Auckland has won the bid to host the International Electrical and Electronics Engineers eGrid Conference in 2022.
The hybrid conference, set to be held in December 2022, will bring together world-leading energy experts from government, industry and academia to share ideas, challenges and solutions to the planet’s energy challenges.
The bid – secured by ACB, a division of Auckland Unlimited, and with support from Tourism New Zealand – is expected to attract ore than 200 delegates, with an estimated 60-70 per cent international attendees. This is the first time eGrid has been held in New Zealand.
The three-day conference bid was won by Dr Nirmal Nair, from the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Software Engineering at the University of Auckland and ACB’s Auckland Advocate Alliance member.
“This is a major win for Auckland and reinforces the city’s standing as a destination of choice for premiere international technical conferences,” Dr Nair says.
Hosting eGrid next year is a big win for New Zealand engineers who will be able to tap into and share a wealth of knowledge and gain exposure to emergent world-leaders around the use of efficient and effective use of power electronics into renewable energy infrastructure.
Dr Nair has won four international conferences for Auckland, valued at $3 million and is working to bring two other international conferences to New Zealand in 2023.
“Auckland has an enviable reputation for hosting world-class conferences and I am looking forward to continuing to collaborate with ACB and Tourism New Zealand to boost this reputation.”
Auckland Unlimited’s head of major and business events, Richard Clarke, says collaboration is key to winning bids.
“This conference is a platform for leading experts to advance the field and provides the opportunity for New Zealand engineers and academics to strengthen ties with international networks, showcase our own research in this sector and build new research links.”
Tourism New Zealand general manager domestic and business events Bjoern Spreitzer adds:
“Tourism New Zealand supports international conference bids because these events deliver a myriad of benefits.
“They enrich New Zealand through the high-value visitors, international profile, and knowledge opportunities they attract. We’re very pleased to welcome eGrid to our shores for the first time.”
