New Zealand trade show MEETINGS 2012 achieved record numbers this year, with 172 exhibitors taking part from across the globe.
Drawing to a close in Auckland last week, the two day conference attracted 190 hosted buyers and 475 day buyers from New Zealand, Australia, South East Asia and the United States.
With attendance figures well up on last year’s event, Conventions and Incentives New Zealand chief executive Alan Trotter confirmed that the 2012 tradeshow would translate to a “sizeable number” of bookings.
But with plans for new convention centres in Christchurch and Auckland yet to be confirmed, Trotter said it was critical for developments to commence in order to deliver firm bookings.
“What this industry needs is for the discussion to stop and for the building to actually start,” he announced last week. “If that happens it is going to take New Zealand into the Premier league.”
Decisions on both facilities are to be announced in a “couple of months”, with plans for a new convention centre in Queenstown also in the pipeline.
Meanwhile, CINZ last week confirmed MEETINGS 2013 will again be held at the Sky City Convention Centre in Auckland from June 26-27
