10 Reasons to Meet in Queenstown

1. Inspiring Landscapes

Queenstown’s breathtaking alpine landscapes serve as an inspiring backdrop for conferences, incentives, executive retreats and team building events. From the moment your delegates see Queenstown’s peaks towering above them, and breathe in the crisp mountain air, they know they’re somewhere extraordinary.

In such a remarkable place, remarkable things happen. Research indicates awe-inspiring experiences enhance creative thinking, help people see things in a new light, and make them less stressed. Delegates return to work with a fresh mindset.

2. Best Seasons for Business Events

Queenstown is a dynamic, four-season business event destination with each season bringing its own beauty and activities. Summers are filled with long days and outdoor exploration, while winter brings world-class skiing and cosy alpine vibes. Autumn’s rich colours and spring’s fresh blooms enhance the region’s breathtaking landscapes, perfect for everything from hiking and wine tours to scenic relaxation.

Spring (September – November) and autumn through early winter (April-August) are particularly ideal for business events. These seasons offer:

• More venue availability. In the shoulder seasons, you’ll have more venue and accommodation options to choose from.
• Cost effective rates. Queenstown venues, accommodation and service providers have more opportunity to offer competitive group pricing and help you maximise your budget.
• Enhanced delegate experience: With fewer visitors, delegates (and planners) will enjoy a more relaxed and focused conference experience.

3. Unforgettable Venues

If you’re looking for event locations with X factor, you’ve come to the right place. Queenstown’s stunning venues are only surpassed by the spectacular landscape.

Choose a luxury conference venue with panoramic vistas. Hold a board meeting on a mountaintop. Host your VIP clients in an atmospheric winery cellar. Plan an executive retreat in a lodge secluded in the mountains. Or get away from it all on a high-country farm. Queenstown offers unique spaces for unforgettable events.

4. Enthusiastic Local Event Experts

We host hundreds of domestic and international events each year and Queenstown event organisers love to put their local knowledge, love for Queenstown, and years of experience to work to create a truly memorable business event for your team.

Source all your event organisation needs locally, with skilled destination management companies, talented event creatives, sophisticated audio-visual and tech solutions and caterers who will truly blow your mind. Our supportive community of talented event professionals all work together to ensure your business event is exceptional. Our event experts’ ability to collaborate is one of the things business event organisers appreciate most.

5. Small Town Ease + Big City Sophistication

It’s easy to get here. Fly into our well-connected international airport, and you'll be in the centre of town in minutes. Nowhere is very far in compact Queenstown. Accommodation, spectacular venues, adventures and entertainment are all within a 20-minute drive, and you’re close to the charming nearby towns of Glenorchy, Arrowtown, and Gibbston.

Queenstown may epitomise small town convenience, but don’t be fooled by the size. This town has main international character energy, with sophisticated hotels, bars and restaurants, hundreds of activities, buzzing nightlife, and artisan galleries and boutiques.

6. A Vast Selection of Activities for Your Team

Few destinations have such a rich diversity of things to do for corporate events. Foster connection and team-building with a wide range of activities, from adventures like jet boating, funyaks, and ziplining to immersive local experiences such as wine tasting, gold panning, and perfumery workshops. Here are ten suggestions for activities for business events in Queenstown, all with activity organisers experienced in managing groups.

7. A Vibrant Community and a Warm Queenstown Welcome

Queenstown locals are genuine, down-to-earth, and friendly. For many years, this was a small, remote community in tough alpine terrain. People have each other’s back because we know we’re more resilient when we band together.

When visitors began to flock to Queenstown, that warm welcome simply got extended. Welcoming all with manaakitanga, our local hosts and expert event planners love sharing this place and their passions. They’ll help you craft a unique business event programme that wows your delegates and creates an impact that lasts long after your event.

8. A Pioneering Place where Innovation is in the DNA

This pioneering town has many firsts under its belt. Coronet Peak was New Zealand’s first commercial ski resort. The first jet boat rides began here in the 1960s, and the world's first bungy operation started at Kawarau Bridge. Today, the innovative spirit that made Queenstown push boundaries with adventure has diversified into business.

Queenstown fizzes with creativity, rich in founders and entrepreneurs. Great minds who live locally include mountaineer, researcher, and winemaker Mark Inglis, founder of accounting platform Xero Rod Drury, and celebrity chef, entrepreneur, food writer, and owner of Royalburn Station Nadia Lim. Inspire your guests and make your event programme sizzle with learnings from one of our local innovators. 

9. A Regenerative Destination

Queenstown is on a journey to become a regenerative tourism destination, with the audacious goal of becoming carbon zero by 2030. Our vision is for tourism in the Queenstown Lakes to be regenerative, delivering benefits environmentally, socially, culturally, and economically, enriching the lives of people who live here and people who visit.

We encourage businesses hosting business events here to support the region’s regenerative activities. Local event organisers can help you organise a sustainable business event, considering the impact of your stay from arrival to departure.

Easy wins include sourcing food locally, minimising packaging, composting all organic waste, hiring reusable dishes and cups from local initiatives DISHrupt and Chunky, and encouraging your delegates to go single-use cup free. If you want to do more, here’s a guide to hosting a business event that cares for Queenstown.

10. We’re Here to Help you Plan Your Event

The Queenstown Convention Bureau is here to help you plan your business event in Queenstown. Get in touch with our team of event experts for free, impartial advice, and create an unforgettable business event.