Unleashing the potential of business events

Join us for a groundbreaking forum to unleash the potential of Business Events in Auckland, 4-5 November 2024 at Aotea Centre.

Brought to you by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, this interactive forum will bring together Auckland's economic development and business events communities.

You will gain insights from domestic and international business events professionals, including our international advisors on sector development. You will also access opportunities for collaboration and learn from cutting-edge research linking global trends to Auckland’s growth potential. Discover how business events aligned with Auckland’s economic development priorities can enable greater prosperity for our region.

About the event

The forum will deliver inspirational in-person presentations, discussions and workshops.

Number of Images

Speakers

Renowned international and New Zealand business event experts will share groundbreaking insights and strategies at the business forum, fostering innovation and global business excellence.

View speaker list

Venue

Aotea Centre – Aotea Te Pokapū is a modern events venue located on Aotea Square, Queen Street. Set in the heart of Auckland’s city centre, it is within easy walking distance of transport, entertainment, accommodation and dining options.

Learn more

Parking & Transport

Civic Car Park is the closest paid parking facility, located beneath Aotea Square. Entry is via Lower Greys Avenue off Mayoral Drive. The area is well-served by public transport. Visit the Auckland Transport Journey Planner  to plan your route.

Plan your route

Registration: Day 1

Early bird price is $350 from 8 August – 2 October.

Standard price of $450 applies from 3 – 21 October.

Event Programme

Number of Images

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 1 is an exclusive, ticketed event for industry partners, offering a deep dive into the latest insights from domestic and international business events professionals, including our international advisors on sector development.

Full Day 1 Programme here

Day 2

Opening - Registration opens
Morning - Pōwhiri 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

Day 2 is by invitation only and will feature focused discussions on leveraging business events as a catalyst to enhance Auckland’s economic development priorities.

Full Day 2 Programme here

Contact Card title

Speakers include:

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.

Number of Images

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.

FAQs

Who will benefit from attending this forum?

Day 1 - Business Event organisers, hoteliers, venue managers, suppliers, and marketers.
Day 2 - Economic development officials, sector leaders, and city planners.

Is there a cost to attend?

Day 1 (4 Nov) is a ticketed event. Early bird price is $350 from 8 August – 2 October. Standard price of $450 applies from 3 – 21 October.

What will be the advantage for my business by attending this forum?

This event has a clear purpose to provide new research-based insights to the industry and share practical measures on how business events can support and benefit the city’s economic aspirations.

My role doesn’t include organising events. Is this forum for me?

If you work in advancing Auckland in terms of economic development, within key sectors, or in the visitor economy, understanding and leveraging business events will be beneficial for you.

Can I attend both days?

No, each day is targeted to specific sectors of the business events ecosystem, and some sessions are by invitation only.

Will the event have an online component?

No, the forum will be an in-person only event.