First medical conferences welcomed following rule change

Regulation Minister David Seymour and Health Minister Simeon Brown are welcoming confirmation that two of Australasia’s largest medical conferences are coming to New Zealand in 2026, with a combined total of 3300 delegates expected to attend and generating millions of dollars in economic activity.

The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists will hold conferences in New Zealand. ANZCA is expected to attract 1500 delegates from around the world and inject more than $3 million into the local economy. RANZCO’s Annual Scientific Congress is expected to attract 1800 delegates in November and contribute more than $2 million in economic activity.

Business Events Industry Aotearoa has been advocating for a change to the Medicines Act 1981 for many years and has applauded Government’s move to eliminate a barrier to New Zealand hosting international medical conferences.

“This is precisely why BEIA has been fighting to change Section 20 of the Medicines Act, alongside Medicines New Zealand,” says BEIA CEO Lisa Hopkins.

“This is an incredible result, and is just the start. We are aware of other associations considering New Zealand as their preferred destination for medical conferences, thanks to this law change, slated to come into play at the end of the year, ready for conferences from 2026 onwards,” she says.

“By ending New Zealand’s prohibition on advertising medicines at medical conferences and trade shows, we’ve sent a message that New Zealand is open for business,” Seymour says.

“Prohibition was introduced in response to the perceived risk that pharmaceutical companies may attempt to circumvent formal medicine approval processes. The Ministry for Regulation investigated this, found the overly cautious approach was out of step with other recognised jurisdictions, and the Government acted fast to fix it.

“As well as the millions of dollars this is expected to inject into the economy, allowing these products to be advertised provides medical professionals with more knowledge and skills to prescribe these treatments to Kiwis who need them.”

“The economic benefits are one thing, but the non-economic benefits, as all convention bureaus and centres know, are also important,” says Lisa.

“Imagine all the incredible knowledge sharing that will take place during these two conferences, which will lead to better medical outcomes for New Zealanders,” she says.

“This Government is committed to removing regulatory barriers so that we can drive economic growth. Removing the red tape around medical conferences has made New Zealand a better destination for conference organisers, while also making it easier for our own healthcare professionals to keep up with the latest innovations in health products and medicines,” Brown says.

“New Zealand’s current health regulations can be overly bureaucratic, and this is slowing down access to care, increasing costs, and making it harder for patients to get the services they need.

“We are looking forward to welcoming more medical conferences to New Zealand, and we have great facilities to host them.”