[I NDUSTRY I SSUE S photo Kaikōura’s first 4.5-star hotel has opened, timed to welcome the increase in travellers to the region for summer – it’s expected that 70,000 additional visitors will come to the town annually. The 120-room Sudima Kaikōura is situated on the Esplanade, one kilometre from the town’s centre, boasting postcard views from every room of the mountains and sea. It features conference and event space for up to 130 guests, an indoor/outdoor seating restaurant and bar – Hiku, heated pool and gym. Tourism New Zealand is supporting the sustainable future of New Zealand’s business events industry by offering 10 new scholarships for the ICCASkills certification programme. Established by ICCA (the International Congress & Convention Association), ICCASkills is the only globally recognised professional accreditation for every sector of the business events industry. The indepth curriculum has been developed by industry experts, including business leaders, academics and ICCA members, and is delivered through on-site and online learning environments. “New Zealand has invested in amazing new infrastructure and activities for the business events sector, and we need to recruit and retain the best talent to staff them,” explains Tourism New Zealand general manager NZ and business events, Bjoern Spreitzer. “Business events are all about people – it makes sense to support the industry by investing in people. “Encouraging professional development ensures the expertise of our people is recognised at a global level and helps to elevate New Zealand’s event standards.” In addition to providing much-needed accommodation and hosting facilities to the region, the $35m Sudima Kaikōura will employ more than 40 staff. The hotel will become an important part of the local economy as it continues to recover from the impacts of the 2016 earthquake and Covid. “Kaikōura is an important part of New Zealand’s international and domestic tourism offering, and we’re proud to be part of the hospitality offering welcoming visitors to the region,” says Sudima Hotels Tourism New Zealand will share costs with the scholarship recipient’s employer, offering five scholarships for the Certified International Convention Specialist (CICS) course for newcomers to the industry; and five scholarships for the Certified International Convention Executive (CICE) course, aimed at providing professional development to those with a minimum of three years in a management role. “ICCASkills is unique. It will harmonise new learnings and professional development in our industry,” says ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath. “There is a genuine desire to do more in terms of the education and upskilling of our people, so learners across the world enjoy the best possible experiences when they attend an event. People absolutely expect the best and ‘the best’ is what ICCASkills is designed to do. “By sharing learning, insight, and knowledge from many different areas, we have created something new, experiential, and worthwhile. We are extremely proud of ICCASkills and thoroughly delighted to be partnering with Tourism New Zealand to support the growth of New Zealand’s business events professionals.” Sudima Kaikoura Sudima Kaikōura Open New Zealand invests in people for the future Christchurch wins geomorphologists meeting chief operating officer, Les Morgan. “We know that having more accommodation options for travellers, such as our 4.5-star hotel, will help to bring additional and highspending tourists, which will have a positive impact across the region as those tourism dollars are spent locally. “Kaikōura is an area of great natural beauty and it is a privilege to share our Sudima hotels’ great hospitality and values with guests who come to enjoy its wonders.” Recently appointed hotel manager of Sudima Kaikōura, Brad McGlynn says, “As the leading hotel group in New Zealand for sustainable and socially responsible accommodation, I am looking forward to ensuring guests are treated to a world-class experience that is steeped in the hotel group’s values.” Christchurch will host the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG) Conference in 2026, only the second time the event has come to the Southern Hemisphere. The 11th IAG conference will run for five days at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, and is expected to attract 800 to 1000 delegates from around the world, with 63 countries affiliated to the association. ChristchurchNZ head of business events, Megan Crum says the prestigious academic event puts Christchurch on the world stage as an international business events destination. “Not only do we have incredible new infrastructure capable of hosting such a large event, ease of access through our international airport, and a vibrant, compact and walkable city, we also have a location rich in diverse geography and geology,” she says. “Our South Island region is a particular hotspot for landscape investigation, making us a geomorphology knowledge and research hub. The local university, University of Canterbury, is home to one of the largest groups of geomorphology academics and their research topics will be of great interest to IAG delegates.” [8] meeting newz [nov dec] 2022
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