The target was announced at MEETINGS, New Zealand's premier trade show for the business events industry, in Auckland. It followed on from last night’s announcement that $3m of additional funding from the Government would be directed toward Tourism New Zealand’s business events work in FY26.

The FY26 target comes as Tourism New Zealand’s dedicated Business Events team looks set to deliver on its FY25 stretch target of 110 bids valued at $170m. This was assisted by $3m of increased Tourism Boost funding for business events announced by the Government in March 2025. 

The national tourism organisation had previously set a target of 90 bids with a value of $140m for the 2025 financial year. Win conversion targets remain set at 60%.

Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive René de Monchy said: “The additional Tourism Boost funding for business events was a strong vote of confidence in the work we do at Tourism New Zealand, highlighting the vital role this activity plays in growing the New Zealand economy. This investment allowed us to do more and go faster.

“We’re looking to accelerate this momentum and retain that stretch target into the next year. In addition, with a full year to target higher value and larger scale conferences, we aim to build on the value that business events deliver to New Zealand and New Zealanders.”

Tourism New Zealand will draw on new perception research in the international business events sector to fuel continued growth, Mr de Monchy said.

This includes supporting early career academics to boost the country’s bid champion pool, addressing perceptions around the complexity of travelling to New Zealand, and showcasing the magic of conferences and events held in New Zealand.