New Zealand’s business events industry gathers in Auckland this week, when CINZ MEETINGS 2017 opens, 31 May, in host city Auckland.
Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) chief executive, Sue Sullivan says the two-day exhibition is the largest in the event’s 21-year history, showcasing 19 regions and 195 exhibitors to over 500 conference and event organisers.
“Exhibitors and buyers will hold more than 6,000 meetings during our two days of pre-scheduled appointments and social networking events,” says Sullivan. “With the support of key regional convention bureaux and Air New Zealand, we have also hosted 44 Australian buyers and media on seven different regional pre-MEETINGS tours, and another 36 will visit Hobbiton and Hamilton-Waikato on Friday.”
Organisers claim last year MEETINGS generated more than $55m of signed business during its two days of pre-scheduled appointments.
New Zealand deputy prime minister and minister of tourism Hon. Paula Bennett will visit the show on 1 June.
Sullivan said: “Our industry is at the centre of high-value tourism, as one of the key drivers of the sector’s development. It is a significant generator of income, employment, investment and knowledge-sharing for New Zealand.
“With the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) underway in Auckland, and a boutique-style, premium central venue in Christchurch, New Zealand is set to capture a bigger share of the international multi-day convention market.”
Convention Delegate Survey results from the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) for the year to December 2016 show international conference visitors stayed an average of six nights in New Zealand, spending an estimated NZ$334 (US$235) per night, double the average spend for all international visitors.
Multi-day conventions generated 1,005,000 visitor nights in New Zealand with delegates spending an estimated $588m in 2016.
On average each international delegate spent a total of $2,009 in New Zealand.
MBIE’s latest Convention Activity Survey shows the number of delegates attending all events increased to 3.6m in the year ended March 2017, from 3.4m in the year ended March 2016, while the total number of delegate days increased to 4.5m in the year to March 2017, compared to 4.2m the previous year.
According to the latest International Congress & Convention Association’s (ICCA) annual rankings, New Zealand rose four places in the world listings, taking the 12th spot in Asia Pacific and 47th spot in the world.
