Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) has welcomed the government’s additional NZ$1m investment in attracting international business events to New Zealand.
Tourism and hospitality minister Louise Upston announced the funding at MEETINGS 2026, recently held at the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) in Auckland.
The funding will be used to support Tourism New Zealand’s Conference Assistance Programme, and help maintain a strong pipeline of international conferences.
BEIA chief executive Lisa Hopkins described this funding as “a welcome boost for our sector.”
In a report, released by BEIA earlier this year, multi-day conferences supported NZ$925m in economic activity in 2025 and generated more than 735,000 international visitor nights. NZ data in June showed international visitors were up about 8% on last year and numbers were at 94% of pre-pandemic levels. The government says that, from March 2024 to March 2026, overseas visitor spend increased by NZ$2.5bn to NZ$13.7bn.
As well as the new business events funding, the government will make a one-off $4m investment to boost Tourism New Zealand’s marketing in Australia, the United States and China.
“This shows our investment through Tourism New Zealand is paying off for Kiwis.
“But today we’re putting the pedal to the metal — building on that momentum to drive growth, jobs and incomes,” minister Upston said.
“It makes sense to back the sector’s strong growth and encourage more people to choose New Zealand for their next holiday.”
“The immediate benefits of business events for New Zealand’s visitor economy are substantial, but the greater value can be found in what happens because an event has taken place,” Hopkins noted.
“International conferences bring decision-makers, researchers, investors, entrepreneurs and industry leaders to New Zealand. They create opportunities for knowledge to be exchanged, and for investment, innovation, and impactful international connections,” she added.
