Steve Armitage has been appointed as the new Chair of Business Events Industry Aotearora (BEIA). He will take over from Tony Gardner, who will finish on the 25th November after 6 years in the role.
“Tony has been instrumental in building an active and engaged Board.” Said BEIA CEO Lisa Hopkins. “I know I speak on behalf of them and the BEIA team when I say how grateful we are for the work he has done.”
“Like Tony, Steve understands the nuances of the sector very well and the need to be future-focused,” said Hopkins.
Steve Armitage recently held the position of general manager – destination at Auckland Unlimited, a high-profile role which encompassed a broad range of sectors including business events.
“I am firmly of the view that business events should be at the forefront of New Zealand’s economic re-opening to the world given the clear value they bring socially and economically,” Said Armitage
Tony Gardner says it has been an honour to contribute to CINZ / BEIA, and the business events industry as a board member, then Chair, for the past eight years. “The key areas of progress for BEIA since 2013 have been leadership, partnerships with Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand, and maintaining a strong focus on member interests. Getting the right leadership in place has been the key to the association’s success.”
“Building on the financial strength that John Duncan, the previous Chair, really built has seen BEIA able to survive Covid. Thanks to Sharon Auld, BEIA’s connections and influence in Australia remain strong and will prove to be vital as New Zealand reopens.” He said.
