New Zealand is well known for its art of hospitality and it lived up to its name with the concept of the “Manaakitanga experience” at IMEX Frankfurt 2018. Convention planners could enjoy a korero (conversation) and kai (food) at a dining table intricately designed and carved from ancient reclaimed swamp kauri by the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute (NZMACI) to reflect Maori hospitality traditions that have shaped contemporary New Zealand culture.

“The korero and kai table is a powerful symbol of how New Zealand welcomes strangers and makes them feel at home. It also acts as an invitation to the world to come and experience New Zealand’s beauty and our warm hospitality for themselves,” says Lisa Gardiner, Manager of Business Events and Premium at Tourism New Zealand.

Watch the design and making of this table in the video below and understand how it symbolizes hospitality and culture of New Zealand: