BEIA Conference Postponed

New Zealand’s Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) Conference 2021 has been rescheduled to November 1-3, 2021, three weeks later than planned due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

The theme of the event will be "BEing Brave, Bold and Ready", and New Zealand’s minister of tourism Stuart Nash will open the conference on November 2. The conference will go ahead in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand.

New Zealand’s outbreak has put pause on all events across the nation, with all parts of the country at Alert Level 3 or 4, with neither permitting events to go ahead. At Alert Level 2, events of up to 100 people can take place. New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, is expected to have the highest alert level in place at least until mid-September, with a review due on September 13.

Delegates who have registered to date will have their registration automatically roll over to the new dates, with a range of accommodation on offer for the new dates. The Napier War Memorial Centre on the waterfront will be the main conference venue, with ToiToi – Hawke’s Bay Arts and Event Centre hosting the gala dinner on November 3. The Old Church Napier is set for the welcome function on November 1.

BEIA Chief Executive, Lisa Hopkins said meeting face-to-face would be even more important for the industry after a period of lockdown. “Our members are telling us they are keen to go ahead, and we have been fortunate to work with our partners in Hawke’s Bay to secure the new dates. It is vital we continue to support the local region. They have invested so much time and effort into helping us host the conference and create an awesome programme. 

“We looked at feedback from past conference delegate surveys and from this year’s programme committee and the message was consistent — our members want to spend time with one another as industry leaders to solve problems, realise potential opportunities and celebrate everything that is great about our sector,” said Hopkins.

Registrations for the event are open online.