Hundreds of electricians, plumbers and Internet experts are converging in Wellington this week, as the New Zealand city gears up to host two large conferences at the same time.
The conferences are held at Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre, and will provide a valuable economic boost to the city’s hospitality, accommodation and retail sectors.
The Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) meeting brings together Internet and networking expert government representatives, industry leaders, and others from around the world to learn, share ideas and develop policies related to Internet operations.
Meanwhile, The Advantage Conference 2024, run by New Zealand’s Laser Plumbing & Electrical and Australia’s O’Brien Electrical & Plumbing Group, is the first combined conference for the group since the pandemic. This conference will also celebrate a centenary of experience and expertise for O’Brien.
Wellington will also benefit from two legacy projects being offered by the conference organisers. APNIC has a goal to bring more young people into the IT industry and has worked to create a conference programme that caters for them.
Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington is sponsoring 20 IT students to attend the conference, enabling them to connect with people in the IT industry. They will hear keynote speakers including Robyn Kamira, managing director of Paua Interface, whose topic is Telecommunications stories from the Frontline; and Jon Brewer, consulting engineer at Telco2 talking about the process of delivering broadband to rural Aotearoa.
Meanwhile, The Advantage Conference 2024 is continuing its heritage of giving back to local communities. About 80 delegates are expected to participate in a project to provide much-needed electrical and plumbing upgrades to the Life Flight Trust – Westpac Rescue Helicopter’s Wellington base.
Business Events Wellington manager Irette Ferreira indicated that it is fantastic to see Wellington hosting two sizeable international conferences concurrently – something the city was unable to do before Tākina opened.
“We are delighted to welcome both conferences to the capital and value the efforts both organisations have made to create positive impacts for our city.”
