Nine events booked for 15,500 people at New Zealand International Convention Centre

Illuminated glass panels by artist Sara Hughes on the New Zealand International Convention Centre last October. Photo / Michael Craig

• NZICC is set to host 15,500 people at nine major conferences in Auckland.
• SkyCity reveals list of events as $1b centre nears completion.
• NZICC to boost tourism in Auckland, NZ with many major events.

Pest managers, school principals, coral reef scientists, dairy specialists, public health officials and ecologists are some of the 15,500 people already booked to attend nine conventions and conferences at the New Zealand International Convention Centre.

SkyCity Entertainment Group has released a list of upcoming events.

Around 15,500 people are already booked to attend events at the NZICC. Photo / Michael Craig

As Fletcher Construction slogs through the final months on the $1 billion-plus hub, the Australasian casino, hotel, and restaurant business has been quietly notching up bookings.

The numbers are huge. The first event alone, for coral reef experts, will bring 2500 to Auckland.

Fletcher is due to finish its work on the centre between Hobson Street and Nelson St by June 30.

Then, SkyCity will begin the seven months of intense commissioning and preparation of its huge new venue, ready to open next February.

NZICC's impact on Auckland will only be felt once events begin there. Photo / Michael Craig

In a strong showing of early success, a spokesman released details of all the events for the first time, but said more than this will be announced.

“These are the ones we can talk about publicly,” the SkyCity spokesman said.

1. International Coral Reef Symposium, July 2026: estimated 2500 people.
2. International Society for Microbial Ecology, August 2026: estimated 1700 people.
3. International No-Dig, September 2026: estimated 800 people.
4. The International Confederation of Principals Convention, September 2026: estimated 1600 people.
5. Federation of Asian and Oceania Pest Managers Associations Conference, November 2026: estimated 2200 people.
6. International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit, November 2026: estimated 1500 people.
7. International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance Conference, November 2026: estimated 1200 people.
8. World Congress on Public Health, April 2028: estimated 2000 people.
9. IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, July 2028: estimated 2000 people.

“We are still working through bookings around opening, given the announcement a couple of weeks back, so are unable to announce our first event at this time,” he said.

He was referring to the February 7 announcement from SkyCity calling the opening date next February.

Horizon by SkyCity is between TVNZ and the NZICC. It is in the block between Hobson St and Nelson St in Auckland's CBD. Photo / Michael Craig

Chief executive Jason Walbridge said then: “The date is later than we’d hoped but offers contingency, as well as certainty for our customers. We are thrilled to name February 2026 as the date we can open the NZICC’s doors to the New Zealand public and the world.”

The building would be a world-class hub that would transform the visitor and events economy in Aotearoa, Walbridge said.

Last month, the NZICC began unveiling the food, presented at the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event, known as AIME, in Melbourne.

The business then “shared a sneak peek of its culinary identity at the hosted buyer lunch on day one of the tradeshow”, the NZICC announced on February 10.

“This event offers a first taste of NZICC’s food offerings, providing an exclusive glimpse into the innovative and sustainable dining experience that will define New Zealand’s premier convention centre.

“As Asia Pacific’s leading trade event for the meetings and events industry, AIME provides the perfect platform for NZICC to share a preview of its culinary vision ahead of the building’s completion later this year,” it said.

Robert Cullen, executive chef at the New Zealand International Convention Centre in Auckland. Photo / NZICC

Executive chef Robert Cullen is overseeing the NZICC’s culinary operations.

“Michelin-trained, Cullen has gained extensive experience from his work across the United Kingdom, Russia, and Southeast Asia. Most recently, he provided his culinary expertise for King Abdullah II at the Royal Hashemite Palace in Jordan,” the NZICC announced.

In Melbourne, Cullen served a signature lamb dish, Kiwi canapés including Southland’s cheese rolls and lamingtons.

Increased tourism revenue and stronger global business connections are being forecast when the NZICC opens.

Lynda Keene, Tourism Export Council chief executive, said in February that the outlook for tourism was a mixed bag and recovery “still has some way to go”.

The council is forecasting the tourism sector to lift nationally. In the year to March 2026 arrivals will climb to 3.72 million (96% of pre-pandemic), and by the end of 2027 there will be 3.95 million arrivals (102% of pre-pandemic), it has said.

Plans for the NZICC, now nearing completion in Auckland.

Ken Pereira, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited head of business events, indicated strong numbers to be generated by the NZICC.

The Auckland Convention Bureau - a specialist unit within Tātaki Auckland Unlimited - had examined the economic impact for all business events at the NZICC from next February onwards.

The estimated economic impact to Tāmaki Makaurau of the upcoming publicly announced events at NZICC is about $34 million and expected to deliver about 92,000 visitor nights to the region, Pereira said the bureau found.

Benefits from the announced events and the not yet publicised ones were put at about $47.5m and are expected to deliver 126,000 visitor nights to the region.

“If all future bids in progress for NZICC are successful, these will have an additional estimated economic impact of $37.7m and 87,000 estimated visitor nights,” he said of bureau forecasts.

Business events such as conferences, conventions and incentive programmes, bring value to Auckland in many ways, he noted.

That can be via attendee and event spending on accommodation, dining, transport, entertainment and shopping.

This spending directly benefits local businesses and contributes to the overall economy of the region. There are also benefits in terms of cultural and knowledge exchange, job creation, and infrastructure development, Pereira said.

New Zealand International Convention Centre by the numbers

• 32,500sq m of floor space, divisible into 33 meeting areas;
• 6674sq m of multi-purpose hall space;
• Theatre, exhibition, or dinner space for 3000 people;
• Pre-function capacity for 2700 people;
• Convention capacity for 3150 people;
• One-off events capacity for 4000 people;
• 938 SkyCity hotel rooms, connected via Hobson and Federal St airbridges;
• The Grand by SkyCity, SkyCity Hotel, Horizon by SkyCity linked to NZICC;
• 2700sq m of meeting space, configurable for up to 33 events;
• 10 restaurants within a 10-minute walk;
• 8000 hotel rooms, dining precincts, shopping, entertainment 20 minute’s walk;
• NZICC general manager is Prue Daly, executive chef Robert Cullen.

Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 25 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.