New Zealand is stepping up its pursuit of South-east Asia’s events sector, hitting Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in March with targeted roadshows to connect with high‑value conference and incentive buyers.
Members of the Tourism New Zealand Business Events team and 13 partners will host two sessions in each city, one for incentive planners, and one for association buyers.
The events will include a presentation, then one-on-one appointments between invited buyers and New Zealand operators such as Air New Zealand, Auckland Convention Bureau, and Hobbiton Movie Set.
The in-market visit follows Tourism New Zealand engaging Esther Ng and Annie Tay as market support in October last year to grow South-east Asian incentive and association conference business, respectively. Both are team members of business events consultancy Gaining Edge with significant experience and contacts in the sector.
In the past year, Tourism New Zealand Business Events has supported six conference wins from the region with another six bids pending, and won 10 pieces of corporate or incentive business.
Tourism New Zealand’s global manager business events, Penelope Ryan, said: “New Zealand has seen an uptick in holiday visitors from South-east Asia. We’re now building on the work of Esther and Annie in-market to grow our share of conferences and incentives in the region through better awareness of our world-class convention centres, direct air connectivity and tailored funding and support.
“These events will be an opportunity for some of our partners to showcase what’s on offer, from excellent accommodation options to exploring New Zealand’s unique Māori culture and experiencing the country’s natural beauty.”
