Make a deeper connection with New Zealand at IMEX this year and learn your pepeha, a traditional structured introduction in Māori culture that connects people to place.
Tourism New Zealand General Manager New Zealand and Business Events Bjoern Spreitzer says: “Pepeha speaks to each individual’s identity and provides a warm introduction for connecting with others; where they’re from, what is important to them. These are all important connections to make when organising a business event.
“It’s also a way to introduce howMāori culture can be incorporated into a business event, providing a unique and authentic New Zealand experience that delegates would get nowhere else.”
Guests to the IMEX trade show stand will receive assistance to create their own printed version of their pepeha, which establishes one’s identity and heritage using natural landscapes – their maunga (mountain) and moana (river or sea) – plus their whānau or family name, to paint a picture of where someone belongs.
The New Zealand partners will be able to reciprocate with their own pepeha, seeking to find common connections.
Guests to New Zealand’s IMEX stand can meet with representatives from Tourism New Zealand’s Business Events team, Business Events Wellington, Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, ChristchurchNZ Business Events, Auckland Convention Bureau, and incentive specialists Liberty Australia & New Zealand, and JCM Destination New Zealand Ltd.
Spreitzer adds: “We can’t wait to update the world on what’s new in New Zealand, from our amazing incentive activities to our three new, purpose-built convention centres in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.”
The first new generation venue, Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, opened its doors in December. It will welcome a solid roster of more than 100 events in 2022, bringing nearly 70,000 people and an economic impact of $37.2m to the city. This includes 63 conventions, eight of which are international.
Its 28,000 sqm of flexible space includes a 1,400-seat tiered auditorium, divisible into two 700-seat venues; a 1,000-seat banquet space overlooking the Avon River; plus extensive meeting space and expandable exhibition halls.
Te Pae Christchurch General Manager Ross Steele says: “We can see that people are missing that connection that only comes with being face-to-face, and we know there is pent up demand for New Zealand, in particular Christchurch, so it’s been great to see interest translate to bookings for later in 2022 and beyond.”
Next in the pipeline is Tākina, the new Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, opening in 2023 and offering adaptable plenary space for up to 1,600 delegates. Meanwhile, construction continues on the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) in Auckland. Its flexible event space includes theatre-style capacity for 2,850 people.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Tourism New Zealand has continued to bid for and win international conferences that enrich New Zealand and leave a positive legacy for the country’s economy, environment, society, and culture.
Major wins include:
- The International Coral Reef Society’s Symposium in Auckland in 2025
- The International Congress of History of Science and Technology in Dunedin 2025
- The International Sedimentological Congress (ISC) in Wellington in 2026.
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