Tracey Thomas receives CINZ Outstanding Contributor Award

Tracey Thomas from Conference Innovators, a leading and long-standing professional conference organiser in New Zealand, has received the 2019 Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) Outstanding Contributor Award.
 
CINZ chief executive Sue Sullivan presented Tracey with the award at the business events industry’s 43rd annual conference gala dinner in Queenstown last night.
 
He is a director and owner of Conference Innovators, a leading New Zealand PCO company with offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Conference Innovators specialises in the full-service management of national and international association meetings for a range of clients across medical, academic, scientific, legal and government sectors throughout Australasia. 
 
“Tracey has strongly contributed to the New Zealand tourism and business events sector for more than 30 years. Prior to becoming a PCO, Tracey managed hotels around the country. Throughout his career he has always taken an active role in tourism and convention associations,” she says.
 
“He has been an avid supporter of CINZ and has made an enormous contribution by sitting on the CINZ Board from 2006 to 2012 and was elected again in 2018 for his fourth term. Tracey played a key role in the establishment of the CINZ Approved PCO Group and was one of the foundation members. He was a driving force, working tirelessly on the PCO Group Code of Ethics, Rules and Responsibilities pushing for the highest standards and only just recently was involved in updating the documents to ensure that our CINZ PCOs continue to adhere to the strict guidelines and level of professional excellence that drives this group.
 
“Conference Innovators is bringing the first international conference to Te Pae Christchurch convention centre in 2020. The 11th INTECOL (International Association of Ecology) is set to bring more than 1000 academics, researches and experts from around the world to Christchurch. We know that Tracey is excited about the bright future of the events industry and is looking forward to contributing to cementing Christchurch and New Zealand as a leading global conference destination.
 
“Conference Innovators are committed to sustainability and strive to be industry leaders in sustainable conferencing. This started back in 2007 when they managed the 31st UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting – the very first carbon-neutral international meeting in New Zealand. Since then they have prioritised ways to make conferences more environmentally friendly and in 2018 were the only PCO in New Zealand to be carboNZero certified.”
 
The CINZ Outstanding Contributor Award is sponsored annually by industry mentor, David Hall and Jane Hunter of Hunter’s Wines, who gifts a case of award-winning wine to the recipient.