When the cultural city of Rotorua hosted the MEETINGS 2024 tradeshow in June last year, it put New Zealand’s business events industry in the shop window for the many domestic, Australian and Asia Pacific industry professionals in attendance.

With the COVID-19 pandemic behind it, there was a palpable sense of optimism from the nation’s events sector that is puffing out its chest as it propels headlong into the future.

With two new convention centres having opened in the past four years – Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, in late 2021, and Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, in New Zealand’s capital, in 2023 – the prominence of the business events industry has been on full display thanks to purpose-built, state-of-the-art facilities that are helping their respective cities attract events from across the globe.

With the highly anticipated New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) due to open in February 2026, it brings into focus a new era for business events across the country.

“A lot of goals are being kicked at the moment and it feels like it’s onwards and upwards for our industry,” says Lisa Hopkins, CEO, Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA).

“COVID-19 was such a wake-up call and has been the catalyst our sector needed to look at itself and reflect on what was important and what wasn’t. It has allowed our industry to be more community minded.

“Business events may not get the recognition of big sporting events and entertainment with large public audiences, but they are the quiet achievers. They are niche groups, but they’re economically impactful niche groups.

“They know how to spend – we know that and the government knows that.

“We have a lot of events locked into the pipeline until 2029, and soon to be three new convention centres so it feels we are on the cusp of something really great.

“We’ve never been in a better position than we are right now.”

Shiny new convention centres

With Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre and Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre open for business, attention is turning to Auckland and its NZICC.

Despite a few delays in construction of the $715 million project – including a rooftop fire in October 2019 followed by the COVID-19 pandemic – anticipation is high for its grand opening in 2026.

While NZICC won’t be home to MEETINGS 2025 despite Auckland being the host city – it will be held at Auckland Showgrounds on 11-12 June – the venue will throw open its doors for MEETINGS 2026.

With 6674 square metres of divisible hall space, the facility will be suited for exhibitions and gala events for up to 3000 people. Its 2700 square metres of meetings space will be configurable for 33 separate meetings areas, plus pre-function zones.

In addition to NZICC’s events offering, it will feature SKYCITY Grand Hotel, SKYCITY Hotel and Horizon Hotel, with 938 rooms and interconnectivity via an airbridge.

“It has been a long time coming but it is exciting to have a national convention centre on its way,” says NZICC general manager Prue Daly.

“It has not been a traditional journey to opening, but it will be worth the wait.

“We have been so fortunate in New Zealand to have Tākina and Te Pae Christchurch open in the past couple of years, meaning New Zealand is now playing in this international space.

“With NZICC opening in the country’s gateway city, it’s hard not to get excited about it.

“While it may not have all been smooth sailing, the delays have enabled us to make some changes. Nothing structural, but technology has moved on in the past five years so we’ve made a few amendments sustainability-wise.”

Since opening in 2021, Te Pae Christchurch has helped transform the South Island city into a thriving business events destination.

“You don’t get a chance very often to actually look at a city and plan it in a way that Christchurch has [post-earthquake in 2011],” says Ross Steele, general manager, Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre.

“We have been able to integrate infrastructure and social and economic benefits. Since we’ve been open, you can see a tangible difference to the city, which now embraces Otago River and Avon River, plus with hotels, shopping districts, restaurants and all those attractions you need to support a convention centre.

“A new cruise terminal has also opened so more people are coming, and a new theatre is being built next to Te Pae so as far as recovered cities go, there are plenty of reasons to visit.”

Team New Zealand

With its new convention centres to sell to the world, New Zealand’s business events industry is taking on the international market like never before.

“We now have the opportunity to step into that global events market,” says Daly.

“Historically, New Zealand hasn’t been thought of as a place capable of hosting a 3000-person conference. But that is changing and there will come a time when we will be synonymous with such large events, especially once NZICC is open.

“We have the infrastructure, the hotels and everything that comes with it. Auckland has 17,000 hotel rooms, a new city rail link coming, and the city is coming into its own.”

Despite domestic competition between cities and venues to host events, there is a sense of camaraderie between them and an overarching New Zealand-first mentality.

“Coming from Australia to New Zealand, I’ve noticed it is a really inclusive community for business events here,” says Daly.

“I used to work at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and, of course, we knew other convention centres, but we were competitors. Because we have to fight that bit harder here to get on the short list, we fight as New Zealand first, which creates a lovely environment.

“We all travel overseas as team New Zealand – not Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch – so it’s quite collaborative. We need to get people to this part of the world so if a conference comes here but doesn’t go to Auckland, it is still a win for us because it might not have come at all.”

Culture and community

Like Tākina Wellington and Te Pae Christchurch before it, NZICC is committed to limiting its environmental impact and fostering connection with community and culture.

“We have recognised that it’s not enough to just be net-zero,” says Daly.

“We have a strong commitment to give back to the community so we are working through what that looks like for us.”

As one of the leading organisations in sustainability and cultural initiatives, Te Pae Christchurch is laying down a blueprint for others to follow.

“Cultural connections are so important in New Zealand,” says Steele.

“You see the integration of Māori culture into everything we do. Te Pae is a Māori name given to us by our local iwi – the local Māori people – and it is a gift. We are custodians of that gift.

“We have so many stories integrated in the building that were part of its planning. When you come to Christchurch, we want you to feel Christchurch through its cultural connection.”

With Māori culture prevalent in everyday life in New Zealand, visitors get an acute sense of its importance to the community at large and how it shapes the nation’s soul.

“Māori are very proud of their culture, and rightly so,” says Hopkins. “Their values are about taking care of people and welcoming them, which ties in with what business events are about.”

Tourism and business events in New Zealand are weaved within a tapestry of education and appreciation of Indigenous tradition, customs and connection.

“What you have experienced at MEETINGS in Rotorua is truly authentic and comes from the heart,” says Hopkins.

According to its people, New Zealand has made great strides in the past five years in making Māori culture front and centre for locals and visitors to the country. Its language is heard, its people are seen, and its customs are understood.

For a visitor from Australia, there are many learnings to take away from Māori immersion as we make strides in connecting with 60,000 years of our Indigenous culture. We have also come a long way – the business events community is a leader in this space – but after experiencing how New Zealand does it, there are huge opportunities for our country to enhance appreciation of the culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples on this side of the ditch.

“Both cultures really enjoy telling stories,” says Hopkins.

“And business events are all about telling stories so there could be some connections that should be explored further.”