A consortium of researchers led by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) has won the rights to host the 7th International Symposium on Submarine Mass Movements and Their Consequence in Wellington in November 2015.
The bid was made with the support of Tourism New Zealand (TNZ), Positively Wellington Tourism (PWT) and the Conference Assistance Programme (CAP), and will bring an estimated NZ$500,000 (US$435,700) to the country’s economy.
The symposium is expected to attract up to 150 international delegates and speakers from universities, research organisations and the industry.
In a press release, NIWA Marine Geologist and conference convenor Joshu Mountjoy described the event as the “benchmark conference for submarine landslide researchers around the world”.
“New Zealand has a long history of research into submarine slope instability and bringing this conference to New Zealand…offers a great opportunity to showcase our research and unique offshore environment,” added Mountjoy.
TNZ’s international business events manager, Bjoern Spreitzer, said international events such as the symposium provide a huge opportunity to grow the value of visitors to New Zealand.
PWT chief executive, David Perks, added that hosting an international conference of this scale is a real vote of confidence for the city.
“Targeting sectors where the capital excels helped the city succeed in winning this bid. A lot of work goes into ensuring Wellington is seen as an accessible, unique place to do business. Our capital is compact, cultural and cutting edge – perfect for business meetings and it is the smart choice when it comes to hosting domestic and international business events,” said Perks.
Bjoern said: “TNZ has significantly increased its activity in the business events sector in the last few years, and this result is a great example of our focus to work collaboratively with the industry to grow delegate numbers and value.”
TNZ’s management of the CAP has seen the country bid for 39 events over the last financial year, securing nine international events to date.
