Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, the cultural, events and destination agency for New Zealand’s biggest city, is scoring plenty of goals this year, and so is its Auckland Convention Bureau division, which focuses on growing Auckland as a business events destination.
The scope was outlined at MEETINGS 2006 in Auckland yesterday.
Auckland’s leading cultural organisations are coming together in July to deliver a region-wide program of events, experiences and activities to celebrate Matariki, which became an official New Zealand public holiday in 2022, making it the country’s first public holiday to specifically recognise Māori culture.
Ken Pereira, Head of Business Events at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited
Matariki is observed on Friday, 10 July 2026 – a national public holiday. The Matariki period for 2026 falls around 8-11 July, based on the Māori lunar calendar and the reappearance of the Matariki star cluster, which is known internationally as the Pleiades. Its appearance in the pre-dawn winter sky signals the beginning of the Māori New Year for many iwi (tribes).
Matariki is an event that makes New Zealand special, and its appeal is growing fast. More on that in a minute.
Back on the ground in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland’s Māori name), the Auckland Convention Bureau has secured 75 events for the region, with an estimated economic value of NZ$104 million and nearly 253,000 visitor nights.
As New Zealand’s largest and most connected region, Auckland is a hub for global business, talent and ideas. It is home to universities, innovation precincts, and a diverse mix of sectors – from technology and creative industries to advanced manufacturing.
From its natural environment and experiences to its growing infrastructure, including the New Zealand International Convention Centre – which complements existing venues such as the Aotea Centre and Viaduct Events Centre – and the soon-to-be-finished City Rail Link, Auckland is well positioned to host events at scale. Just as importantly, it offers something unique – manaakitanga.
That sense of welcome and care is what people remember most about the city, says Ken Pereira, Head of Business Events at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited.
Māori culture at MEETINGS 2026
Pereira, who has more than 15 years’ experience in the business events industry, leads efforts to grow Auckland’s business events through strategic partnerships, investment and business development.
Manaakitanga “is what turns a good event into a memorable one and encourages organisers and delegates to return,” Pereira says.
Adding to the atmosphere, Matariki celebrations in Auckland are particularly extensive this year, with festivals, performances, exhibitions, and dawn ceremonies held across the region during July.
The coordinated program is a joint initiative of Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum, the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT), Te Whatu Stardome Observatory and Planetarium, and the Tātaki Auckland Unlimited-operated Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa, and Auckland Zoo.
Running across Auckland Council Events’ annual Matariki Festival season from 4-19 July, the program features events that form part of the festival, alongside aligned experiences across the region, including workshops, storytelling, performances, astronomy experiences, whānau [family] activities and opportunities to connect with this year’s Tāmaki Makaurau regional theme Matariki ki te Rangi (Matariki in the sky).
The collaboration reflects a growing alliance across Auckland’s cultural sector to deliver more connected experiences for Aucklanders and visitors, while strengthening storytelling grounded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori worldview) for this Matariki season.
Edited by: Peter Needham at MEETINGS 2026 in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland – © 2026.
Read Time: 4 Minutes.
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.
