Taupō looks to increase share of business events market

Location is a big driver for conference organisers and the Taupō region delivers well on this. Photo / Dan Hutchinson

Offering an all-inclusive experience to business event organisers – activities, venues, accommodation and support services – will ultimately help Taupō operators snare more of the conference market.

That was a take-home message from a half-day business events workshop for 22 industry operators hosted by Destination Great Lake Taupō (DGLT) on October 14.

The workshop aimed to elevate the Taupō tourism community’s expertise in attracting and hosting high-value, multi-day conferences to the region, both domestic and Australasia-wide.

And the payoff for the local visitor industry could be millions more in yearly turnover.

“The opportunity of business events for the Taupō region is undeniable,” DGLT general manager Patrick Dault said.

“With an estimated value of $403 million annually for the tourism sector, business events play an important role in growing off-peak visitation to the region.”

Dault said Taupō was aiming to increase its share of the business events market from 3.3% to 5% by 2026, and strengthening partnerships was key.

DGLT figures show Taupō hosts 13,200 multi-day delegates, staying on average 2.2 nights in the region.

The average national spend for business event attendees was $423 a day.

Industry expert and consultant Anna Hayward addressed attendees, and the workshop also featured insights from Lisa Hopkins, Business Events Industry Aotearoa chief executive, on recent trends, the business events ecosystem, and case studies that demonstrated how to improve a region’s collective proposition.

“This process begins with discovery and it’s inspiring to see so many of the region’s service and product suppliers coming together to understand the role they will play in this strategy. They are setting themselves up for future success,” Hopkins said.

“Taupō has significant potential for growth in this sector and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.”

DGLT business events executive Louise Toulmin said location was a big driver for conference organisers and the Taupō region delivered well on this.

“The accessibility from venues to activities is within arm’s reach. One moment attendees can be conferencing and within 10 minutes they can be experiencing one of our many activities.”

Regional collaboration and leveraging DGLT’s programme of work to yield more operator conversion was also a focus at the conference, Toulmin said.