The Conference Shop and All the Goss

The Destinations We Loved, the Ones You're Overlooking & $15K in Free Grants

Season 3 is done — and this week the TCS team sit down to give their honest verdict on every destination we covered. Carla, MJ and Den share the standouts, the most underestimated destinations, the grants planners are leaving on the table, and two destinations that didn't make the season but absolutely deserve a spot on your radar.

Christchurch: Mountains, Opera Singers & a Brand New Stadium

A lot of planners haven't looked at Christchurch since the earthquakes. That's exactly the problem — because the city that exists now is something else entirely. Edwina Fitzsimon, Business Development Manager at ChristchurchNZ, joins Carla to set the record straight: a brand new stadium that just opened with a 1,500-person dinner on the field of play, a Sheraton arriving in 2027, and experiences you genuinely won't find anywhere else.

Inside Auckland: New Convention Centre, New Hotels & Dolphins on the Ferry

Auckland is three hours from the East Coast, with 200+ direct flights from Australia daily — and a brand new convention centre that just opened in February 2026. Charlotte Mills, Business Development Manager at the Auckland Convention Bureau, joins Carla to make the case for Auckland: a walkable, scalable city with two hotel openings on the horizon and a cultural experience that gives delegates genuine goosebumps.

Inside WA: New Hotels, Hidden Venues & the Quokka Selfie Competition

Perth is further away than Sydney or Melbourne — and that's exactly why it works. Emily Kelly, Senior Business Development Manager at Business Events Perth, joins Carla to unpack what WA actually offers corporate groups: a captivated audience, serious venue infrastructure, and experiences delegates don't forget. Plus the inside word on what's opening in 2026. If WA isn't on your shortlist yet, it probably should be.

Tasmania: The Destination That Surprises Event Planners

In this episode, we head to Tasmania with Laura Curtain, Head of Client Relations at Business Events Tasmania, to uncover what makes this destination so unique for corporate events. From easy access and new developments to truly local, immersive experiences, Laura shares why Tasmania continues to surprise planners — and how its connected community helps create events that feel personal, memorable, and different.