A new public transport pass designed for business event delegates will make it easier to explore Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, supporting a more connected and sustainable visitor experience.
Launched at MEETINGS 2026, Aotearoa New Zealand’s premier business events tradeshow held at the New Zealand International Convention Centre from 16 to 18 June, the Hui Pass responds to strong demand from Professional Conference Organisers (PCOs) and international visitors for a streamlined, cost-effective way to move around the region.
Hui Pass
International media attending MEETINGS 2026 yesterday were treated to a walk-through of Auckland’s brand-new high-tech City Rail Link, which is due to open to the public imminently.
The Hui Pass was developed by Auckland Transport in partnership with Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s business events arm, Auckland Convention Bureau. It offers eligible business delegates unlimited bus and train travel for up to five days during their stay.
Rachel Cara, Group Manager of Public Transport Operations at Auckland Transport, says the Hui Pass reflects feedback from surveyed international business events delegates, with 70% indicating they are very likely to use public transport during their stay.
“The Hui Pass meets the needs of a growing visitor market and supports global competitiveness. Importantly, it helps reduce congestion and emissions, while supporting Auckland’s climate goals.”
Auckland Transport, in partnership with Auckland Convention Bureau, conducted a survey and trial among business events delegates, which showed strong interest, uptake, and usage: 83% of collected passes were used, and there were an average of 9.1 trips per card, demonstrating clear demand for this product.
Rachel Cara says the Hui Pass is focused on making public transport easier for delegates.
Hui Pass
“The Hui Pass is designed to make getting around Auckland simple and intuitive for delegates, removing barriers to using public transport. With an easy way to travel between venues and across the city, they can spend less time thinking about transport and more time experiencing Auckland.”
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is expected to host around 300,000 business-event delegates annually, with numbers set to grow following the opening of the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC). International delegates are high-value visitors spending an average of NZ$2000 per visit, 72 per cent more than average international visitors.
Ken Pereira, Head of Business Events at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, says the Hui Pass will help power the next chapter for business events in Tāmaki Makaurau.
“With the opening of the New Zealand International Convention Centre to complement our existing venues such as the Aotea Centre, and the City Rail Link strengthening connectivity, Auckland is entering a new era for business events. The Hui Pass supports this by enabling seamless, more sustainable travel.
“By removing barriers to public transport, the Hui Pass helps delegates spend less time navigating logistics and more time engaging with Auckland’s events, culture and hospitality. It makes it easy to move between venues, accommodation and experiences across the region.”
The Hui Pass is a five-day public transport pass priced at NZ$20 per delegate, available to event organisers for bulk purchase, providing unlimited travel on bus and train services. If a delegate remains in Auckland beyond the five-day period, the card can be topped up and used like an AT HOP card, including for ferry services and continued bus and train travel.
The pass can be branded specifically to suit the name or theme of a convention.
Edited by: Peter Needham at MEETINGS in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland – © 2026.
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About the Author.
With more than 35 years in travel journalism, Peter Needham has filed stories from Fleet Street to Fiji, and just about everywhere in between. As Managing Editor (Australasia) for Global Travel Media, he shapes industry coverage with the steady hand of someone who’s seen fashions come and go and knows what lasts.
Since going freelance in 1993, his byline has appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Financial Review, Reader’s Digest and Qantas’ inflight magazines. He edited Inside Tourism for seven years, wrote the long-running Travel Tales column for Vacations & Travel, and even crafted copy for Tourism Australia ahead of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
A Reuters, Guardian and AAP veteran, Peter has travelled widely from South American backpacking trails to a Saudi military hospital, gathering stories the old-fashioned way: by being there.
