Rotorua welcomes MEETINGS guests with Māori cultural ceremony

Now in its 28th year, MEETINGS, run by Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA), features 246 stands from 205 organisations across 18 regions of New Zealand, including 35 first-time exhibitors. On 18 June 2024, 600 MEETINGS guests were treated to a Māori cultural experience at the official welcoming ceremony at the Sir Howard Morrison Centre. They were joined by 217 hosted buyers and media from New Zealand, Australia, and Singapore, more than 150 buyers from around New Zealand, key tourism and industry leaders, and 60 students from Rotorua’s School of Tourism and Hospitality, Toi Ohomai. RotoruaNZ is hosting a special dinner for hosted buyers on Wednesday, 19 June, to usher in Matariki – the Māori New Year. Signified by the Matariki cluster of stars reappearing in the night sky, this is a time to reflect on the past year, celebrate the present, and plan for the year ahead. BEIA Chief Executive, Lisa Hopkins, said: “Couple this with a packed programme and a deep immersion into the culture, we were set to give our guests a tremendous welcome in Rotorua.” RotoruaNZ Chief Executive, Andrew Wilson, said: “As one of the first major tourism conferences in our region post-COVID, this was a key opportunity for Rotorua’s local tourism and hospitality community to shine, secure business, and further cement our reputation as one of New Zealand’s top destinations.”