Industry Heads off to Lure North Americans

Industry Heads off to Lure North Americans

Auckland, New Zealand, 17 May 2007: New Zealand has its sights firmly set on luring lucrative overseas conference and incentive business down under and an industry group is off to the United States in a bid to do just that.

In a joint initiative between Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) and Millennium Hotels & Resorts, the group is hosting some influential prospective buyers for lunch and dinner in Chicago, Minneapolis and Washington DC.

“New Zealand food and wine is a great selling point so these events will be a perfect way to showcase the country and all it has to offer conference and incentive groups. And of course this is backed by strong industry representation,” says Alan Trotter, CINZ CEO.

The ‘Taste of New Zealand’ showcase begins with dinner at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel Chicago on Wednesday 30 May, followed by lunch at the Millennium Hotel Minneapolis on Friday 1 June. The CINZ dinner follows at Agraria Restaurant in Washington DC.

“New Zealand is renowned as an unspoilt foodie paradise, bursting with fresh produce, clean flavours and innovative cuisine, and we wanted to share this with our US guests first-hand,” says Alison Rogers, Millennium Hotels and Resorts New Zealand’s National Director of Sales & Marketing, Conference and Incentives.

“There is great opportunity for New Zealand to carve out a special niche in the US market, as an unspoilt yet highly sophisticated boutique destination for US conference and incentive visitors.”

Ms Rogers’ themeing also encapsulates New Zealand’s unique natural beauty. She is bringing with her table centres and themeing from New Zealand. Guest invitations incorporating real paua shell and stunning imagery have already set the scene.

The distinctly New Zealand menu will be prepared by New Zealand Culinary Team chefs Andrew Brown and Darren Wright, and includes such delicacies as paua pattie with horopito, tomato sauce and chips and New Zealand King salmon with smoked eel daikon rolls, apple fennel salad and avocado puree.

The menu is of course complemented with a range of New Zealand wines such as Brancott Marlborough Pinot Noir and Brancott Vineyards Marlborough Riesling 2005.

This trip is part of CINZ’s targeted marketing campaign to attract more long-haul C&I business into New Zealand and supplements attendance at overseas tradeshows in Frankfurt, Germany and Barcelona, Spain.

“New Zealand is out there showing its face on the world stage and spreading the message both far and near about what a fabulous C&I destination New Zealand is. We have a concerted marketing focus to attract this high yield business into the country,” Mr Trotter says. “And as always, interest in New Zealand from the international market is high.”

Ends

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