Lisa Hopkins – BEIA
- Is New Zealand fully open for business? Any restrictions still in place?
I am thrilled to say that New Zealand is open for business and there are no capacity restrictions in place. Masks must be worn in areas of high risk, such as hospitals and rest care facilities, and there is a visitor declaration which needs to be completed before departure to New Zealand. We are asking the Government to dispense with this as soon as possible. We also know for those travellers who require visas to enter New Zealand, there is a delay in processing, ironically due to a shortage of staff. But given business events are booked well in advance, we are hoping this will not impede anyone from flying here. We want to ensure that everyone is welcome!
As of 18 October, the New Zealand government is ending the requirement for visitors travelling by air to fill out the online New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) from this Thursday 20 October.
Visitors who have already completed an NZTD for travel after Thursday will not be required to present their Traveller Pass upon arrival.
The move is one of a number of measures being wound down by the government as it moves past the emergency phase of its Covid-19 response.
- What makes New Zealand such an attractive destination for business events?
Ours is a magnificent, warm, and welcoming country.
New Zealand ticks all the boxes in terms of the practical needs of a business event. A well-connected airport, plenty of internationally-classed hotels, world-class convention centres, and exceptional internal transportation systems can get you from one end of the island to another.
For conferences, we also have a broad range of experts in their field who can speak to their particular areas of speciality. We are a progressive country, doing incredible work which will impact the world, and we have the people who can talk to this work.
But it is our values and the stories that you find within our culture which make us different to any other country. It is what makes us unique, and it is something that we are so very, very proud of. Our cultural values are integrated into everything we do, and something we want every visitor to experience, as they connect us to people and place.
- What is the BEIA’s role in New Zealand’s business events market?
We are the peak industry body for the sector and our role is to support, guide and advocate. During COVID, in particular, BEIA played a critical role in ensuring that the concerns of the sector were heard by the central Government.
Now in a more stable world, we are there to support the growth of the industry, to help remove any roadblocks and help promote our industry as being ready to welcome visitors. We often play the connector between government and industry, but are also focused on industry success, irrespective of whether that success is generated here in New Zealand or overseas.
Ngā remurere or “passion” for the sector is one of BEIA’s own values. We are driven by our industry’s success, it’s a genuine joy every member of the BEIA team shares.
- How has 2022 been for business events in New Zealand since the lifting of Covid restrictions?
To quote Rugby legend Sean Fitzpatrick, its been a game of two halves. The first half of the year was still dealing with restrictions and the fall-out of 2021, which was a particularly brutal year for us.
But come June, the floodgates opened. Since then, the industry has been working hard to catch up with bookings from last year, as well as new bookings.
2023 looks very strong, with the opening of Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, and we anticipate we will continue to see consistent business over the coming years. It is truly an exciting time for New Zealand, and we hope that as many as possible will visit us from around the world and see all the new innovations, ideas, and investments that we have been working on while the borders were shut.
- What are venues like Te Pae Convention Centre and Tākina Wellington going to do for business events in New Zealand?
These venues are providing an opportunity to elevate and reinvigorate the sector and there is a flow-on effect, not just into the cities they reside, but right around the country, as organisations begin to look at business events as a whole, with tremendous confidence again. These centres have been a catalyst.
- What is your favourite success story from the past 2 years?
Without question, it has been the rise of New Zealand’s smaller regions into prominence. With borders shut, the regions were able to provide solid alternatives for what was a total domestic market, often used to picking from anywhere around the globe for their incentive or meeting destination.
The shutdown allowed the regions to shine to a new set of domestic customers and reveal exceptional, world-class solutions.
- MEETINGS 2022 was a great success, and a welcome return, just how important is MEETINGS to the New Zealand business events industry?
It is the most critical set of dates in the calendar and as we discovered, in 2020, when we were unable to go ahead, plays a vital role in ensuring the sector stays connected with customers and each other.
MEETINGS 2022 has laid the groundwork for 2023 and beyond, and especially with new products, venues, and solutions.
- The show moves to Wellington in 2023, what have you learnt from this year’s comeback event that you can immediately say will be different next year?
One thing we are looking forward to seeing next year is a greater mix of international buyers, which is in keeping with where we are now with our borders.
However, we are working on a five-year strategy for MEETINGS which will include other elements as well, and I look forward to sharing that when its ready.
- Tell us about the importance of sustainability for events in New Zealand and how the BEIA is shaping any sustainability agenda?
I believe New Zealand is very well-placed in this area already. We can always do more, of course, but with the introduction of new venues, hotels and revamped tourism products, sustainability is at the core of everything visitors will experience.
We are collaborating with our friends at Tourism Industry Aotearoa to develop a business events industry sustainability programme. This will address the fundamentals and will ensure, as a sector, we are constantly thinking about this issue, finding solutions, educating staff and customers along the way, and speaking up proudly about what we are doing as a sector.
As part of a larger visitor economy industry, we believe we have the ability to lead the world in this subject.
- Which aspects of the events industry do you think should be reinvented or reconsidered?
Events with a purpose have never been more important. Questions about hosting an event and how will that bring positive change to the location, community, or wider society will continue to play a critical role in destination decision-making.
What we, as an industry, need to remember is that this is not new to us. We have been Leaders in this for decades, kicking off with the CSR movement and morphing into our own sustainability crusade. For many years now, events have been underpinned by what is right for the community, whether it’s the biggest rock stars performing at a concert with fans who are having their best time or a conference where the subject matter can be applied immediately in a country grappling with various illnesses.
But what should never change, be reinvented or reconsidered is that human beings are broadly social creatures and in order for them to survive, they must have the opportunity to congregate.
- How do you think the visitor profile has changed or evolved in recent years?
Visitors are so much more aware of the big issues, such as carbon footprint and sustainability, employee conditions, child labour laws, and so on. They need to know if they are contributing to such issues, or how can they help eliminate them.
It is going to become more incumbent on the industry to be completely transparent on these issues, working with the industry on finding solutions.
- What one piece of advice would you give yourself back in early 2020, knowing what you now?
My advice to my two-year younger self would be; “trust your gut and yell (politely) louder”. With no guidebook on what to do in a Pandemic, to help, you must rely on instinct. There were times when I was involved in group Zoom calls with officials and associations and I was listening to things I knew made no sense at all. What they needed was professional project managers, people from the BE industry who were used to dealing with big numbers of people and the associated logistics.
My voice was, at times, overridden by more established personalities.
Over time, a circle of trust with CEOs from other Associations was formed. We found we were able to support each other, bounce ideas, share what we knew or work together on solutions. This started something which is still alive and kicking to this day, a wonderful sense of collaboration, which leverages our collective voices, underpinned by genuine respect and collegial friendship. In this group we are each other’s cheerleaders, as our sectors intertwine and cross over each other. It was a most unexpected silver lining out of the past couple of years.
