Queenstown’s appeal as business tourism destination showcase

Thursday, 30 May 2013, 12:10 pm
Press Release: Destination Queenstown

30 May 2013

Queenstown’s appeal as business tourism destination showcased

A group of conference sector professionals with the potential to bring millions of dollars of business to Queenstown has been in town this week to experience the four-season lake and alpine resort’s offerings firsthand – and got treated to the season’s first snowfall while here.

Destination Queenstown’s Convention Bureau targeted 19 corporate and Professional Conference Organisers (PCOs) from around New Zealand and brought them to Queenstown for a four-day familiarisation tour to experience hotels, venues and activities suitable for conferences or incentive delegates.

While the Convention Bureau regularly hosts industry famils and site inspections, this invite-only ‘famil’ is a successful initiative introduced by Destination Queenstown last year as part of a targeted strategy to drive business tourism to Queenstown.

The programme also involved 21 Queenstown operators for whom the Conference and Incentive (C&I) sector forms a core focus of their business. Each invitee received a personalised itinerary with activities and site inspections tailored to suit their needs and included networking functions and a mini tradeshow to facilitate business opportunities for all attendees to meet each participating local operator. Activities included bungy jumping, segway trips, jet boat rides, 4WD drive tours, hotel site inspections and numerous dining options, all with the added bonus of some fresh snow.

Destination Queenstown’s Convention Bureau Manager Tracey Maclaren said the four-day famil was a great way to demonstrate what Queenstown has to offer conference and incentive groups rather than relying on sales calls and imagery.

“Hosting conference organisers here last year was so successful that we integrated it into our overall conference marketing strategy. This is all about showcasing Queenstown as an accessible and affordable conference and incentive destination while presenting the ‘wow’ factor for groups.”

Miriam Wilkins from The Conference Company said she found the trip “invaluable”.

“The four days have been fantastic, especially with the snow and the surroundings, you couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to Queenstown. Even with the snow yesterday the operators were very versatile and adaptable, quickly changing our activities round for a great morning.

“The structure of the famil has meant we get to experience what’s on offer as well as meet the operators face to face in a business-to-business situation. This was great because we knew what the experience was like and then we were able to find out how it would work in different situations with different groups and larger numbers. All of the activities, venues and accommodation suppliers have points of difference but everyone has worked together in a cohesive way which is perfect for conferences.”

Ngai Tahu Tourism’s Conference & Incentive Coordinator Katherine Cahill was part of the first famil last year and believes the initiative is a perfect way to showcase the experiences in Queenstown.

“After last year’s famil we gained four direct pieces of business which was great as it led on to further business and more leads.

“The programme is awesome as the domestic conference and incentive market is very important to all the operators. Once potential clients have been to Queenstown and experienced our products, nine times out of ten their business is in the bag. There’s no better way to convert interest to business than bringing people here to experience our products firsthand.”

In the year ended June 2012, multi-day convention delegates spent a total of $439 million in the New Zealand economy. Domestic delegates spent $437 per day in the host region and international delegates spent $423 per day in the host region on average. Queenstown’s market share is approximately 14 percent of the national total.

Queenstown’s stunning scenery and diversity of experiences continue to attract international acclaim. Recent accolades include Trip Advisor 2013 Travellers’ Choice Award as a Top 25 destination in the world (no. 1 in NZ), Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Regions for 2012 (Queenstown and Southern Lakes) and ‘Best Incentive Destination’ at the 2011 micenet AUSTRALIA awards.

Queenstown’s Convention Bureau (QCB) offers free support to Professional Conference Organisers (PCOs) and corporate and incentive clients by providing impartial advice and information about Queenstown accommodation, venues and activities. With representatives in Queenstown and Australia, the team’s role is to facilitate and co-ordinate enquiries for corporate clients and PCOs to attract business tourism opportunities for Queenstown as well as facilitating site inspections, providing supporting marketing materials, helping with bid documentation and hosting familiarisation trips to make it easy for clients to choose Queenstown for their next business event.

ENDS

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