The Influencers: Alison Adams
Economic boosters
June is a busy time for Ōtautahi Christchurch and for ChristchurchNZ. I want to highlight just two events we are behind that show different strands of the economic development work we do.
On June 15/16, MEETINGS 2022 will be held at the recently opened Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre. This is a conference for conference organisers.
Showing off our beautifully rebuilt city and gorgeous venues to the people who decide where to hold business events is a major economic opportunity for Christchurch. You can be sure we’ll show them the best of the City’s hospitality as we persuade them to bring their conference to Christchurch.
A typical business event visitor spends three times as much each day as a visitor who comes for a rugby test match. And the 107 events at Te Pae just this year are expected to attract 68,000 people and have an estimated $37 million economic impact on
the city.
A week later is the finale for the Food, Fibre and Agriculture Cluster Challenge. The Challenge brings 24 teams with innovative business ideas into Christchurch and Canterbury’s ecosystem of innovators, investors and industry experts for masterclasses, coaching and mentoring in an eight-week accelerator programme.
Fresh ideas are key to the growth of this vital industry cluster, which contributes 20 percent of Canterbury’s GDP, or $13 billion annually. These ideas will help Canterbury agriculture become more productive, sustainable and competitive, and that should inspire us all.
