The Hamilton Waikato region will be on show in October, when the Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) 40th annual conference comes to town.
CINZ Chief Executive Sue Sullivan says the 40th conference promises a jam-packed programme of education and networking. The theme is the Art of Collaboration and includes presentations from several international speakers.
“As an industry we need to understand what is happening overseas, and learn how we can continue to grow. Workshops from our keynote speakers will provide CINZ members with the opportunity to dive deeply into relevant topics, and take real learnings back to their businesses,” she says.
Claudelands is the host venue for the conference on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 October, with social functions planned for some of the region’s key attractions. Delegates can select from a range of workshop options for practical educational sessions on a series of trending topics. They include everything from the latest on international competitive advantage, to crisis management and social media engagement.
Keynote speaker Gary Grimmer, CEO of international consultancy Gaining Edge will be discussing how New Zealand can deliver competitive advantage in the convention space. He will be focusing on the key trends and challenges emerging in the Asian market, and how New Zealand can respond. Issue and crisis management specialist, Dr Tony Jaques will run a participative workshop on how to create a crisis management plan.
Closer to home, delegates will have the chance to hear from the driving force behind the New Zealand Story, Rebecca Smith. She will focus on the competitive advantage gained by sharing a strong, consistent story about what New Zealand has to offer beyond its natural beauty.
The conference will include key industry updates from Hamilton City Council, Tourism New Zealand, CINZ and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
Sue Sullivan says the social programme is always a highlight of the CINZ conference. “This year promises to be very special for our 40th CINZ conference, with a Lord of the Rings themed gala dinner at Hobbiton Movie Set on 13 October.”
The conference starts with a welcome cocktail event at the Zealong Tea Estate, a chance to check out their new conference facility. A casual evening at Novotel Tainui follows day one.
The 40th CINZ Annual General Meeting and CINZ board member voting will also take place at Claudelands on Thursday 13 October.
Click here for the full conference programme and register here.
New international association launched for hotel execs
The International Association of Hotel Executives (IAHE) has been launched to recognise the contribution of key hotel executives to the hospitality industry and provide support and assistance to members throughout their careers and beyond.
Membership is open to all those who have served as Head of Function in roles across 13 categories: Manager/Resident Manager/EAM; Director of Finance; Director of Sales & Marketing; Director of Human Resources; Director of Rooms; Director of Food & Beverage; Director of Revenue Management; Director of IT; Director of PR; Executive Chef; Executive Housekeeper; Chief Engineer; Head of Security.
The new association is a subsidiary of the International Association of Hotel General Managers (IAHGM) and the two will be run as separate entities, sharing links in relevant areas. John Cameron, CEO of IAHE & IAHGM explains: ‘’during the development of our global Association for hotel general managers, we received significant interest from other hotel professionals looking for independent support. Therefore, we felt a responsibility to create a bespoke solution that meets their needs, without taking anything away from the exclusive offering established for GMs.’’
He adds, ‘‘it makes real sense for us to nurture the interests of this wider industry group, especially as they account for a large part (approx 80 per cent) of the talent pool for future GMs.’’
Benefits of IAHE include portable medical, life insurance and retirement/savings plan options, which will stay with the member regardless of job status and country of residence. Those looking for career assistance and support will be able to take advantage of the Career Management Centre (CMC), which provides independent evaluation and assessment, career development plans and the formulation of an extensive and professional candidate package. This enables hotel executives looking for more senior opportunities within their current discipline, as well as those aspiring to become a GM, to have access through the CMC’s selection process, to GMs and hotel companies around the world.
Cameron adds: ‘’as well as the many benefits for hotel execs planning their next career move, the shared Career Management Centre offers a major benefit for General Managers who are members of IAHGM, as they will have exclusive access to an international database of hotel executive candidates at discounted rates. We believe that the many synergies between the two will benefit the hospitality industry as a whole and we look forward to seeing both associations evolve for their members.’’
