Minister wants conferences spread around
THE Associate Tourism Minister says innovation is required to ensure small and medium enterprises get their share of the conference pie.
Speaking to the Conference and Incentive New Zealand (Cinz) conference and annual meeting in Queenstown yesterday, Peeni Henare said kaitiakitanga, or guardianship, and manaakitanga, meaning ‘‘to care for’’, were two guiding principles in New Zealand.
Guardianship was, in part, about creating a sustainable economy, using sustainable methods in the environment, which would only better serve business events.
‘‘It’s in this space, I believe, there are huge opportunities for innovation . . . to make sure that the experience for delegates, conferences and visitors at large to this country will be enriched.’’
Regarding manaakitanga, Mr Henare said while New Zealanders had a duty to care for visitors to the country, he wanted innovation in the ways in which we ‘‘care for our own’’.
‘‘How do we give the opportunities to small and medium enterprises to connect to opportunities like this [business events]?
‘‘To see their place in the global economy . . . to allow themselves to promote their products into a space where they may have never been before, but that will allow them the opportunity to showcase their product to an entirely new audience?
‘‘How do we enable that space to connect with international conferences that come to Aotearoa New Zealand?
‘‘I look forward to hearing how that might go,’’ he said.
The business events sector was one of the most valuable in New Zealand — in the year to December 2018, more than 855,000 domestic and international delegates attended conferences or conventions around the country, injecting $455 million into the economy.
Mr Henare encouraged delegates to spread the benefits of that further by holding events in the regions, in offpeak seasons.
Mr Henare, an Aucklandbased MP and the Civil Defence minister, also acknowledged last week’s massive blaze at the underconstruction SkyCity Convention Centre.
‘‘It was absolutely tragic to see what took place in the city.
‘‘We are keeping a close eye on that.
‘‘I’ve got nothing further to say about what will happen from here on out, but I do want to acknowledge, one, the first responders . . . I want to thank them.
‘‘I also want to acknowledge the many subcontractors and contractors who work on the site — the very people who are the backbone of our economy . . . I want to acknowledge them all.’’
The threeday Cinz event, which ends today, is being attended by about 150 delegates from across New Zealand, along with Tourism New Zealand staff from international markets.