New Zealand launches Business Events’ Strategic Direction 2035

New Zealand’s business events sector has united around the launch of Pīata Mai, a national statement of strategic direction outlining a focused vision for the industry over the next decade. The initiative is under the stewardship of industry body, Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) and is aimed at amplifying the sector’s positive impact on culture, society, the environment, and the economy through to 2035. Susan Sawbridge, former head of Major Events New Zealand led the consultation and delivery of the direction. BEIA chair, Martin Snedden says Pīata Mai is a first for New Zealand’s business events sector and explains the Māori term means ‘to shine bright,’ and symbolises the industry’s readiness to excel domestically and globally, driven by its commitment to resilience and sustainability. Pīata Mai serves as “a roadmap for industry businesses to identify impactful opportunities and foster alignment,” Snedden adds. The strategy emphasises storytelling about the sector’s community impacts, its foundational values of people and place, and the economic and legacy benefits of business events. The 10-year aims and immediate objectives of Pīata Mai include commissioning credible domestic and international spend data, ensuring 95% of the sector has taken action to measure and reduce environmental impact, and supporting the development of an enduring and equitable funding system for the visitor economy. Lisa Hopkins (pictured), BEIA chief executive says the new project is all about the business events sector taking leadership and ownership of its future while at the same time recognising its contribution as an economic and social driver. “Out of Covid, our industry became more resilient, entrepreneurial, and aware of how we impact the country. Covid also highlighted the economic gap left when business events were unable to take place, and the effect on people and place, Hopkins says. “Pīata Mai lays the groundwork for any organisation within the business events network to embark on a strategic journey aligned with this vision.”