Benchmark Research for Convention Industry

Benchmark Research for Convention Industry

A new survey on multi-day conventions provides a benchmark to measure the performance of the sector. It shows that multi-day conventions contributed $398 million to GDP in the year to June 2010.

Roger Wigglesworth, a Director in the Ministry of Economic Development, said it was great that the economic contribution of the convention sector can now be measured accurately.

“Multi-day conventions provide a significant economic contribution to New Zealand. It is something we’ve always believed. This new survey gives us robust data to back that hunch.

Conventions can also bring other economic benefits such as the transfer of new ideas, business investment and export opportunities. All of this is good news for New Zealand.”

Other key survey findings for multi-day conventions were:

Delegates spent $395 million in the year to June 2010. This was made up of $112 million by international delegates, $202 million by domestic delegates and $81 million by local delegates.

The average spend was $4,079 by each international delegate, $1,419 by domestic delegates, and $725 by local delegates.

International delegates spent an average of $424 per night in New Zealand, compared to $117 for all international visitors. Domestic delegates also spent an average of $424 per night, compared to $117 per night by all domestic tourists.

Alan Trotter – Chief Executive of Conventions & Incentives New Zealand said that the real challenge was to grow the number of international delegates to boost the country’s foreign exchange earnings.

“The New Zealand economy is currently getting a $112 million shot in the arm from international convention delegates. There is scope to grow this but it will only occur when a convention centre capable of competing for large international conferences is built. Then we will achieve the step-change necessary for this industry to really perform for the country.”

Mr Trotter added that convention business was an excellent provider of visitation outside of the peak tourist seasons.

The CDS is part of the wider Convention Research Programme. The programme was established in 2009 through a partnership between Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ), the Tourism Strategy Group (previously Ministry of Tourism), within the Ministry of Economic Development and Convention Bureaux New Zealand. The objectives of the Programme are to monitor convention activity in New Zealand and estimate the economic contribution multiday conventions make to the New Zealand economy.

The 10 regions covered by the CDS include Auckland, Rotorua, Hawke’s Bay, Taupo, Manawatu, Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury, Dunedin and Queenstown.

To download the full report visit the Tourism Strategy Group research website w .

ENDS

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