This study examines the opportunities and challenges Auckland will meet in establishing itself as an international conference destination. The New Zealand government has plans for building New Zealand’s largest conference centre – the National Conference Centre in Auckland in order to cater for and capitalise on the global market. This would bring Auckland in line with international standards and enable the city to be capable of holding large-scale conferences. The research reviews literature regarding the conference industry and uses a discrete-choice set of twelve studies and three associations to analyse data. As a result, the research concludes that eight important criteria are used frequently and can be used to gauge the potential success of international conference cities. The results provide a starting point for a discussion on whether Auckland is suited, and can become an international conference city. The future of New Zealand’s international conference industry depends on whether the country and the city can manage the challenges.