Fieldays isn’t just a feel-good fixture on the rural calendar. It’s big business. It’s a national showroom where New Zealand agribusiness is commercialised, exported, and scaled.
With new CEO Richard Lindroos now at the helm, he says expect less nostalgia and more execution: a harder-edged strategy, clearer commercial partnerships, and a push to turn Mystery Creek into a venue that can win bigger events and bigger dollars, year-round.
Stepping into the role, what surprised Richard most wasn’t the size of Fieldays, despite attracting more than 100,000 visitors, 1,000 exhibitors, and delegations from India, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and beyond. The scale is undeniable,
but it’s the reach that makes Fieldays truly stand out.
“The impact in the business-to-business, business-to-government, and international relations space is significant,” Richard reflects. “We generate over $500 million in economic impact to the New Zealand economy each year. That absolutely trumps any other mega event here.”
While Fieldays is steeped in tradition, owned by a society with 58 years of history and core values of bringing town and country together, Richard recognises the need to adapt.
“There’s so much opportunity here beyond Fieldays. We’re sitting on 114 hectares of strategic real estate,” says Richard.
“We have the potential to be the best venue in the southern hemisphere for mega events.”
He’s leading a structured plan to achieve this, which includes water security, energy resilience, green alternatives that are both environmentally sustainable and set up the site for civil defence emergencies, as well as fit-for-purpose buildings, and an improved venue footprint with upgraded roads, lighting, and landscaping.
“If you want to continue delivering world-class events, you need a world-class venue. That requires significant investment,” he says.
With Fieldays just a short drive from Cambridge, it’s no surprise that half the staff are based in Cambridge, and hundreds of local volunteers power the event each year.
The event plays a hugely important role in the local Waikato economy, contributing around $210 million of annual expenditure from the 2024 event, supporting local employment, bringing business to suppliers, and fostering new business connections. “This impact and legacy is something the local community can be immensely proud of,” says Richard.
The pride extends to Waipā District Council, which Lindroos credits for removing barriers and engaging in short and long-term planning conversations.
The opportunity to extend Hamilton Airport’s runway, just across the road from Mystery Creek Events Centre, is another game-changer.
“There’s a strong relationship, and as the airport expands, there’ll be huge advantages for international patronage and mega-event hosting, with the sheer capacity we have here to host huge numbers.”
While Fieldays excels at innovation and increasingly at globalisation, Lindroos sees education as the area with the most growth potential.
“To double the value of our exports by 2034, aside from the government’s target, we need a skilled workforce,” he says. “That starts with making agribusiness education clear at the high school level and offering practical tertiary options.
“It’s not just on-farm roles, it’s the tech required to service farming, the innovation, the business side. We’re a platform to showcase what those careers could look like in the future.”
The Society is establishing a philanthropic arm to facilitate gifts for capital projects, educational scholarships, and innovation prizes, which will help to build financial resilience and support infrastructure upgrades and new initiative.
Asked about the future, Richard’s timeline extends to 2040, which marks New Zealand’s 200th anniversary.
“The world’s attention will be on New Zealand. We want Fieldays to be a month-long celebration of everything agribusiness,” he envisions. “Bring the world’s largest agribusiness conferences here under the Fieldays banner.”
It’s an ambitious vision, but with investment in infrastructure, Lindroos believes Mystery Creek can become the southern hemisphere’s premier large-scale event venue. If successful, attracting more large-scale mega events could boost Cambridge’s economy further, support local businesses, and enhance the community’s profile.
“We’ve punched above our weight for 58 years, now we’re building the infrastructure to punch even harder.”
Where
Mystery Creek Events Centre
When
10 - 13 June 2026
History
Running since 1969 (58 years in 2026)
Scale
1,000+ exhibitors
110,000+ visitors
114-hectare site
Reach
66 international exhibitors
43 international delegations
23 embassies (2025)
Impact
$500+ million annual economic contribution to New Zealand economy
Waikato Impact
$210 million annual expenditure in the Waikato
(figures from the 2024 event)
