With the much-anticipated convention centre in Auckland’s city centre nearing completion, the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) has partnered with the International Association for Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) to develop a multi-year leadership program.

The ‘Next Generation Leaders Programme’ is designed for IAPCO members in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region who meet the criteria and aspire to enhance their leadership skills and capabilities. NZICC will organise a series of online education workshops alongside IAPCO to deliver the program.

Applications for the program will open in late May, and NZICC plans to conduct the first workshop in July 2023.

Each year, one participant will be awarded the prestigious Jan Tonkin Scholarship, named after Jan Tonkin, a former IAPCO President, founder of The Conference Company, and a respected figure in the New Zealand industry. The recipient of the scholarship will have the opportunity to attend IAPCO’s Annual Meeting and General Assembly, alongside senior leaders within the global business events community.

Sarah Markey-Hamm, IAPCO President, expressed gratitude for Jan Tonkin’s contributions and involvement with IAPCO.

“Without Jan’s involvement with IAPCO our association would not be in the place that it is in today. She lives and breathes the business event sector and has been instrumental in developing the IAPCO education programmes over the last 15 years. Even though Jan’s formal involvement with IAPCO Council has concluded she remains a strong contributor to the educational content across IAPCO’s products whilst serving on Faculty and it is an honour that she has agreed to lend her name to the scholarship program in our region,” Markey-Hamm said.

Anticipating significant interest from members in the Asia-Pacific region, Markey-Hamm highlighted the accessibility of the online workshop format, enabling a broad audience to participate.

“I’m excited to see the impact of this program and the benefits it will bring to the participants involved and to the wider business and professional events industry in New Zealand and beyond.”

NZICC general manger, Prue Daly, expressed gratitude for partnering with IAPCO, emphasising their shared commitment to nurturing talent within the business events industry.

“It’s a real privilege to be partnering with IAPCO, an organisation who shares our commitment to the growth of talent within the business events industry and we are excited about showcasing New Zealand’s and NZICC’s commitment to embracing cultural awareness and community impact as part of the education content,” Daly said.

NZICC is committed to supporting the development of future talent, both locally and in the Asia-Pacific region, to bolster the growing business events industry. The venue, located in the heart of Auckland, has already secured numerous large international conferences.

One of the first major conferences to be hosted at the world-leading NZICC facilities is the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education (WIPCE) in November 2025, which expects to welcome 3,000 international visitors, delivering an estimated economic impact of over $6 million.