Trenz pulls travel industry's decision-makers

By CHRIS DANIELS, tourism writer

Trenz - Tourism Rendezvous New Zealand - is billed as the largest annual international trade show held in this country.

The show, held in Christchurch last month, gives local tourism operators the chance to meet and do business with big international travel buyers.

This year's Trenz had 447 New Zealand exhibitors pitching their wares to 409 international buyers.

More than 28,400 appointments between the two groups were scheduled over the four-day show.

Trenz pitches itself as a high-end industry event, with the public not invited and big deals being done.

And it seems to have worked well for one of the smaller exhibitors.

"It's the most effective marketing I've ever done," said Bill Trolove, who runs a company named One Night Outdoors, which takes small groups into the Southern Alps for a night's camping.

He said he had spent "a couple of grand" on entry charges to get his stall set up at Trenz 2004. His stall was modest: a few photographs, a video showing pictures of his trips and a tramping pack.

Some stall-holders spent thousands on wooden desks and plush wall coverings, but other cubicles were plain, with not much more than a video display and a jar of jelly beans.

Trolove figures that without the Trenz show, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to meet people with senior-level jobs - the managing directors and the decision-makers.

"I'd never get past the front door."

Tourism Industry Association spokeswoman Fiona Morris said: "The concept behind Trenz is to give travel companies from around the world a single source for an extensive variety of unique New Zealand tourism product and services, all from one location."