Central Otago’s District Council’s Economic Development and Business Events Bureau, in partnership with QLDC, has successfully bid for and secured the 2026 Economic Development New Zealand (EDNZ) annual conference. This is one of the first conferences to be booked at the new (yet-to-be-named) facility under construction in Cromwell.
Announced this month at the national Economic Development New Zealand (EDNZ) Conference in Auckland, the November 2026 conference is expected to attract 180 delegates from across New Zealand over two days. In addition to conference time, the event will also feature an awards dinner, the organisation’s AGM, and technical familiarisation visits and workshops in both Queenstown and Central Otago.
EDNZ was attracted to Central Otago / Queenstown Lakes’ compelling combined bid submitted by CODC and QLDC. Debi Roder, Executive Director of EDNZ, said “Our Board was attracted to the Central Lakes conference bid because of the excellent venue and facilities on offer, along with the range of economic development topics that both regions could showcase, such as regional deals, economic diversification, and the opportunities and challenges of fast-paced growth. The Board also valued the collaboration involved in the bid. It’s great to have the chance to bring our national conference to the regions, and it provides the perfect location for delegates to stay longer and explore more.”
The EDNZ conference and awards dinner will be one of the first to be held at the new venue overlooking Lake Dunstan in Cromwell, which is due to open in June 2026. Anna Harrison, Chair Cromwell Community Board, reconfirmed that the construction of the venue is progressing well towards the scheduled June 2026 completion date and said, “it’s fantastic to see the venue is beginning to deliver on its promise by already being selected as a location for a national conference.”
