Conference hosts go to market

OTAGO conference hosts will be selling their wares to international buyers in Auckland today and tomorrow as they try to get a piece of the multimilliondollar industry.

Meetings, run by Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (Cinz), attracts international conference and incentive organisers, who meet local providers over the two days.

Otago exhibitors include everyone from Camp Glenorchy to Lake Wanaka Tourism, Dunedin Venues, Larnach Castle, Otago Museum and Toitu Otago Settlers Museum.

Hosting conventions has become a big industry. The recent Trenz conference in Dunedin attracted more than 1000 people and put about $2 million into the city’s economy.

The incentive industry is tourism provided by companies as incentives for staff. For example, Amway China sent more than 6000 of its elite sales staff to Queenstown this year over four months. The visit has been estimated as being worth more than $50 million.

Meetings will include 30 hosted buyers and media from China, Southeast Asia, North America and Argentina, and more than 90 buyers and media from Australia.

Last year’s event generated more than $56 million of signed business.

From today, exhibitors from 19 New Zealand regions will meet buyers.

Cinz chief executive Sue Sullivan said New Zealand was a soughtafter destination, seen as ‘‘safe, friendly, hospitable, innovative and great to do business with’’.