INDEPENDENT NEWS

Attend MEETINGS and experience NZ's regions first-hand

Published: Tue 4 Mar 2014 03:58 PM
News release
4 March 2014
Attend MEETINGS and experience New Zealand's regions first-hand
Professional event organisers from Australia are being offered the chance to explore more of New Zealand when they pop across the Tasman for MEETINGS 2014.
MEETINGS is New Zealand’s biggest business tourism trade exhibition and is being held in Auckland on June 18 and 19. Australian hosted buyers can join one of several familiarisation programmes that have been organised for the weekend before MEETINGS.
“These familiarisation programmes are a chance for buyers to experience first-hand what is on offer outside of the main cities,’’ says MEETINGS event manager Jeanette Stanton. “They will be great fun but also a great chance to experience the beauty and charm of regional New Zealand.’’
The Hamilton and Waikato Convention Bureau is offering a programme which takes in their region’s highlights, including a tour to Hobbiton, which features in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies and is the only purpose-built permanent movie set in the world.
Other regions offering weekend tours, from 14 to 16 June, include top tourism destinations Rotorua, Taupo, Wellington, Christchurch & Canterbury and Queenstown.
The new, larger venue chosen for MEETINGS this year has given event organiser, Conventions and Incentives New Zealand, the opportunity to expand the exhibition. For the first time it will be staged across two pavilions.
Eighteen regions of New Zealand will be on show, with over 180 exhibitors.
“At the ASB Showgrounds we have the luxury of space so we’ve been able to introduce some new options for exhibitors that give them a bit more flexibility,’’ says Ms Stanton.
“One of the things that we’ve picked up on from last year’s event is that there is a real interest from buyers in our luxury or boutique offerings so we’re creating an exhibition space that is dedicated to the Luxury Collection.
“We are also setting up regional pavilions where the regional convention bureaux can band together with smaller suppliers to give a real flavour of what their region has to offer,’’ Ms Stanton says.
“Expect lots of new exhibitors, plus new stands from several of our top regions, including Christchurch & Canterbury who are promising an exciting new look for 2014.”
Last year 100% of Hosted Buyers who attended MEETINGS said the exhibition met or exceeded their expectations and Ms Stanton is confident buyers will be equally happy with what is offer this time round.
Grace Ng, of Powell Consultants, says MEETINGS truly shows what New Zealand has to offer as a MICE destination.
“It’s a must attend event for all MICE industry people doing work in New Zealand,’’ she says.
Simon Horrocks, of ViFx, says attending MEETINGS allowed him to do six months of desk research in two days.
“For me it was great,’’ he says.
Applications for the Hosted Buyer programme close on April 18.
Find out more about MEETINGS 2014 at www.meetings.co.nz and follow MEETINGS on Facebook and Twitter.
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