Christchurch is gearing up for a busy off-season with seven major conferences – in the fields of healthcare, engineering, and aerospace – bringing over 2,600 delegates and an estimated NZ$3 million (US$1.9 million) economic boost from late August to late September.
Among the upcoming events are three healthcare conferences attracting 1,200 health professionals. There is also the Aeromed Conference 2024 (September 24-26), focusing on air retrieval services, which will draw 250 specialists from around the world. In the same week, the New Zealand Aerospace Summit is expected to attract 700 delegates.
These conferences not only contribute to the local economy but also help to smooth out seasonal tourism patterns. According to ChristchurchNZ, 83 per cent of international delegate arrivals in 2023 came during the off-peak months, compared to 62 per cent of holidaymakers.
In addition, business events attendees are New Zealand’s fourth largest market by visitor spend, with an average spend of NZ$426 per day compared to NZ$304 for holidaymakers. The business events sector was also worth NZ$403 million to the country in 2023.
Beyond the immediate economic benefits, conferences also provide opportunities for knowledge sharing, networking, and showcasing local products and services, where “the wider impacts of successful conferences are incalculable”, said Kath Low, head of visitor economy at ChristchurchNZ.
The ICCA Skills 2024 training will also be hosted in Christchurch next month.
Christchurch Airport is anticipating a further 10,000 passengers next year due to increased delegate numbers. Justin Watson, the airport’s CEO, highlighted the positive impact of conferences on off-peak tourism and the boost it provides to regional airlines.
From April to September, the ChristchurchNZ Business Events team helped secure 20 large business events with 9,000 delegates, bringing in an estimated economic impact of NZ$16 million.
