Business Events Sector Seeks Strategic Economic Priorities from New Zealand's Next Government
New Zealand's business events sector is calling on the next government to prioritize its strategic economic value, not just as a tourism earner.
The Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) has released a manifesto outlining its priorities ahead of the November general election.
The document argues that business events are New Zealand's 'silent strategic economic and intellectual asset', contributing approximately NZ$925 million to the economy in 2025 through multi-day conferences alone.
Globally, business events generated an estimated US$3.1 trillion in business sales, contributed US$1.8 trillion to global GDP, and supported 24.2 million jobs over the same period.
BEIA chief executive Lisa Hopkins says the sector has long been measured through visitor spend, hotel nights, and regional dispersal, but leading destinations now treat business events as a platform for economic growth, international influence, knowledge exchange, innovation, and investment attraction.