The business events sector is set to celebrate and collaborate in September with the introduction of a week-long forum focusing on future growth.
Business Events Industry Aotearoa CEO Lisa Hopkins announced the first-ever Business Events Week at MEETINGS 2023 during an industry briefing.
This Week, incorporating BEIA’s annual conference being held in Marlborough from September 18-22 this year, will focus on the future growth of the business events industry.
Starting in Marlborough at BEIA’s annual conference, Business Events Week will move on to Wellington for a policy forum, then Auckland for the Tourism New Zealand Business Events National Awards and workshop events.
Spearheaded by BEIA and supported by Tourism New Zealand Business Events, the week will incorporate international speakers, local experts and sector leaders, who will join with members of the wider business events industry to present, discuss, and plan strategies for growth and ensure there is a greater understanding of the role business events can play in New Zealand in the future.
“Business Events Week is, as it says, a week where our industry has an opportunity to learn, grow and engage with a range of international and national experts, while, at the same time, staying connected as a village and whanau,” says Lisa.
“I am truly excited about this week as we bring to New Zealand speakers who will challenge all of us to think very differently about what we do.”
Lisa says for the first time the industry’s two-day annual conference will be integrated into an expanded event looking at opportunities for this high-value sector.
Pre-COVID, Business Events was an industry worth $1.48bn to New Zealand’s economy, supporting 8200 jobs. Now, as the industry recovers strongly, Tourism New Zealand’s Business Events team will target its highest ever number of international conference bids in the 2024 financial year.
“Our business events industry has come of age with investment in world-class infrastructure and the opening of two new convention centres in Christchurch and Wellington, and the soon to open New Zealand International Convention Centre in Auckland,” Lisa says.
“Together we are working to ensure New Zealand is recognised on the international stage as a destination for business events that contribute across the four capitals: nature, culture, social and economy.
“Collectively under one strong New Zealand banner, the Business Events Week platform gives us a huge opportunity to exchange experiences and share the latest global thinking with the industry, developing ideas that can help set our destination apart.”
“Business events are an important part of how we deliver on our strategy to encourage high quality visitors to Aotearoa New Zealand,” says Tourism New Zealand general manager NZ and business events Bjoern Spreitzer.
“Business Events deliver knowledge, business and economic benefits and positive social legacies. Business Events Week will be a great opportunity to recognise the sector’s successes and build on them for future sustainable growth.”
