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

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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

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