The group of 13 that included some conference organisers, event managers, agents and wedding planners experienced what Niue had to offer for larger groups wanting to combine work with play and offer clients something different from other more traditional island escapes.
It was not the usual famil of looking at conference spaces and dozens of hotel rooms – it was centred around experiences, food and what could be delivered for conference and incentive groups and weddings. After a flight on Air New Zealand accompanied by NZ’s Chris McLean the team had a tour of town before poolside cocktails, then hopping on Niue’s party bus and having a Japanese meal.
The next day had them checking out potential off-site venues and visiting the array of seatracks before an outer reef guided snorkelling tour with Niue Blue. A trivia night at a local restaurant and a dark sky experience rounded out the day. Guided walks, more snorkelling, golf, an uga (coconut crab) hunt and hula class were enjoyed over the next few days. The highlight was an off-site dinner and village experience that included a cultural show from the local kids.
‘The C&I market along with weddings are something we have been focused on with Scenic Matavai Resort for a couple of years now and it’s getting great traction,’ says Hayden Porter from Niue Tourism who hosted the famil group.
‘Dozens of conferences have been delivered since our first C&I famil in 2024, with our largest conference (Novus Glass) hosting 120 delegates last year as a result of that famil. More than 50 weddings were delivered in 2025.’