Just weeks into the new year, Auckland has secured another significant conference for 2021, which will join an already impressive line-up of events that make up the blockbuster year, including the 36th America’s Cup and APEC Leader’s Week.
TENCON is the premier international technical conference within the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) from Asia-Pacific.
TENCON 2021 will be held in Auckland and is expected to attract more than 600 delegates, creating 2,595 visitor nights and generating more than $1 million for Auckland’s economy.
This is the first time the annual conference, held for decades across various locations in the Asia-Pacific region, is to be held in New Zealand.
The bid for the IEEE TENCON 2021 conference was won by Dr Nirmal Nair, from the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Software Engineering at the University of Auckland and Auckland Advocate Alliance member for the Auckland Convention Bureau.
This is the third international conference he has won for Auckland in the past five years.
Dr Nair says: “I am very proud for Auckland to be able to bring in highly accomplished engineers, thought leaders and innovators from across the world and particularly Asia-Pacific region to New Zealand.”
“It provides an opportunity to showcase our recent innovations to attendees from world-over and warmly host as NZ inc, during this four-day conference in December 2021.
“Attendees from New Zealand will be able to participate by presenting their technologies and network, with opportunities to develop relations and markets for their innovations and products.”
The conference is expected to cover the themes of a low-carbon energy future, future of space technologies, smart cities, and the future of work in world of AI/automation.
Dr Delwyn Moller, former Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer for NASA, University of Auckland Adjunct Professor and Auckland Advocate Alliance member, will organise a themed workshop at the conference based on remote sensing/space technologies.
There will also be dedicated sessions for students, young professionals and women in engineering, as well as industry forums and innovation meetups regarding the future direction of the IEEE Asia-Pacific Association.
Anna Hayward, Head of Auckland Convention Bureau – which is part of Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development (ATEED) - says she’s excited for Auckland to host such great scientific minds: “Auckland is an innovative and forward-thinking city, so it is always exciting to bring in these intellectual conferences, which I hope inspire our local talent.
“Auckland Convention Bureau is proud to be connected with such a dedicated advocate in Dr Nirmal Nair, and to have assisted him in winning this bid.”
Tourism New Zealand’s Global Manager Business Events, Lisa Gardiner says the timing couldn’t be better to host this conference in New Zealand.
“Having Aotearoa host a conference focussing on global hot topics like innovation for a low carbon future, technology and AI is fantastic.
“The knowledge sharing that will occur between local and global experts at this event has the potential to help positively shape New Zealand’s future.”