A group of world-leading experts and senior leaders in the business events sector have been enlisted to help further enhance Auckland’s reputation and presence in the international market place.
Auckland Convention Bureau (ACB), a division within Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development, has created the Auckland International Business Events Advisory Group (AIBEAG) to provide strategic guidance and leadership, market intelligence, and assistance with developing ACB’s market approach.
The advisory group is comprised of 10 members from the international business events sector and related fields, with knowledge of Auckland’s key market regions of Australia, Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America.
ACB Manager Anna Hayward says business events are seen as a high-value sector of Auckland’s visitor economy and one that’s earmarked for significant growth.
“In the highly competitive market within which we operate today, we recognise the importance of staying current with trends in the international business events market,” she says.
“The AIBEAG is intended to bring together leaders with unique perspectives on the evolving world of business events to help ensure Auckland keeps pace with the changing market, and to better understand the areas of importance to our clients.”
Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city, home to 1.5 million people from more than 200 ethnicities, making it one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. It is the financial and economic powerhouse of New Zealand, contributing 37 per cent of the national gross domestic product.
Auckland is already well-known as a stunning visitor destination, and continually ranks near the top in the world for quality of life, but it is now emerging as a knowledge capital of the Asia Pacific region.
“We have a wealth of intellectual capital, centralised event facilities serviced by a professional industry, a reputation for superior hospitality, and strong air links with the rest of the world, which puts Auckland at the forefront of hosting international events in New Zealand,” says Mrs Hayward.
“An exciting transformation of Auckland is taking place. There is more than $21 billion of new strategic investment across the region planned, funded, and underway in the next 10 years, including the development of the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC). The introduction of the advisory group will help us to take advantage of the larger market we can now access with the increased capacity NZICC will bring.”
The first meeting of AIBEAG is being held in Auckland in October, with the group participating in a week-long program of in-depth briefings and discussions with the bureau and key partners, including a site visit of NZICC.