About 500 participants from 50 countries are expected to attend the Australia New Zealand Agent (Anza) workshop at the Queenstown Events Centre from February 29 to March 2.
Formatted in a similar way to Trenz, which was held for the first time in Queenstown from May 23 to 25, the workshop facilitates one-on-one appointments between agencies which send student and education-related travellers to the region and those who provide educational and tourism services at the destination.
Participants were also offered professional development seminars or opportunities to promote their own programmes, schools, countries and regions.
Destination Queenstown convention bureau manager Kylie Brittain said securing Anza was a "strategic win" for Queenstown which represented a coming of age for the resort as an "edu-tourism" destination.
"Education is a major export earner for both Australia and New Zealand and Queenstown is now recognised as a credible international education destination, with many options as a place for students to live and learn outside their home countries.
"Hosting Anza gives us the opportunity to display our offering to this market niche.
"It's an international platform that can promote the resort as a superb study destination," Ms Brittain said.
Queenstown's live-and-learn opportunities had been profiled and organised through Study Queenstown, a specialist organisation set up two years ago which brought together the education institutions offering services in Queenstown, to provide a one-stop-shop for people considering study in the region.
Study Queenstown spokesman Charlie Phillips said the organisation worked hard to present Queenstown as a credible, well established edu-tourism destination.
"Study Queenstown represents all the education providers in the area from secondary school to tertiary and language institutions. "We work together to present Queenstown as a serious education destination with organisations that are experienced in hosting, teaching and supporting international students."
