Working in Conventions and Incentives

C&I offers rewarding careers for people who are organised, hard-working and customer-focussed.

The Conventions and Incentives (C&I) sector is a growing part of New Zealand’s tourism industry. Sometimes known as “business tourism”, this sector of the tourism industry is set up to cater to groups of visiting conference delegates.

C&I groups can be as small as 50 to 100 people, or as large as a few thousand. They come from all over the world and from around New Zealand.

The C&I industry helps these groups find places to stay and organises their itineraries for them in New Zealand, providing conference facilities, activities and venues for gala dinners and events.

C&I offers exciting careers for people who are organised, creative and have a passion for delivering an unforgettable experience to customers. The work is demanding, but fun. You could be organising a trade show or a themed party for  400 people one-day, and hosting guests for an evening boat cruise the next.

Conference organisers may also be involved in organising incentive programmes. They organise the logistical support to ensure a premium travel experience for the participants. This work is also very demanding as the incentive participant has earned the right, or won a prize, to be part of the programme and has very high expectations. Attention to detail – and a little perfectionism! - is critical.

Hotels, convention centres and convention bureaux all offer great employment opportunities for people wishing to enter the sector. Salaries at senior levels can be very attractive and international travel is normally a key component of those involved in business tourism.

If you are not afraid of hard work, have a genuine interest in people from all walks of life and nationalities, like international travel and revel in a challenge, you will find working in business tourism a rewarding and exciting career experience.