About the event
The forum delivered inspirational in-person presentations, discussions and workshops.
News and insights
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Auckland's Competitive Edge in Business Events
A summary of key insights gleaned from Day 1 of the forum.
Event programme
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Day 1
Opening - Registration opens
Morning - Pōwhiri and official welcome; conference sessions
- Session 1: Auckland Update
- Session 2: The View from the Market: International Advisors Perspective
Lunch - Catering provided
Afternoon - Conference sessions
- Session 1: International Advisors (continued)
- Session 2: Strategies for Success
Evening - Networking – kai, kōrero and drinks
Day 2
Opening - Registration opens
Morning - Whakatuwhera and official welcome; conference sessions
- Session 1: Evolving the Role of Events in Support of City Community Strategies
- Session 2: Key Auckland Economic, Academic, and Business Sectors
Lunch - Catering provided
Afternoon - Conference sessions
- Workshop Part 1: Aligning Key Sectors with Events Attracting the “Trophies”
- Workshop Part 2: Creating a Plan in Pursuit of a Hypothetical Matchup
Final wrap-up and acknowledgements
Meet our speakers
Renowned international and New Zealand business event experts shared groundbreaking insights and strategies at the business forum, fostering innovation and global business excellence.
Barbara Maple
Chair, Auckland International Business Events Advisory Group
Barbara is a consultant specialising in advancing the value of business events to communities. Her former leadership roles include President of the Association of International Convention Centres, and Chair of the Joint Meetings Industry Council.
Rod Cameron
Former Executive Director, International Association of Convention Centres
Rod is a strategic management consultant with extensive experience in the international Meetings industry including lengthy roles as Executive Director of the International Association of Convention Centres, the Joint Meetings Industry Council and Convention Centres of Canada.
Jan Tonkin
Founder and Managing Director, The Conference Company
Jan founded The Conference Company in 1990, which today has offices in Auckland and Sydney. She is a Past-President of IAPCO, the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers, and former Chair of its Training Academy.
Mathias Posch
President and Partner, International Conference Services (ICS)
International Conference Services (ICS) is an international PCO with offices across North America, Europe and Asia. Mathias was formerly President of IAPCO, (the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers) and Chair of the IAPCO Training Academy.
Sonja Söderbom
Director, Ovation Australia
Oceania is the global DMC brand within the MCI Group. With 25 years of extensive experience in the business event industry, Sonja is recognised as an expert in incentives and serves on the board of the SITE (Society for Incentive Travel Excellence) ANZ Chapter.
Mike Pickford
Executive Chair, ASN Events
Mike has 35 years’ experience in conference and event management. He oversees 70+ conferences annually, maintaining contracts with 150 association clients. He has a background in marine botany and has strong relationships with scientific and medical associations. Mike is a recognised leader in the industry and a life member of the Professional Conference Organisers Association.
Tim Bruins
Vice President, Sales, Maritz
Tim leads a team of sales professionals who oversee key accounts and look for new business opportunities for Maritz. Tim has been in the industry for more than 40 years, starting as a Travel Director, and has held numerous operations and sales positions throughout his career. He has worked with customers in the tech, auto, telecom and financial sectors.
Desley Simpson
Ōrākei ward councillor and Deputy Mayor of Auckland
Desley champions savings, leading Council to achieve over half a billion dollars in savings last term. As Tātaki Auckland Unlimited's lead councillor she strongly advocates for the work they do, including well-funded cultural, arts, business and sporting events and recognising the community, engagement, and economic value to Auckland.
Pam Ford
Director, Economic Development, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited
Pam leads the economic development rōpū at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, Auckland’s cultural and economic development agency. She has worked in international trade and investment for over 20 years in central and local government roles. Pam received the Economic Development New Zealand (EDNZ) Commendation for Distinguished Service Award in 2018 and was a Women of Influence finalist in 2019.
Patrick McVeigh
Technical Director, Economic Development Advisory, Beca
Patrick is an economic development and urban planning professional with extensive experience in both the public and private sectors. He is an experienced consultant and trusted advisor with more than 30 years’ experience in strategy development, policy formulation, research and evaluation, scenario planning and visioning. Patrick is a Global Fellow of The Business of Cities.
Mark Thomas
Director, Committee for Auckland
Mark is a cities and innovation leader specialising in technology-driven city improvements, urban mobility, and economic development. He has extensive experience across the Asia-Pacific and received the Leadership Award for Outstanding Contribution towards building Smart Cities. He is a director of the Committee for Auckland responsible for the annual international benchmarking report the State of the City.
Prue Daly
General Manager, New Zealand International Convention Centre
Prue is responsible for ensuring NZICC delivers a world class experience and driving international bidding contributing $90 million in economic impact. She is building a team that is focused on excellence but also thoughtful in embracing and delivering sustainability and community goals to Tāmaki Makaurau through authentic New Zealand experiences.
Aroha Te Kanawa (Ngāti Maniapoto)
Kaitohu Hinonga | PCO (Professional Conference Organiser) for WIPCE
Aroha is a highly accomplished project and event manager, renowned for her success in organising Indigenous national and international events. She is the Kaitohu Hinonga | PCO (Professional Conference Organiser) for WIPCE, the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education, which takes place in Auckland in 2025. Aroha is deeply committed to Indigenous development evident through her roles as a former member of WINHEC (World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium) and as the current Secretary/Treasurer of the WIPCE International Council.
Peter Wren-Hilton
Founder & CEO, Wharf42
Peter established Agritech New Zealand in 2018 to bring together industry, research and government to build an effective agritech voice in New Zealand. His recent focus has been on developing international market opportunities, including hosting the 2035 Oceania Summit in Auckland in 2022. As a direct result of this event, Wharf42 has hosted California-based Summits and launched Platform10, which allows New Zealand-based researchers and companies in the ag biological field to connect with international partners.
Rachel Foggatt
Secretary General of the International Working Group (IWG) on Women & Sport 2018 – 2022 Former Chief Executive of Women in Sport Aotearoa (WISPA) Now CEO & Founder, Away We Go - Matike Mai
Rachel is a global business development and social impact specialist; CEO and Independent Director; and equity in sport advocate. She heads up specialist agency, Away We Go - Matike Mai. She was formerly Secretary General of the International Working Group (IWG) on Women & Sport, an appointment which included staging the 8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport in Auckland in 2022, attended by a record-breaking 1,850+ leaders from 90+ countries.
Zoë Avery
Associate Director of Design (Urban Planning), Te Pare | School of Architecture and Planning, University of Auckland + Director, The urbanist
Zoë is an urbanist, passionate about urban design, planning, landscape and nature. Her work focus stems from the understanding that the urban spaces we create profoundly impact our lives and the planet. Zoë is an authentic problem-solver, and her research focuses on regenerative design, biodiversity, climate change adaptation, urban sustainability, nature-based solutions, and urban design and urban planning policy development.
Kate Sutton
Future of Auckland Lead, Director - Consulting
Kate is the Future of Auckland Lead at Deloitte. Her expertise is in innovation, digital, cross sector collaboration and new models and ways of doing things. Prior to Deloitte she was Head of Innovation and Digital for the UNDP APAC and before that she worked for UK Innovation foundation, Nesta.
Dr Erik Lithander
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Strategic Engagement), University of Auckland
Dr Erik Lithander is Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland, leading the University’s Strategic Engagement portfolio, which includes alumni relations and development, internationalisation, marketing and communications, civic and government relations, domestic and international student recruitment and sustainability. He also has oversight of the Auckland Confucius Institute and chairs the Advisory Board of the New Zealand Centre at the Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi).
Bjoern Spreitzer
General Manager New Zealand & Business Events, Tourism New Zealand
Bjoern has a strong background in commercial partnership, business events and the tourism sector. Originally from Germany, Bjoern has worked across a multitude of international markets including the UK, Europe, North America, Brazil, and Argentina. He is currently Tourism New Zealand’s General Manager New Zealand & Business Events.
Joe Davis
Co-founder and CEO of Nanogirl Labs
Joe is the Co-founder and CEO of Nanogirl Labs, dedicated to democratising education through technology and entertainment. With a background in various sectors, he inspires teams as a speaker and facilitator. Joe authored "Silver Linings", showcasing resilient New Zealand businesses during COVID-19, and is a sea rescue skipper with over 20 years' experience.
Vicki Salmon
Board Chair, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited
Vicki has extensive experience as both a CEO and director of private and public sector entities in New Zealand and Australia and most recently was a trustee for the Eden Park Trust. She has a strong grasp of the issues the industry and businesses are facing working as a business consultant assisting companies on organisational change and delivery of operational performance, with a particular focus on finance. Vicki also brings extensive event experience as a former CEO of the Ellerslie Flower Show and director with the Netball World Championship.
Patrick Rush
Senior Director Strategic Meetings Operations, Europe and Asia Pacific, American Express Global Business Travel
Patrick brings over 20 years’ experience in global meetings and travel management. He currently leads the Meetings & Events Operations organisation for Europe and the Asia Pacific region and is responsible for operations strategy, service delivery and optimization across 24 countries. Prior to his current position, Patrick was responsible for leading dedicated Account Management and Operations teams globally.He has extensive knowledge in delivering Strategic Meetings Management Programs, Travel, Payment, Expense Management Solutions, Change Management and Operations Transformation. A President’s Club winner, Patrick has been based in Auckland, Sydney, New York, Jersey City and currently resides in London.
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About us
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited is Auckland’s cultural and economic agency. It supports Auckland’s ability to compete internationally and fuels the growth of the region’s industry sectors of competitive advantage through collaboration. Auckland Convention Bureau (ACB) is a division of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited. It promotes Auckland as a world-class destination for conferences, meetings and incentives and attracts impactful international business events to the region.
Thanks to our sponsors
