Pic : Johnny Hendrikus
An island paradise
CATIE OWEN ANSWERS THE QUESTION : WHAT MAKES NEW ZEALAND ONE OF THE MICE INDUSTRY ’ S MOST BELOVED HOSTS ?
N ow that its international borders have fully reopened , Aotearoa New Zealand ’ s business events scene seems to be thriving .
Within Australasia , the Business Events Industry Aotearoa ( BEIA ) team has been growing New Zealand ’ s reputation as one of the world ’ s favourite hosts .
BEIA chief executive , Lisa Hopkins , says that they aim to connect event planners and decision-makers with BEIA members across the country ’ s 16 regions - which themselves are buzzing with MICE activity .
Christchurch MEETINGS , New Zealand ’ s business events trade show , was held in Õtautahi Christchurch this year . For
Australasia ’ s MICE professionals , MEETINGS is a winter affair – traditionally held over two days in mid-June .
According to BEIA , the show ’ s organisers , MEETINGS 2022 broke both its attendance and ‘ generated business value ’ records . An independent survey showed that NZ $ 107.5m ( USD $ 67.48m ) worth of business was provisionally secured during the two days – which was a 45.3 % increase on MEETINGS 2021 .
“ This is an extraordinary result and reflects the skyrocketing popularity of Aotearoa New Zealand as a business events destination and shows the huge demand for face-to-face meetings in inspirational settings ,” Hopkins says .
MEETINGS 2022 ’ s success was in no small part due to the popularity of
Above : Wellington cable car its setting - New Zealand ’ s budding business events capital , Õtautahi Christchurch . As the country ’ s second largest city , attention and care has been put into both its facilities and natural beauty .
ChristchurchNZ head of business events , Megan Crum , was delighted with the attention MEETINGS brought to the city , stating : “ We have seen more than NZ $ 4m ( USD $ 2.4m ) in bids and opportunities from MEETINGS , especially from our nearest neighbour , Australia .”
Crum believes that the city ’ s allure lies in its incentives , delegate hospitality , and natural splendour : “ In the weeks post-MEETINGS , we have hosted eight site visits for conferences and incentive familiarisations for business from 2023 and beyond ,” she says .
MEETINGS also shined a light on the city ’ s first new generation convention centre , Te Pae Christchurch .
Hopkins comments on BEIA ’ s choice of venue : “ With a strong host
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