Having secured 64 international conference wins in the past year, Tourism New Zealand reveals wins have been confirmed as far ahead as 2030. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/rudi1976
Tourism New Zealand says it has achieved 64 international conference wins in the past year, worth an estimated $78.8m to New Zealand’s visitor economy.
It says New Zealand has already secured nine conference wins in the first month of the new financial year, with conference pipelines continuing to grow across New Zealand's three new key city convention centres – Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre and the New Zealand International Convention Centre, opening in Auckland in February 2026.
The Tourism New Zealand Business Events team closed out its 2025 financial year hitting record bid targets enabled by a $3m government funding boost announced in March 2025. It exceeded its stretch target of 110 bids worth $170m, making 112 bids worth $173m. The national tourism organisation had previously set a target of 90 bids with a value of $140m for the 2025 financial year.
Wins secured in the last year include the WONCA World Rural Health Conference in 2026; Asia-Pacific Intelligent Transport Systems Forum 2027; World Indigenous Cancer Conference 2026; and International Precision Dairy Farming Conference 2025.
Penelope Ryan, Tourism New Zealand global manager business events said: “What that economic impact figure doesn't capture is the other benefits hosting these events deliver to New Zealand, from research collaborations to investment opportunities, job creation, profile for New Zealand universities, and knowledge sharing to find solutions to global challenges.”
Ryan added that there are conference bids in process for 2026 and beyond, with wins confirmed as far ahead as 2030.