How to plan an accessible and inclusive conference in New Zealand

How to plan an accessible and inclusive conference in New Zealand

Accessibility is now a baseline expectation for business events, not an add-on. A genuinely inclusive conference lets every delegate — wheelchair users, people with low vision or hearing, neurodivergent attendees and those with dietary or medical needs — arrive, move, participate and network without barriers. Planning for it starts at the venue brief and runs through transport, catering and the programme itself.

Start with a step-free venue

The MICE directory lists venues across all 16 New Zealand regions, and many record whether their event spaces are accessible — step-free entry, lifts, accessible bathrooms and hearing loops. Thirty spaces in the directory are currently flagged as accessible, including large, well-serviced rooms such as the Aotea Centre's Great Hall and the SkyCity Auckland Convention Centre halls. Purpose-built convention centres — among the 24 in the directory, such as Takina in Wellington, The Dunedin Centre and The Trafalgar Centre in Nelson — are usually the safest starting point, because they are designed to current building accessibility standards. Browse options in the venue directory and compare room layouts with the capacities tool.

Ask every shortlisted venue: is there step-free access from the street and the car park? Are lifts large enough for a wheelchair and a companion? Is there an accessible stage ramp, an induction loop, and accessible toilets near the main room?

Get delegates there

Transport is where inclusion is most often forgotten. New Zealand has close to 200 transport operators in the directory, and several specialise in assisted, door-to-door travel — brands such as Driving Miss Daisy and Freedom Drivers operate in multiple centres, alongside wheelchair-accessible shuttles and Corporate Cabs fleets in the main cities. Book at least one accessible vehicle for every transfer leg and publish the booking process in your joining instructions. See operators by city in the transport directory.

Build inclusion into the programme

• Offer captioning or NZSL interpreters for plenary sessions, and share slides in advance.
• Provide a quiet room and clear signage for neurodivergent delegates.
• Brief caterers on allergies and cultural and medical diets — the directory lists more than 250 event caterers who handle this routinely.
• Publish an accessibility statement with the agenda so delegates know what to expect.

A good professional conference organiser will manage all of this; see the PCO and DMC directory to find one, and explore more planning resources in the MICE guides.