MEETINGS 2027
MEETINGS brings New Zealand’s business events suppliers together for buyers choosing where to hold a conference, meeting or incentive program.
Jun 29-30, 2027 · New Zealand International Convention Centre, Auckland
- Visitors expected
- 1,500
- Exhibitors last year
- 220
- Visitors last year
- 600
- Show days
- 2
Its regional structure is central to the trip: in 2026, exhibitors represented 18 New Zealand regions, while buyers came from Australia, North America, China, India, Japan and Southeast Asia as well as the domestic market. The conversation runs from convention facilities to the experiences that make a destination work for a group.
Business Events Industry Aotearoa organizes the show, with regional familiarization programs adding a destination visit to the supplier meetings. NZICC now gives that national gathering an Auckland base for the next three years. The venue is also part of the product being sold: buyers see a convention center working while they compare the destinations, venues and service providers that could deliver their own events.
How it compares
- AIMEMelbourne, 5,000
- This show: MEETINGSAuckland, 1,500
- The Business Events ExpoAuckland
AIME in Melbourne is the wider sourcing trip. Its mix reaches across Australia, Asia Pacific and beyond, bringing convention bureaux, hotels, event technology, production and transport into the same marketplace. For a planner still deciding between countries, that breadth is useful. MEETINGS becomes the more focused comparison once New Zealand is a serious contender: regional destinations and their suppliers occupy the center of the conversation.
The Business Events Expo offers a different Auckland route. The November event combines national and international suppliers in a single day at Viaduct Events Centre. It also addresses destination weddings, corporate travel and special-interest groups, alongside conferences and meetings. That makes it relevant to agencies buying across several travel categories or looking for overseas options without leaving New Zealand.
MEETINGS’ case rests on depth within New Zealand and the link between supplier appointments and regional familiarization. A buyer choosing the setting for an association congress or an incentive itinerary can investigate the convention venue, accommodation and destination experience as parts of the same project.
MEETINGS suits planners who need to turn New Zealand from a destination on the shortlist into a workable conference or incentive program.
Who exhibits
The 2026 mix put destination experiences alongside convention infrastructure and event services. Hobbiton Movie Set won the individual stand award, Finesse Entertainment the new exhibitor award, and Ōtautahi Christchurch the regional stand award. Sudima Hotels also reported event proposals from its buyer meetings. Together, those names show the range a visitor is comparing: a place to gather and stay, a regional setting, and the entertainment or off-site experience that gives the event its identity.
This year's list is on its way. A HallBrief brief ranks every exhibitor against your goals and finds who to meet at each. Get a brief
MEETINGS 2027
MEETINGS 2027 marks the show’s 30th anniversary and returns to NZICC after its first gathering there in 2026. BEIA’s commitment to the venue for the next three years gives the show a continuing Auckland base. Regional familiarization remains part of the program, supported by New Zealand’s convention bureau network. The anniversary follows a year that introduced new venues and experiences, from Wellington’s expanded Tiakiwai Conference Centre to developing projects in Invercargill and Cromwell.
- If your brief includes destinations beyond Auckland, consider the regional familiarization program alongside the supplier appointments; it lets you assess the destination as well as its sales offer.
- Treat NZICC as part of your New Zealand venue comparison. Attending MEETINGS there lets you assess the convention center in use while discussing alternatives with regional suppliers.
What your brief includes
The full exhibitor list, and what to do with it.
- Halvorsen ProzesstechnikIndustrial machinery / Germany#3
- Alpenküche SystemeCommercial kitchens / Austria#4
- Brauwerk WielandBeverages / Germany#5
#3Halvorsen Prozesstechnik
- Why it matters
- Their hygienic conveyor line fits the plant expansion you described.
- Who to meet
- Head of Key Accounts, Food Processing
- What to ask
- Lead times for installations in 2027.
Example from a sample brief. The company is fictional.
How a brief is made
Tell us your goals
A short interview: what you want from MEETINGS and which kinds of partners you are after.
We research each company, one by one
For each company: what it makes, who it sells to, how it fits your goals and who buys there. Then we compare them side by side and rank the ones worth your time.
Walk in with a plan
A ranked list, a deep dive on each of your top picks, the people to meet and a strategy deck, all before the doors open.
