zealand’s national business events trade expo MEETINGS next month in Auckland.

The annual event run by Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) generated more than $50 million in business for New Zealand industry suppliers during its two days last year.

CINZ Chief Executive Sue Sullivan says over 190 exhibitors from 19 regions of New Zealand will be at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds to do business with more than 500 New Zealand and international event organisers.

“The business end of New Zealand’s tourism industry is high value with huge growth potential. International convention delegates spend an estimated $350 per night, twice as much as other visitors to New Zealand,” she says.

Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler, who will be speaking at MEETINGS, says the international business events sector, particularly international conferences and incentive travel, offers considerable opportunity to attract new high value international visitors to New Zealand.

“International conference and incentive delegates bring significant value to the country with the potential to extend the summer peak season and enhance employment opportunities bringing economic benefit to the country,” he says.

More than two million delegates attended over 36,000 events for around three million delegate days in the year ended March 2016. Multi-day conventions alone were worth $472 million to New Zealand last year, and the average per night delegate spend was up 15 per cent from 2014.

“This can only grow as our value proposition strengthens, and we gear up for major new convention centre and hotel infrastructure to cater for much larger conventions,” Sue Sullivan says.

Over 100 hosted buyers and media from Australia, 40 from international markets, 90 hosted buyers and media from New Zealand and 300 day buyers from all around New Zealand will be hosted in Auckland from 14 to 16 June. Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) and Air New Zealand are bringing influential international buyers and media from China, South East Asia, India and North America.

For more information and to apply to attend CINZ MEETINGS 2016 as a day buyer go to www.meetings.co.nz