While New Zealand's indigenous Māori culture has always held appeal for international visitors, now the Te Ao Māori (Māori worldview) approach is being increasingly embedded in its conference delivery, from engaging Māori speakers and content to including Māori representation on the Local Organising Committee to support authentic co-creation.

This was evident at the 8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport held in Auckland last November, which aimed to advance gender equity and equality in sports.

Local host WISPA (Women in Sport Aotearoa) arranged an advisory rōpū (group), which, alongside Ngati Whātua Ōrākei as host iwi (tribe), guided organisers through the best way to integrate Māori values, content and culture into proceedings: from the opening traditional pōwhiri welcome, to the poi and waiata (song) in the programme activities, and the speakers on stage.

The event also incorporated the first Indigenous-focused initiative of IWG’s 29-year history, with a First Nations Workshop creating an Indigenous Statement of actions; as well as giving scholarships to Māori Kōhine (girls) to attend the conference and empower the next generation.

Tourism New Zealand General Manager New Zealand & Business Events Bjoern Spreitzer says:
“The authentic and transformative cultural knowledge and experiences that Aotearoa New Zealand can offer business event attendees really sets us apart as a destination. These events create excellent opportunities for knowledge sharing and positive legacies.”

Recognised as the tangata whenua - or people of this land - Māori have a world view with a strong emphasis on hospitality and respect for the natural environment. Māori are rapid risers in the wider New Zealand economy, delivering unique Mātauranga Māori (knowledge) in areas from food and fisheries to education and health.

Combining the support of local Māori and academia in conference bids has helped New Zealand win:

• WIPCE, the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education at the NZICC in Auckland, 2025

• The 8th Adaptation Futures Conference in 2025 (AF2025) at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre

• The International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) in 2024 at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre.

  Of the latter win, University of Canterbury Vice-Chancellor Professor Cheryl de la Rey says: "Supporting this conference is a unique opportunity for our academics to share their perspectives on Indigenous knowledge with the wider world and perhaps inspire communications research globally."