The New Zealand Business Events Bid Champions Awards 2025 were held on September 18 at Eden Park, celebrating the individuals and academics who successfully brought international conferences to the country.
Hosted by Tourism New Zealand, the awards honoured conference champions who secured high-profile events over the past year through the Conference Assistance Programme.
According to Tourism New Zealand, the country secured a total of 64 international conferences in the last financial year. These events are projected to have an estimated economic impact of NZ$78.8 million (US$46.2 million).
Tourism New Zealand chief executive René de Monchy acknowledged: “These bid champions have secured conferences in areas from health to the environment, law to information technology. Their dedication in bidding for these events means New Zealand will play a leading role in shaping the future of these sectors.”
With Tourism New Zealand’s Business Events team currently chasing 110 bids worth NZ$185 million, its highest ever value target, de Monchy urged more bid champions to come forward and help extend the conference pipeline.
