Leading Australian conference and incentive organisers are crossing the Tasman next week to meet with New Zealand’s business events industry at MEETINGS 2021.
For the first time in two years, 66 Australian hosted buyers and industry media from Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Perth will be in Auckland for MEETINGS on June 2-3.
Organised by Business Events Industry Aotearoa, the two-day trade exhibition and networking event features 149 companies from 18 regions across New Zealand. They include everything from new convention venues, hotels, and luxury lodges, to activity providers, caterers, speakers, designers and production experts.
The Australians will be joined by more than 100 hosted buyers and media from around New Zealand, as well as more than 300 local day buyers. Before and after the show, the hosted buyers will be given the opportunity to experience, firsthand, one of five regions – Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.
BEIA chief executive Lisa Hopkins says MEETINGS 2021 is a turning point for the industry, as buyers and suppliers get back together to meet in person, look to the future and transact significant business.
Cancelled last year because of COVID, New Zealand’s flagship business events industry trade show delivered $62 million worth of business bookings on the show floor in 2019.
“Over the past year, domestic business has sustained the sector, using the opportunity to experience and explore New Zealand.
“We are now getting overwhelming feedback from Australian buyers who tell us they can’t wait to bring their corporate, incentive travel, and multi-day conference business to New Zealand. They see us as a safe, accessible international destination with a diverse and unique range of experiences to offer their clients,” she says.
“As well as delivering much-needed high-value tourism and hospitality business, the event is also a chance for people to meet at networking opportunities throughout the week.
“Our industry is all about the power of face-to-face connection. We know the value of participating in conversations over lunch, catching up for dinner or using breaks for ad hoc discussions,” Lisa Hopkins says.
MEETINGS starts with a welcome function at Weta Workshop Unleashed in the SkyCity precinct on Tuesday, June 1, and a black-tie gala dinner at the Cordis Hotel on Thursday, June 3, to celebrate 25 years of the event.
Local buyers can come in for a day or half a day and online registration is free, with plenty of free parking available at the event venue, ASB Showgrounds
