New Zealand is actively pursuing association conference business in the Asia Pacific region, and is on an educational and networking mission through Singapore, Seoul and Kuala Lumpur.
As part of a concerted push in the sector, members of the Tourism New Zealand Business Events team attended PCMA’s The Business of Events conference in Singapore. They will also spend time at the ICCA Asia Pacific regional office in Kuala Lumpur to further their conference research capability and to build ties with the sector.
The tour will finish with a special dinner in Seoul hosted at the New Zealand Residence. Eight select association executives from South Korea will be hosted by Tourism New Zealand and partners alongside ambassador of New Zealand Dawn Bennet.
Tourism New Zealand’s general manager NZ & business events, Bjoern Spreitzer, said: “We’re looking to build on and enhance the relationships and connections already in place to grow New Zealand’s presence and share of conferences in the Asia Pacific region. These range from research alignment through university partnerships and industry collaborations, to direct airline connectivity between Auckland and Christchurch and many destinations across Asia.”
He added that the country’s three new convention centres – Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre; Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre; and the New Zealand International Convention Centre, which opens in Auckland in 2025 – have received increased interest from the association sector.
According to ICCA statistics, the fast-growing association sector in the Asia Pacific region hosted 1,481 confirmed association meetings in 2023.
