WiT Queenstown will now run over two days from July 20-21, following strong local and international demand for the inaugural New Zealand edition of Asia Pacific’s leading travel tech media and events platform, presented in partnership with Technology Queenstown.
The event will also move to a new venue in the heart of the CBD: Queenstown Memorial Centre.
“The level of interest, both locally and internationally, has exceeded our expectations. To do the event justice, we needed to add another day, as well as significantly expand capacity,” said Roger Sharp, Chair, Technology Queenstown.
Sharp, who also chairs global travel company Web Travel Group and tech investment bank North Ridge Partners, said the response from across the sector has been encouraging.
“There is a real appetite to bring world-class travel tech thinking to Queenstown and to take meaningful steps towards diversifying the Queenstown Lakes District economy, where tourism and hospitality currently account for more than 50 percent of GDP,” he said.
Yeoh Siew Hoon, Founder of WiT, added, “We’re delighted by the strong interest in our launch event in New Zealand. Adding another day gives us room to curate deeper and more relevant content, and to spark a travel tech community that bridges Australasia with the world.
“The shift to a venue rooted in the community also allows us to explore community-led tourism, a growing interest among travellers today.”
An A-list speaker line-up has already been confirmed, featuring senior leaders from Asia, Australasia and beyond. Topics will cover AI’s impact across the travel value chain alongside deep dives into short-term rentals, experiences and community-led tourism, aviation and airports, and hospitality. Digital distribution, payments, social commerce and marketing will also feature.
Aligned with Technology Queenstown’s mission to position Queenstown as a hub for travel tech, WiT Queenstown will spotlight startups, founders and the investment ecosystem. Programme highlights include a “Founder’s Journey” series featuring entrepreneurs who have exited, raised capital and scaled globally.
