Advocacy to Action

By Lisa Hopkins,   
Cheif Executive   
Business Events Industry Aotearoa

Column published on

Ministers David Seymour, Louise Upston, and Simeon Brown's recent announcement to amend the Medicines Act represents a turning point for the business events industry.

For many in our sector, the previous interpretation of the Act had long been a barrier to the country’s ability to host international medical conferences due to restrictions on the promotion of unregistered medicines.

One select committee member I once addressed referred to the Act’s impact on our sector as an “unintended consequence.” That’s putting it lightly. Over the years, this rule has cost New Zealand millions in lost revenue. It has meant paying for specialists to travel offshore to attend international conferences as part of their professional development, and generated frustration among medical associations, particularly those in Australia, where New Zealand’s reputation as a host destination took a hit.

But this moment is more than a policy correction. It’s also a great example of what collective advocacy can achieve.

BEIA worked alongside Medicines New Zealand to present a united front. Both organisations shared a vested interest in enabling New Zealand to host global medical meetings, so we approached the advocacy with a shared purpose. While Medicines New Zealand worked closely with Minister Seymour’s team, BEIA focused on the broader government relationships, primarily through Minister Upston’s office.

BusinessNZ CEO Katherine Rich was instrumental in this effort, taking our briefing directly to the Prime Minister’s office, the Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, and the Ministry for Regulation CEO Gráinne Moss. This triangulated, strategic and collaborative approach delivered the breakthrough.

The announcement came just as the Associations Forum National Conference kicked off in Victoria, Australia, with BEIA’s Sharon Auld and Tourism New Zealand’s Helen Bambry in attendance. The timing couldn’t have been better. Sharon and Helen provided a positive update to Australasian medical associations, many of whom had previously excluded New Zealand as a viable host destination. Early signals suggest a renewed interest, and that’s the real win.

Major Events deliver major opportunities

On a broader stage, I want to acknowledge the powerful piece recently written by NZEA’s Elaine Linnell and published in The Post: If we want to host the world, we badly need an events strategy.”

Events, whether global spectacles like the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the America’s Cup, or community festivals and sporting tournaments, don’t just happen. They require planning, infrastructure, people, and, critically, investment.

We often discuss return on investment in business events. But ROI doesn’t exist without the ‘I.’ We need a national strategy that recognises events of all kinds: business, major, and community, not in isolation but as an ecosystem that drives tourism, encourages innovation, connects communities, and supports local economies.

From a business events perspective, this means three things:

• Integration with Major Events: Large scale sporting or cultural events are platforms around which to build associated conferences and incentive programmes. They offer an opportunity to drive a cohesive, integrated programme beyond the core event itself.
• Counteracting seasonality: January and February are traditionally quieter months for the business events sector. A national major events strategy could smooth out this seasonality flux.
• Integration with Pīata Mai: When we look at the National Business Events Strategic Direction, there is an opportunity to align that with a Major Events strategy, applying an additional focus around a cohesive approach between the two visions.

A thriving events industry, business and major, is good for New Zealand. But consistency and long-term thinking must be our goal.

MEETINGS 2025: Let’s Go!

It’s nearly time. The floorplan is locked in. Connections are already being made. The excitement is building. MEETINGS 2025 is just around the corner, and this year, we’re
kicking things off in spectacular fashion with a welcome event at Eden Park in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

There’s something truly special about how our industry comes together for MEETINGS. The warmth, the energy, the generosity of spirit, it’s who we are and how we work.

This year, I’m especially delighted to welcome 35 new exhibitors to the show floor. Their presence is a reminder that as an industry, we must constantly evolve, and welcome new ideas, new ways of working, and fresh thinking.

MEETINGS perfectly aligns with our industry’s wider goals: driving demand, supporting growth, and building our future pipeline. The real impact of this event won’t be seen in just two days, but in the business it generates over the next 12 to 18 months. 

A heartfelt thanks to our friends at Meetings Newz for producing this year’s MEETINGS Preview, your ultimate guide to who’s exhibiting and what to expect. Whether you're joining us as an Exhibitor, Hosted Buyer, or Day Buyer, we’re so pleased to have you as part of it.

On behalf of the BEIA team, thank you. We can't wait to welcome you.

Have a fantastic MEETINGS.

Posted by Tomahawk Support on June 01, 2025