The original October event will be postponed to 1-3 November, still held at Hawke’s Bay.
The Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) has made the decision to postpone its BEIA Conference 2021 to 1-3 November, however the venue — Napier War Memorial Centre in Hawke’s Bay — will remain the same.
Delegates who have registered for the original 11-13 October event will have their registration automatically rolled over to the new dates. To help delegates with the last minute change, a range of accommodation is on offer in Hawke’s Bay and new dates are available.
A few days after announcing the event delay, the association issued another statement urging additional support for the business events industry as New Zealand recovers from recent heightened restrictions amid a new Delta wave.
"This period, prior to Christmas, is considered to be our busiest time of the year. The worst possible scenario is that the sector and the vast number of businesses who support it are unable to generate any income until February 2022 at the earliest,” said BEIA chief executive, Lisa Hopkins.
While nationwide curbs have been lifted since Wednesday, 8 September, this excludes the biggest city of Auckland which was the epicentre of the outbreak. About 1.7 million people in greater Auckland will remain in full Level 4 lockdown until at least 14 September.
Meanwhile, regions outside of Auckland have moved to Level 2 — meaning 50 persons in a defined space, down from 100 in previous Level 2 guidelines; mandatory mask-wearing; and all attendees will need to scan in for contact tracing.
BEIA has expressed the industry's distress with these changes, especially for the South Island where there is no sign of the Delta variant.
“While Auckland is in Alert Level 4 or at Level 3, operating a business event on any scale is significantly more challenging for all regions,” said Hopkins.
“It is now time for the Government to look at business events specifically, and not just as a sector that may receive benefit from other support programmes put in place for regional tourism organisations, major events or tourism."
Hopkins also urged the government to continue with the Resurgence Subsidy Programme, not as a one-off, but as on-going support.
Further clarity is also needed in order to pave a road to recovery.
“Right now, the sector is busy rebooking, replanning, and redoing a momentous amount of work. They are not receiving any income for this. Confidence feeds this sector and right now, while there is loyalty, confidence is low with customers. Staff also need assurance. Everyone is looking for guidance and transparency," added Hopkins.
“We are not asking for business advice and implementation support – these businesses have already proved to be sustainable and viable. They just need to keep the lights on and staff employed so they can play their vital role in New Zealand’s recovery and reconnection with the world."