No Ordinary Business Event: Electrify Queenstown

Over three days, policymakers, industry leaders, innovators, and Queenstown community members came together to explore the future of electrification and clean energy in Aotearoa. It was big, bold, and inspiring in more ways than one because behind the scenes, the Electrify Queenstown team were redefining what it means to hold a low-impact business event.

If you’re planning a business event in Queenstown, this story is packed with tips to make your event more memorable, while minimising its environmental impact at the same time.

Fast Facts on Electrify Queenstown 2025

The evolution of Electrify Queenstown as an event

Event Sustainability Manager, Micaela McLeod explains: “‘Electrify Queenstown is an event to rally local Queenstown businesses to decarbonise their operations. The economic benefits of electrification is an impactful hook to get businesses in the room.”

Electrify Queenstown launched with a pilot event in 2024. The first event was a huge success. Talks were so oversubscribed, organisers swiftly bought in additional seating to fit everyone in. Micaela says: “We didn't realise what an important subject electrification was in the business community and how many people would want to attend an event like this.”

Bigger, bolder ambitions for Electrify Queenstown’s second outing, included extending the programme to three days, more speakers, workshops, and field trips to see local electric experiences. It was clear Electrify Queenstown 2.0 needed a bigger venue.

Event Coordinator, Jade Baker-Edwards explains: “Day one of the event was all about the big picture of electrification, including local, national and global context. We had a programme of high-profile speakers, national and international experts on electrification, as well as people attending from around New Zealand and beyond. It was important to us to host this day at an iconic Queenstown venue with an amazing backdrop of the Remarkables.”

“Skyline was an obvious choice, not only because it’s a spectacular venue, but also because of their numerous sustainability initiatives and shared vision. Understanding the national significance of the event, Skyline became a sponsor, enabling us to provide our guests with a premium experience.”

The second day, Electrify Queenstown moved to Queenstown Events Centre, the largest venue in Queenstown. The Event Centre was chosen because it could have a main stage and an exhibition area, along with good access to public transport and bike lanes. The organisers wanted eventgoers to reduce their impact by travelling sustainably to the event.

“We believe in working together towards a more sustainable future for our region … We’re proud to use certified 100% renewable energy generation ... We're also using regenerative braking technology in our Gondola operations and actively exploring ways to fully electrify our commercial kitchen and company fleet.”

An event championing sustainability

Electrify Queenstown’s goal was to reduce its environmental impact and carbon emissions as much as possible. The event went waste-free and low-carbon, and used local suppliers, encouraging them to rethink business as usual and intensify sustainability efforts.

Jade explains: “First, we worked with the venues to understand how to reduce our carbon impact. We talked about low-carbon options for everything from catering to exhibition booths and looked at ways to minimise waste. Then we worked with our caterers and suppliers to save energy and avoid single-use items. We took a strong stand on waste. The only bin at the event was for composting left-over food.”

Electrify Queenstown didn’t want exhibitors using flyers, giveaways like branded pens, or even reusable swag like water bottles or coffee cups. But this wasn’t about making life hard. Jade says: “We shared a range of ideas with exhibitors to inspire more sustainable approaches—like using QR codes instead of brochures, screens in place of posters, and showcasing interactive demos instead of giveaways to drive engagement. Since these businesses are all committed to sustainability in different ways, we wanted to spark fresh thinking and offer practical examples of how they can exhibit as sustainably as possible now and in the future.”

Transport was also a big deal. Electrify Queenstown encouraged attendees to reduce their impact by considering travel to the venue. They gave people info about different options, promoting walking, cycling, scooting, and public transport. Car sharing service Ryd provided a discount on EV hire, while Electrify Queenstown teamed up with e-scooter provider Beam to get people to the gondola base station on day one. Jade says: “It was all about challenging the norm, getting people to rethink how they get to an event.”

“As more companies report on their carbon emissions, we’re seeing an uptake in companies interested in carbon zero events. We can pull off an event that’s close to carbon zero in Queenstown, which is pretty phenomenal. Not many places can say that.”

Micaela McLeod, Sustainability Manager, Electrify Queenstown

Going full flavour local

Getting catering right was a big focus. Jade says: “We asked our caterers, how can we deliver a low-carbon menu, get rid of single-use plastics and packaging, choose locally-sourced ingredients, and go with foods that don't use a lot of energy to produce?”

One thing Jade did was challenge Skyline to revisit their afternoon tea menu. She recalls: “They really exceeded expectations. They collaborated with a wide range of suppliers in the region to create an incredible local menu with ingredients and story. There were barley cookies made with waste barley from Altitude Brewing, microgreens from Gibbston Microgreens, and honey from Buzzstop to name a few. The feedback on the menu was incredible, and the Skyline is excited because they can offer it to event planners looking for a low-carbon option.”

On day two, the food was supplied by Queenstown Catering, who are big fans of locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, reusable plates and utensils. Catering manager Andy Thompson says: “We’ve got rid of bamboo cutlery and we’re using cake forks and small plates that can be washed and reused on multiple events.” Jade says: “Queenstown Catering really delivered. We got fantastic feedback from people about the scrumptious food. And thanks to Queenstown Catering carefully managing portion sizes, there was barely 250g of food waste in the compost bin, an incredible result for 2 meals for 300 people.” 

Ryder Specialty Coffee is a local roastery with New Zealand’s first electric roaster. They attended the first Electrify Queenstown event, learned about green loans, and applied for a green loan to buy an electric forklift truck. They provided the coffee and tea for Electrify Queenstown, while DISHrupt provided reusable Chunky Cups. Jade adds: “We chose not to use compostable tea bags, as there are currently no facilities in Queenstown to process them properly. Instead, on day two, Ryder served loose-leaf tea in large pots, which had the added benefit of a much faster service.”

“This event has been a brilliant opportunity for us to explore what's possible when we focus on local ingredients and regional character. It's part of an ongoing journey we're on to better connect with our local food community and suppliers.”

Local talent makes organising events a breeze

One big bonus of hosting a business event in Queenstown is the local suppliers are extraordinary. They know all the venues, they coordinate and collaborate with each other, and they give you great advice on ways to run your event. Queenstown is a unique place to organise events because you get small-town community spirit combined with the experience and polish that comes with being a global event hub.

TomTom Productions managed all the setup, power, lighting, and audio for Electrify Queenstown. MD Hamish Roberge says: “Events generally aren't very sustainable because you get a lot of waste. Electrify Queenstown needed to be at the forefront of sustainable event practices. That prompted us to have a really good look at how we do things. So, for example, instead of single-use wayfinder banners, we used digital displays. We don't have exhibition booth walls in Queenstown and we didn’t want to truck them down from Christchurch. So, we figured out that the carpet tiles in the events centre are a metre squared and that gave us a grid to map out booths. It was fun attacking challenges in different ways using local solutions.”

Micaela says, “I’m always a bit baffled when people bring in external suppliers to run events here because they don't have anywhere near the depth of skill Queenstown suppliers do. Do yourself a favour and use local suppliers. Their wealth of knowledge and ability to connect in with each other is exceptional. They’ll help you host a really great event.”

Jade adds, “Be upfront with your values, and requirements. If we hadn’t stated our intention to run a low-carbon, low-waste, locally-sourced event, it wouldn't have been as much of a success. We gave suppliers a brief with suggestions and invited them to build on that base.”

If you’re looking for local suppliers, the Queenstown Convention Bureau is a great place to start. An independent team of business event professionals with extensive local knowledge. Offering free, impartial advice on travel, venues, accommodation, activities, professional conference organisers and destination management organisations.

“Because local suppliers like TomTom Productions know exactly what they can do in local venues, they didn't need to coordinate a lot of the organisation for Electrify Queenstown with us. They worked directly with the event venues, freeing us up to focus on other things.”

Jade Baker-Edwards, Southern Lakes Event Coordinator, Electrify Queenstown

Craft your own standout conference in Queenstown

A highlight of Electrify Queenstown was how it engaged a range of different audiences. Micaela says, “A lot of people got a lot of different things out of Electrify Queenstown because it was such a diverse event. A real standout was the calibre and diversity of the speakers. We had great feedback from attendees on the lineup and the quality of the talks.”

When you host a business event in Queenstown, not only are you able to draw on a local pool of world-class talent, from inspiring speakers to celebrated event organisers and chefs. But you help ensure your event has that X-factor that attracts top-quality speakers and delegates.

Think beyond traditional conferences and get outside the meeting room. People host business events in Queenstown for the spectacular location. Make sure your delegates get a chance to connect with people and place. Electrify Queenstown’s field trip to visit electric boats and a fully electrified cherry orchard amplified connection and impact for the people who went along.

Finally, many speakers and attendees said how inspiring it was to see such a sustainable event. There’s real local support for Queenstown becoming a regenerative tourism destination, and as a result it’s becoming easier to organise a low-impact event. Ask our business events team for advice on organising sustainable events in Queenstown. You don’t have to go the whole hog and shoot for carbon zero (although we are here to help if that’s your goal). Simply going zero waste to landfill and using local suppliers is a great place to start.

“The beauty of events in Queenstown is very few venues are traditional. So, we get to lean into creativity to make an event unique. It’s about really activating the space. It was great to partner with Electrify Queenstown because they’re at the forefront of sustainable events.”

Hamish Roberge, MD, TomTom Productions