General view of the Auckland skyline at sunset. Auckland, New Zealand.Auckland Convention Bureau (ACB), the business events division of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, has appointed BRANDit as its India market representative as it steps up efforts to tap India’s fast-growing outbound meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) market. The partnership aims to strengthen Auckland’s positioning among Indian corporates, incentive planners, professional conference organisers and association networks as New Zealand seeks to attract more high-value business events from the country.
Under the mandate, BRANDit will spearhead trade engagement, destination education, public relations, market intelligence and business development initiatives across key Indian cities, with a focus on increasing awareness of Auckland’s business events capabilities and expanding its visibility among India’s MICE ecosystem.
The move comes as destinations globally intensify efforts to capture a larger share of India’s rapidly expanding outbound MICE market, fuelled by growing corporate travel budgets, international incentive programmes and increasing demand for experiential business events.
For Auckland, India represents a strategic growth market where business event organisers are increasingly seeking destinations that combine modern convention infrastructure with immersive destination experiences. As New Zealand’s largest city and commercial gateway, Auckland offers a blend of convention facilities, premium accommodation, waterfront venues, dining experiences and nature-based attractions that can support multi-day meetings and incentive programmes.
The destination’s business events proposition is expected to receive a further boost with the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC), the country’s largest purpose-built convention, exhibition and entertainment venue, enhancing Auckland’s capacity to host large-scale international conferences and incentive groups. Auckland Convention Bureau also provides organisers with destination advisory services, bid support, venue sourcing, supplier recommendations and local expertise to facilitate business events.
Commenting on the appointment, Ken Pereira, Head of Business Events at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, said India has emerged as one of the most promising markets for Auckland’s business events strategy.
“India is a market we see strong potential in, especially as planners look for destinations that can deliver a meaningful business event experience, not just a venue. Auckland has a compelling offer for meetings, incentives and conferences, but we also recognise the importance of building familiarity in-market. Through our partnership with BRANDit, we want to work more closely with India’s MICE trade and help planners better understand the breadth of Auckland’s offering and how the city can fit into their future programmes,” Pereira said.
For Indian corporates and incentive planners, Auckland is positioning itself as more than a gateway to New Zealand. The destination is promoting extended programmes of four nights or more that combine conferences and meetings with experiences such as harbour sailing, vineyard visits on Waiheke Island, the Sky Tower, Rangitoto Island and sporting events at Eden Park, creating opportunities for delegates to blend business with leisure.
Lubaina Sheerazi, CEO and Co-founder of BRANDit, said the destination’s combination of business infrastructure and experiential offerings aligns well with the evolving expectations of Indian MICE buyers.
“For Indian planners, Auckland offers the appeal of a destination that feels fresh, yet structured, reliable and high-quality. It brings together the strength of a modern business events city with the wider pull of New Zealand’s nature, culture, food and outdoor experiences. We see strong potential to grow Auckland’s consideration among corporates and MICE planners in India who are looking for destinations that deliver both business value and a memorable delegate experience,” she said.
The partnership reflects a broader trend of international convention bureaux strengthening their presence in India as outbound MICE travel continues to recover and diversify beyond traditional destinations. With Indian companies increasingly looking for destinations that offer world-class event infrastructure alongside authentic local experiences, tourism boards are placing greater emphasis on in-market representation, trade engagement and destination education to build long-term business event pipelines.
