One of New Zealand’s largest primary healthcare conferences will call Hamilton home from 2027, bringing hundreds of health professionals, exhibitors and visitors to the city and creating new opportunities for the wider Waikato.
The General Practice Conference and Medical Exhibition (GPCME), held in Rotorua for the past two decades, has chosen Claudelands and Hamilton as its new venue .
Conference Matters director Leon Olsen says increasing attendance and programme complexity meant it was time to find a venue that could support the event’s future growth.
“Rotorua has played an important part in the development and success of the conference,” said Olsen.
“Over time, however, the conference has grown considerably. We now run a large number of concurrent educational sessions, workshops and exhibition activities, and increasingly we need purpose-built, acoustically separated meeting rooms and a venue that allows the programme, exhibition and delegate catering to operate cohesively under one roof.
“Claudelands gives us that infrastructure and, importantly, room to continue growing,” he added.
H3 national business growth and development lead, Melissa Williams, said securing GPCME reflected Hamilton’s growing reputation as a destination for major conferences and events.
“Hamilton offers organisers and delegates a compelling combination of modern facilities, excellent accessibility, quality accommodation and hospitality options, and easy access to the experiences that make the Waikato unique,” said Williams.
“More organisations are recognising the advantages of hosting events in regional centres, and we’re seeing increasing confidence in Hamilton as a place where major events can thrive.”
Hamilton’s central North Island location was an important factor in the decision to shift GPCME. “A conference of GPCME’s size creates significant accommodation demand, so hotel capacity and transport links are important considerations,” noted Olsen.
“Hamilton is accessible by road from a very large population catchment, while Hamilton Airport provides another option for delegates travelling from further afield.”
The move coincides with growing investment in the region’s health sector, including the University of Waikato’s new Graduate School of Medicine, which is expected to open in 2028.
“We would like GPCME to become something the local health community feels some ownership of rather than simply being a conference that arrives in Hamilton once a year,” Olsen added.
H3 is home to Hamilton’s premier event venues, including FMG Stadium Waikato, Seddon Park, Hamilton Gardens and Claudelands Conference & Exhibition Centre.
