TRENZ to head north in 2013

TRENZ, New Zealand’s biggest annual international tourism showcase, will return to Auckland in 2013, the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) announced today.

“After two highly successful years in the Southern Lakes region, we look forward to taking TRENZ back to New Zealand’s biggest city,” TIA Interim Chief Executive Grant Lilly said.

The announcement was made on the final day of TRENZ 2012, which has brought more than 300 influential international travel buyers and media to meet about 280 leading New Zealand tourism operators at the Queenstown Events Centre this week.

TRENZ 2013 will take place on the Auckland waterfront 21-24 April. It would take advantage of new venues and infrastructure created for Rugby World Cup 2011.

“Next year’s event will have a completely different feel to any previous TRENZ held in Auckland. We will be working with ATEED to show international travel buyers and media the best of the main gateway to New Zealand,” Mr Lilly said.

Innovations to the event introduced in 2011 and 2012, which have proved highly popular with TRENZ delegates, would be retained in Auckland, and other new elements would be introduced to the TRENZ programme, he said.

A number of regions had registered their interest in hosting TRENZ 2013 and TIA hoped they would bid again for future years.

“TRENZ is a fabulous opportunity for regions to showcase what they have to offer international visitors and we look forward to taking the event to other parts of New Zealand in future,” Mr Lilly said.

The timing of TRENZ 2013 will allow delegates to continue straight on to the Australian equivalent of TRENZ, Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE).

About TRENZ

TIA manages TRENZ, which brings together about 280 New Zealand tourism operators (Exhibitors) with a similar number of invited international travel and tourism Buyers and Media from New Zealand’s major tourism markets. The event directly helps to grow New Zealand’s tourism industry, worth $9.7 billion in foreign exchange annually. Hosted by the Southern Lakes region, TRENZ 2012 has been at the Queenstown Events Centre, 7-10 May 2012.

TRENZ is supported by Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand, Qantas, host region Southern Lakes and other industry partners.

For more information visit www.trenz.co.nz