Generating deliberate and meaningful impact from business events in New Zealand: Going beyond the economic

Abstract

The economic value of business events is well-known – delegates spend more per day than leisure visitors, may stay longer than the duration of the event, and return to holiday with family or friends. However, attention has more recently turned to the social value of business events. Research has found that conference attendance, for example, has consequences for career progression and research collaboration. Friendships formed at business events contribute to improved well-being, retention of staff in the profession, and more creativity and innovation in the sector. There is increasing interest amongst the events industry in how to create more social value, but this area is largely overlooked within academia. This presentation shares insights from the Tourism New Zealand Conference Impact Aotearoa (CIA) programme, designed to generate deliberate and meaningful impact from business events hosted in New Zealand. The programme seeks to extend past the traditional economic perspective on ‘value’ and seeks to maximise the value of business event delegates across the other three pillars of well-being: social, cultural and natural. The presentation reports on my experiences of working with four conferences in the CIA programme to deliver impact beyond the economic and contribute to engagement, well-being and sustainability in New Zealand.