Hotel Council Aotearoa Brings Asia-Pacific’s Leading Accommodation Industry Conference To New Zealand

New Zealand’s pre-eminent national body representing the hotel sector, Hotel Council Aotearoa (HCA), has signed a deal to launch a local edition of Asia-Pacific’s leading accommodation industry conference.

The Asia-Pacific Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE) will stage its first New Zealand event on October 12-13, 2022, with three further conferences to follow under the deal in destinations including Christchurch and Wellington.

Named the Aotearoa Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE), the event will feature around 50 key speakers from across New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, Australia and globally.

More than 250 delegates are expected to attend the conference in Auckland, including New Zealand’s leading hotel owners, operators, consultants and suppliers with the event increasing in size and content from 2023 and beyond.

The inaugural event will be held at the Pullman Auckland Hotel & Apartments on October 13,2022, with a series of site tours of new hotel properties and a gala welcome reception held the day prior on October 12. The launch of AHICE in New Zealand follows the success of the recent Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition held in Adelaide during May and attended by a record 1,200 delegates, making it the largest accommodation event in Asia-Pacific. The master AHICE event was held for the 13th time in 2022 and the expansion into New Zealand comes at a time when the industry continues its robust recovery following the opening of international borders.

Hotel Council Aotearoa, Chair, Lani Hagaman, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with AHICE and announcing a dedicated hotel industry conference for New Zealand once again. The past few years have been tough for hotel sector employees and businesses, so this is a fantastic milestone for HCA as we strive to assist members on their path to recovery.”

AHICE Chair, James Wilkinson, said it was an exciting opportunity to bring the event to New Zealand as the nation continued its significant re-boot of the tourism sector. “We’ve wanted to bring AHICE to New Zealand for some time and are thrilled to be partnering with HCA to make this a reality,” he said.

“We are not just planning for an October conference in Auckland but are focussed on scalability through to 2025. Our programme for 2022 and beyond will include evocative, educational and insightful keynote speakers, Q&As and panel sessions.

HCA Strategic Director, James Doolan added: “As the dedicated industry body for hotels and hoteliers in New Zealand, Hotel Council Aotearoa has always strived to be innovative and

forward-thinking, ensuring we stay abreast of international trends. “This partnership with AHICE is proof that the hotel sector is once again establishing itself and playing an active role in the New Zealand tourism landscape. “I’m confident Aotearoa Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE), will quickly become the ‘must-do’ event for the New Zealand tourism industry.”

Tickets will be on sale soon for the 2022 Aotearoa Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition. Topics covered at the event will include market outlooks, real estate, food and beverage and human resources.

AHICE 2022 - KEY DETAILS

Event: Aotearoa Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE)

Dates: October 12-13, 2022

Location: Pullman Auckland Hotel & Apartment

Tickets: on sale soon

More info: ahice.co.nz

About HCA: Hotel Council Aotearoa advocates on behalf of New Zealand’s 350 hotels, comprising approximately 32,000 guest rooms in total. Our paid-up membership is 140 of the largest of those hotels, with 15,600 guest rooms and an estimated replacement value in excess of $7 billion. We were formed in late 2020.

About AHICE: The Asia-Pacific Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE) is the leading accommodation industry event in the region for owners, operators, advisors and suppliers. It has been held for the past 13 years and annually attracts over 1200 executives, including global CEOs and leading owners. A New Zealand market-specific satellite event will be held in Auckland in October 2022 and then the master AHICE event in Adelaide, South Australia in May 2023.

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