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Business Events Industry Aotearoa is calling for business events to be used more deliberately as an economic and intellectual asset for New Zealand, ahead of the November general election.
BEIA has released Business Events Election Year 2026: Connection. Influence. Impact., setting out its priorities for the next government and arguing the sector’s value extends beyond traditional measures such as visitor spend, hotel nights and regional dispersal.
BEIA chief executive Lisa Hopkins says multi-day conferences contributed approximately $925 million to the New Zealand economy in 2025, but the wider potential of the sector lies in its ability to support trade, investment, innovation and knowledge exchange.
“Business events are already generating considerable economic value. The opportunity now is to build on that contribution by using them more strategically to support New Zealand’s wider economic priorities.
“The question for New Zealand is no longer whether business events matter. It is how they can be used more strategically to support national priorities and long-term economic growth.”
The manifesto says business events bring together decision-makers, researchers, investors, entrepreneurs, academics and industry leaders, creating opportunities to attract talent, strengthen capability and build international relationships.
BEIA points to Fieldays as an example of this wider impact. This year’s event brought more than 1,100 exhibitors to Mystery Creek Events Centre, including 74 international exhibitors from 14 countries, alongside 35 ambassadors, consuls-general and trade commissioners.
New Zealand National Fieldays Society chief executive Richard Lindroos says events such as Fieldays create connections that can lead to long-term business growth.
“Those connections spark new ideas, accelerate the adoption of technology, open export opportunities and strengthen one of New Zealand’s most important sectors.”
