Queenstown will host 160 of the most powerful people in Olympic sports - including former Olympic athletes - next week, when the Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC) holds its annual meeting in the resort.
New Zealand Olympic Committee communications manager Ashley Abbott said it was just the second time the meeting had been held in New Zealand and was "a big deal" for the country and the host town.
The meeting, held annually, was an opportunity for ONOC members to discuss advancement for sports, drugs in sports, how poor communities were benefiting from Olympic involvement and different sporting policies.
However, this year's meeting would be bigger than usual, with the venue for the 2016 Olympic Games being announced in October.
"Firstly, the president of the IOC [International Olympic Committee, Dr Jacques Rogge] is coming.
He will go around the world and try and attend the European National Olympic Committee assembly every couple of years.
"This year, it's our turn."
Dr Rogge, an orthopaedic surgeon by profession, was born in Belgium and is the eighth IOC president.
Dr Rogge competed in yachting at the Mexico Olympic Games in 1968, the Munich Olympics in 1972 and at Montreal in 1976.
He was also a member of the Belgian national rugby team.
It will be Dr Rogge's second official visit to New Zealand and his trip will also include Wellington meetings with Prime Minister John Key and Minister for Sport and Recreation Murray McCully, Olympians, heads of sport and business leaders.
Ms Abbott said aside from Dr Rogge's attendance, there was plenty to look forward to from next week's meeting.
"It's extremely exciting. The four cities - Chicago, Tokyo, Rio and Madrid, which are the official bid cities for the 2016 Olympic Games - are all in town with their representatives presenting to the members of the Oceania Olympic Committee and the IOC."
Ms Abbott said the aim of the bid cities was to impress those voting in October for the host of the 2016 Games, hoping to secure their votes.
Ms Abbott said Dr Rogge would be treated as a government visitor and, as such, would be looked after directly by the New Zealand Government.
It was not known if additional security would be imposed in Queenstown, she said.
Representatives of several new sports bidding for inclusion in the 2016 Olympics would also make presentations next week.
Softball, golf, karate, rugby 7s and "roller sports" (for example, in-line skating), would present their cases and hope also to secure votes in Queenstown.
Ms Abbott said part of the reason Queenstown was chosen to host the meeting was because New Zealand Olympic Committee president Eion Edgar lived in the resort.
It would be a wonderful opportunity to showcase the area and would attract significant international media coverage, she said.
The cost of the conference, being held at The Millennium Hotel, was covered by ONOC.
The conference begins on Tuesday and will officially conclude on Thursday.
The conference
What: Oceania National Olympic Committee Assembly.
When: March 31 to April 2.
Where: Queenstown.
Number of delegates: 160.
Of interest: Bid cities for 2016 games present.
On the agenda: Five new sports to make a case.
