Tourism New Zealand has completed its primary recruitment for the International Business Events team with two more key market appointments.

Helen Bambry has been appointed as Business Events Manager Australia, based in Sydney while Cristina McLauchlan has been appointed as Business Events Manager South & South East Asia, based in Singapore.

Helen joins Tourism New Zealand from Millenium Hotels & Resorts where her most recent role has been Sales Manager, Conferences & Incentives at Millennium Hotels & Resorts.

She starts in the Sydney office on Monday, November 18.

Cristina has over 15 years of experience organizing high profile events most recently with Avantgarde in China. She has worked in New Zealand and South East Asia in both the hotel industry and in the events space.

Cristina begins work based in the Singapore office on November 28.

Tourism New Zealand’s Director Trade, PR and Major Events Justin Watson says this newly created team is tasked with increasing visitor arrivals to New Zealand from the lucrative international business events sector.

“We now have our core people in place in market and activity is well underway.

“The team’s focus is on building relationships internationally and generating new business prospects that can be worked on with the New Zealand industry to convert into actual bookings.”

In September, Tourism New Zealand launched its first business events advertising campaign under the “Beyond Convention” brand and launched a newly revamped Business Events website [ www.businessevents.newzealand.com ]

It follows the government’s 2013/14 Budget announcement of an additional $123 million in funding for Tourism New Zealand over four years, with $34 million over four years specifically tagged to growing the business events sector.

Tourism New Zealand is taking its business events offer to market with a presence at key trade shows such as IT&CM in Shanghai, IMEX Las Vegas and Frankfurt, IT&CM Bangkok and Shanghai, and AIME in Melbourne.

There is also a program of famils planned that will target trade and media from China, North America, Australia and South East Asia.

International Business Events Team:

International Business Events Manager: Bjoern Spreitzer

Marketing Manager Business Events: Anna Fennessy

Marketing Executive Business Events: Anna Ward

Business Events Bid Manager: Leonie Ashford

Business Events Bid Executive: Michael Stokoe

Business Events Research Executive: Jean Hendry

Business Events Research Executive: Gemma Wood

Business Events Manager – Australia: Helen Bambry

Business Events Manager – South & South East Asia: Cristina McLauchlan

Business Events Manager – North America: Stephen Dixon