Event business vital: Te Pae

I have just returned from the Business Events Industry Aotearoa conference, in Blenheim, where all parts of the business events industry meet to exchange ideas and share knowledge.

It started me thinking how important conferences are for the businesses and communities that host them.

The ecosystem of events runs deep into our economy. Associations or organisations choose to host a meeting for various reasons – to solve issues, provide training, or continue professional development, share ideas, build their brand, or to engage in business.

These organisations usually engage a professional conference organiser who works with a number of suppliers, including exhibition hire companies, audio visual companies, professional speakers, MCs, theming companies, and florists. They also book venues like Te Pae, and we in turn employ local people and procure supplies, such as food and beverages, from local suppliers.
When events are hosted, delegates come into our city, usually via our airport. They stay at local hotels, eat in our restaurants, meet up at bars and cafés, shop in our retail outlets, and catch taxis or Ubers. Some bring their families and extend their stay, going on to experience our tourism attractions, hire cars, and visit the regions.

Businesses which benefit from conferences, and the people they employ, run deep into our economy. That’s why competition between destinations to target conferences for their cities is so fierce. With some economic headwinds projected (maybe we need a conference to solve this), events are going to be more important than ever as a way of supporting our regional economy. For this reason, Te Pae and our partners need to double down our efforts to bring these events to our city.