The business events industry’s flagship showcase, MEETINGS, opens in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, next month at New Zealand’s largest and newest convention centre.
From 16-18 June at the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC), MEETINGS will connect influential buyers from New Zealand, Australia, and international markets with regional destinations, venues, accommodation providers, and off-site experiences.
Run by Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA), the trade exhibition will feature over 250 stands representing 18 regions of New Zealand, including 10 first-time exhibitors.
More than 1500 attendees are expected, and over 6000 prescheduled meetings are planned. Hosted buyers are travelling from Australia, South-East Asia, China, India and North America to meet with New Zealand’s business events sector. Last year, MEETINGS generated $110 million of business bookings for New Zealand.
Lisa Hopkins, BEIA Chief Executive, says the level of interest from international and domestic markets shows New Zealand has come of age in the world of conferences, incentives and business events.
“We are thrilled to be bringing New Zealand’s premier business events tradeshow back to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, and to be hosting it at the NZICC for an audience that is largely new to MEETINGS,” she says.
MEETINGS come at a time of major transformation, with new infrastructure and expanded capacity for New Zealand’s largest city.
Ken Pereira, Head of Business Events at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, says the timing aligns with the sector’s strong momentum.
“MEETINGS 2026 comes at a pivotal time for Auckland. We’re entering a new phase where we can confidently host larger, more complex events while still delivering the quality and experience we’re known for,” he says.
Tāmaki Makaurau has seen significant investment across accommodation, transport and event infrastructure, reshaping what the region can offer organisers. New hotel developments, including Radisson RED and TRIBE Auckland, alongside a strong pipeline of international brands, are increasing capacity and choice. At the same time, major projects such as the City Rail Link and upgrades at Auckland Airport are improving connectivity across the region.
At the centre of this transformation is the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC), the home of MEETINGS 2026. With capacity for more than 4000 delegates and flexible meeting spaces, NZICC complements the region’s existing venues and enables Auckland to host large-scale international congresses in ways not previously possible.
NZICC General Manager, Prue Daly, says hosting MEETINGS 2026 is one of the most meaningful milestones in NZICC’s opening year.
“After years in the making, welcoming our own industry, clients and friends to share our venue, purpose-built for connection, creativity and collaboration feels especially significant – and powerfully reinforces why NZICC was created in the first place,” she says.
MEETINGS 2026 will make full use of NZICC’s flexible and scalable spaces. They include the purpose-built exhibition hall Ariki, Te Paepae theatre and all the meeting spaces, supported by advanced technology, in-house catering and an experienced event delivery team.
Buyers and visitors can register to attend MEETINGS 2026 by visiting www.meetings.co.nz.
Edited by Peter Needham – (c) 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.
