- Almost one year on from MEETINGS in Christchurch, how has the events industry fared in New Zealand?
It’s certainly showing strong signs of recovery, which is what we anticipated. It also shows what an impact a purpose-built convention centre can have on a city. Since Te Pae Christchurch Convention & Exhibition Centre has been open, the city of Christchurch has seen a $45M boost to its coffers, and data is telling us that across the country, we are seeing triple-figure percentage increases in the number of events being held. Ours is a positive story so far.
- MEETINGS 2023 will be held in Wellington, was it an easy decision to take the event to New Zealand’s capital? I believe it was touch and go at one stage with the venue’s opening date uncertain. Tākina will open as scheduled in May so it is perfect timing.
Wellington is excited to have the opportunity to host MEETINGS and showcase its new venue, and we’re thrilled to be the first large international exhibition at Tākina.
We know that buyers and sellers alike will love their time in Wellington and the opportunity to do business here.
The investment Wellington has made into Tākina reflects the commitment the city has to both being a visitor destination and, as New Zealand’s capital city, being the place important conversations are had.
MEETINGS in Wellington will be the perfect occasion to see the city in action.
With stunning design and set in Wellington CBD’s cultural precinct, Tākina is within easy walking distance of key transport links, entertainment and recreation options, and thousands of accommodation options.
WellingtonNZ, as host city is offering two weekend famils giving visitors a deep dive into the city and surrounding region, and 26 Wellington hotels are hosting buyers.
Business Events Wellington will be hosting two pre-familiarisation programmes.
As well, Business Events Wellington will host more than 160 buyers for a day out in the city exploring hidden gems, and they are looking forward to showcasing Wellington’s hospitality at its finest at the two official social functions organised by BEIA.
MEETINGS guests this year will not only be among the first to experience New Zealand’s newest venue in action, but they’ll also get to check out the diverse and vibrant events scene in the capital thanks to a busy famil calendar and social programme.
- Anything in particular happening at this year’s event that is different to last year? Is there a particular focus for this year?
Instead of a Hosted Buyer gift this year, we will be asking all Hosted Buyers to select one of three Wellington charitable organisations and BEIA MEETINGS will be donating a set amount on their behalf which is a wonderful new initiative. All hosted buyer flights will be carbon-offset with Air New Zealand’s FlyNeutral programme.
- New Zealand is certainly stepping up its event offerings with Te Pae Christchurch, Tākina Wellington and next in line the NZICC – certainly a game changer for the country? What will this do for the meetings market in New Zealand?
It’s definitely a game-changer and a catalyst for business growth. I don’t believe any other country can claim three new convention centres opening over a four-year period. While there is no doubt that the new infrastructure gives New Zealand an edge, it’s the impact on people and place that these buildings offer which really matters. It ties in beautifully with New Zealand’s own values which promote the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of our communities.
New Zealand is now in a strong position to host conferences of scale which can address important community issues, and support our environmental goals. The economic and social opportunities through business growth and job growth is well documented.
It also provides an opportunity for our magnificent regions. While the three main centres continue to focus on larger-styled events, our regions offer other options for more domestic or Australasian conferences, with Rotorua, Dunedin and Hamilton in particular able to accommodate larger events as well.
- Are you seeing an increase in international events returning?
Te Pae GM Ross Steele says while 11 of the conventions hosted at Te Pae in the past 12 months were international events, over the coming year that number is set to jump significantly.
Enquiries are strong and New Zealand is representing itself well at international trade shows to help drive that demand.
- Is there an increase in flights coming into New Zealand? Any significant ones?
There are several new North America direct flights through both Auckland and Christchurch for example, United Airlines recently added direct flights from San Francisco to Christchurch. Air New Zealand has direct flights from Auckland to New York and Chicago, Christchurch has also added Emirates A380 daily with connections through Dubai to Europe and the UK.
- Remind our audience what BEIA’s role is in putting New Zealand on the business events map?
BEIA is the peak industry body, representing the sector through advocacy and opportunity, but also looking for opportunities to enable the sector to advance and stay connected as a community through education, development and insights.
We represent over 450 organisations that rely on the sector to support their business. During COVID, BEIA played a significant role in ensuring the sector was part of New Zealand’s recovery through a scheme which saw the government commit to covering up to 95% of unrecoverable costs if an event had to cancel or postpone due to a government restriction.
- MEETINGS 2023 was a great success, showcasing the very best of what New Zealand has to offer the events industry, just how important is MEETINGS to the New Zealand business events industry?
Exhibitors and buyers are excited to be meeting all of New Zealand under one roof at the country’s newest convention centre during its opening month.
Following last year’s hugely successful event at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, we are thrilled to be debuting New Zealand’s second next-generation venue and meeting in New Zealand’s capital.
This is the first time MEETINGS has been hosted in Wellington, and not only are we seeing huge support locally, but also internationally.
Aotearoa New Zealand is incredibly appealing to business event organisers, with new infrastructure across the country, excellent air connectivity, incredibly diverse regional character, strong cultural values, and innovative sustainability practices.
We have received a fantastic response from the industry since exhibition applications opened in October, and spaces are nearly sold out. MEETINGS will take over the entire Tākina venue with two exhibition floors.
The primary goal of MEETINGS is to drive connections between the industry and buyers with a view to increasing business opportunities for the business events sector.
After four years, we can’t wait to welcome back international clients, with support from Tourism New Zealand.
MEETINGS is Aotearoa New Zealand’s only national tradeshow for the business events industry. It is the leading platform for connecting influential domestic, Australian and international buyers with key regions, meeting facilities, accommodation, off-site venues and activities.
Organised by Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA), the two-day trade exhibition, educational and networking event features 224 stands from 18 regions across New Zealand filling two levels at the new Tākina – Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Over 230 leading business event organisers from Australia, North America, Singapore and New Zealand have been confirmed as fully hosted buyers for the first MEETINGS exhibition in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington this June.
The response to our MEETINGS 2023 programme has been phenomenal.
Now, more than ever, it is important to bring buyers to New Zealand to educate them on our destination and show them the country is back open and ready for their business.
Buyers be among the first to experience the new Tākina venue, and meet with their choice of 18 different regions and all of the country’s leading business event suppliers. Exhibitors range from new convention venues, to hotels, and luxury lodges, to activity providers, caterers, speakers, designers, and production experts.
- Just how important is sustainability to venues and business events in New Zealand and how does the BEIA contribute towards its sustainability agenda?
As the business events industry’s peak body, it is our role to lead the way in sustainability practices and make them core to everything we do.
BEIA will lead New Zealand’s Business Events Sustainability Project, partnering with Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) to provide a framework and accreditation for all members to contribute toward New Zealand’s sustainability goals.
Making events sustainable has become essential for success in today’s meetings and conference industry, and it has three-fold benefits: environmental, social and economic.
We are seeing event organisers incorporating more sustainable initiatives into their event decision-making and programmes.
New Zealand offers some excellent options to help deliver events with greater connection to the local community and less environmental impact.
In partnership with Air New Zealand all international and New Zealand Hosted Buyers who participate on BEIA’s MEETINGS 2023 Programme will FlyNeutral.
Air New Zealand’s FlyNeutral lets us offset Hosted Buyers’ share of carbon emissions with carbon credits from international projects, while accelerating biodiversity and climate outcomes in New Zealand.
FlyNeutral is just one of the many initiatives introduced to MEETINGS as we continue to identify and introduce the latest in best practice sustainability goals for the business events industry.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, the internationally recognised Toitū Envirocare programme offers carbon management and carbon neutral certifications including the tools needed to measure, reduce and offset greenhouse gas emissions, through its Toitū carbonreduce and Toitū net carbonzero Programmes.
MEETINGS 2023 is working towards Toitū net carbonzero certification as a Certified Event Operation for its first event in New Zealand’s capital city, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington.
We are excited to start the Toitū net carbon zero certification programme, as well as initiating further sustainability goals for MEETINGS 2023.
Working with Toitū to achieve this certification means all emissions associated with the planning and operations of MEETINGS 2023 will be measured, audited in alignment with strict world-leading criteria, and then offset via quality assessed carbon credits.
Not only will this show our exhibitors and buyers we are committed to reducing environmental impact, but also it will give us the platform to work towards continual reduction of carbon emissions for MEETINGS year-on-year.
The MEETINGS 2023 venue, Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre holds a 5-Star Green Design certification from the New Zealand Green Building Council.
Features of Tākina include high performance double glazing, automatically controlled LED lighting, heat pumps to reduce fossil fuels, ventilation and water efficient fittings and rainwater harvesting, energy efficiency signage options, and environmentally-friendly materials sourced from sustainable forestry.
Other initiatives for MEETINGS 2023 include carbon-offsetting hosted buyers air travel with Air New Zealand’s FlyNeutral programme, reducing printed material, eliminating satchels, and partnering with local charities Kibosh Food Rescue, Gillies McIndoe Research and Wellington Zoo to make donations on behalf of every hosted buyer.
We know our 200 plus Hosted Buyers, who come from far and wide across New Zealand and Australia, are the lifeblood of MEETINGS. We also know that getting here comes at a cost to the environment, so BEIA will be offsetting carbon emissions from all hosted buyer flights from Australia and around New Zealand.
While we are passionate about reducing the environmental impact of MEETINGS, we can’t do it alone. We are encouraging our exhibitors and buyers to take whatever steps they can to help reduce their footprint too.
Exhibitors can help by offsetting carbon emissions from travel and freight to Wellington if possible, using sustainable packaging, reducing waste from one-time items by creating reusable generic signage or digital signage options, and bringing reusable coffee cups and water bottles.
“We are also encouraging exhibitors to use sustainable, eco-friendly and biodegradable giveaway items, and arrange for plants used on stands to be donated or re-planted,” she says.
Hosted buyers can make a difference by bringing reusable coffee cups, water bottles, and bags, and by using the MEETINGS App, recycling name badges, walking to the venue if staying locally, and choosing one of three charities for BEIA to donate to.
- Have you seen a big change in the way events are now run and what are organisers are now asking for in their RFP’s?
Organisers really want to understand the sustainability policies of the partners they are working with, or indeed, the destination itself and the importance this subject plays in the psyche of the country.
New Zealand always scores highly in this respect as we recognise it does take time for visitors to travel to New Zealand. Therefore, we need to help make the decision to come here as simple as possible, with organisers feeling confident that mitigation options are available.
Organisers are also asking for as much flexibility as possible, whereas partners, after years of being nothing but flexible, are wanting greater confirmation. This is where negotiation is important with both parties understanding they both want the same result.
- Finally, in true Twitter style, in 140 characters or less – why New Zealand for business events?
World-class new meeting spaces, stunning environment, and exceptional hosts – New Zealand invites the world to experience the extraordinary.
