A strong Southland contingent is looking forward to making its mark at the 2022 MEETINGS held in Ōtautahi Christchurch this week.
The Invercargill Licensing Trust (ILT), TW Events & Incentives and Great South are partnering to provide attendees at Business Events Industry Aotearoa’s two-day event, with a unified overview of the Southland offering.
Great South Conference and Events Manager, Karen Witham, said it made sense for the three organisations to present together.
“A collaborative approach helps to ensure we can best entice and secure business for our region, and also gives a strong platform for exposure for all our incredible venues and activity providers across Southland and Fiordland.”
The southern stand will be uniquely themed to the great outdoors and the space the region has to enjoy, with a kombi van as a centrepiece.
TW Events & Incentives, Events Manager Adam Reinsfield, who would be driving the kombi van to the event, said he was looking forward to working alongside the ILT and Great South to showcase the region.
“The chance to sit face-to-face with an event organiser or qualified buyer plays a pivotal role in selling our region as a conference and event destination. By understanding their needs, this is our chance to sell the region and show how we can deliver outstanding events in the South. The ultimate hope is these delegates return for leisure with their families and spend their dollar in our region’.”
Completing the team to showcase the region is ILT Corporate Sales Executive Nikki Buckley who was also looking forward to connecting directly with conference and event organisers.
“Attending the MEETINGS tradeshow is a pivotal part of ILT’s approach to attracting conferences and events to Invercargill, as it gives us an exciting platform from which to showcase, our premier hotel and conference centre - the Ascot Park Hotel, to an engaged audience,” she said.
All three agreed that the timing of MEETINGS 2022 couldn’t be better with so much happening in Invercargill and the wider community.
“From the $165 million inner-city upgrade set to open this year, to various hotel developments, Invercargill and Southland are truly investing in the belief of its future. It’s such an exciting time for people to who are planning to visit a revitalised Southland,’ Reinsfield says
Witham believed Southland’s representation at the sold-out event would also give the local events and conferencing industry a boost.
“With direct access to a large number of engaged and potential buyers from both New Zealand and Australia, we have a significant opportunity to convert awareness of Southland’s offering into business for our local industry,”
The two-day event will be held 15 and 16 June at New Zealand’s first next-generation venue Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre and has over 500 buyers attending, including 110 from Australia. Further information on the event can be found here https://www.meetings.co.nz/
