Auckland has been announced as the host city for the fourth annual 7 Experiences Summit, taking place 28 November – 1 December 2023. It is the first time the event will be held in New Zealand and is expected to bring together around 200 delegates and deliver an estimated economic benefit of $440,000 to Auckland.
The summit focuses on sustainable and transformative experience design to benefit both consumers and businesses and will bring together experience experts from all sectors, including creative industries, hospitality, tourism, and information technology. It will provide a platform for researchers and professionals to collaborate on new ideas about what transformational or extraordinary experience is, and what it should be for individuals and organisations recovering from the effects of the pandemic.
The event has been made possible with the support of the Auckland Convention Bureau (ACB) and Tourism New Zealand’s Business Events team, and will be hosted by Auckland University of Technology’s (AUT) School of Hospitality and Tourism.
AUT senior lecturer and Summit co-chair, Dr Sandra Goh, said that since COVID, consumer expectations have changed with experience providers now facing a different type of competition.
“To compete, we need to value not only experiences that we could give people, but we also need to consider how those experiences could help people with their desire to be transformed,” Dr Goh said.
Attendees will also get to experience seven of Auckland and New Zealand’s exceptional social experiences: a whale and dolphin safari on the Hauraki Gulf, a tour of special effects studio Weta Workshop Unleashed, a trip to the interactive All Blacks Experience, a Māori cultural experience at a local marae, an Auckland Harbour Bridge climb, taste-testing New Zealand’s world-famous wine, plus a trip to the Hobbiton Movie set in neighbouring Waikato.
“This is an exceptional win for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Not only can we host the discussion on how to make tourism experiences more transformative and sustainable in the future, but we can also showcase the incredible experiences here that are leading the way,” Head of ACB, Ken Pereira, said.
Selected research presented at the conference will be published in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research and The Service Industries Journal, the supporting journals for the 7 Experiences Summit. The event is a significant win for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, allowing them to host discussions on how to make tourism experiences more transformative and sustainable in the future and showcase the incredible experiences the city offers.
