Wellington New Zealand Touts Unique Quality of Life in Push to Recruit Talent

NEW YORK, /PRNewswire/ — In an effort to attract talent from around the world who want to fulfill both new career and lifestyle ambitions, WellingtonNZ, the Wellington region’s economic development agency, is kicking off “ESC to Wellington,” a recruitment campaign highlighting the opportunities that come with living and working in New Zealand’s capital city.

Wellington Te Whanganui a Tara, the city that captured the world’s attention with work on the Lord of the Rings and Avatar films and home to the nation’s seat of government – recently led by former New Zealand Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern – is now calling visitors and talent to the capital.

On Tuesday, August 1, WellingtonNZ is hosting an interactive pop-up experience in New York City, created to emphasize the unique life-work balance Wellington offers. From 12pm to 7pm at Herald Square’s Big Screen Plaza (851 6th Ave), New Yorkers and visitors will be able to push down on a custom-built, and arguably the world’s largest, ESC key to search through a catalog of current employment opportunities in Wellington — across a host of sectors including technology, film and screen, gaming, business and more.

At the same time, a giant digital billboard will pull on the heartstrings, showing people a taste of the lifestyle that awaits them in the city and region.

“The ‘ESC to Wellington‘ campaign zeroes in on the changing priorities of today’s workforce, challenging people in New York, across the U.S., and world, to reflect on where they want to be and to consider Wellington a place to fulfill their career and lifestyle ambitions in equal measure,” said John Allen, WellingtonNZ CEO.

“With opportunities to work in tech, business, and more, this compact and connected capital city is a place of, and for, change — a region of diverse communities, landscapes, and day-to-day experiences offering a real work-life balance. Or, as we like to call it, life-work balance.”

“ESC to Wellington” will target audiences across the US and into the UK during the month of August through a multi-channel digital media campaign, asking people to consider what matters most to them when it comes to their careers, family, and lifestyle, highlighting:

• Wellington’s ranking as one of the most livable places in the world continues to climb. A harbor city framed by natural beauty and owning a job sector full of thriving careers, Wellington’s place on the Global Liveability Index 2023 leapt 35 places since 2022, landing it #23 among 170+ cities. From commuting and walkability to safety and location of emergency services, Wellington continues to outperform itself, championing strong economic benefits and unique cultural amenities.
• Wellington is pioneering the life-work balance. Not only is the cost of living lower than in London and NYC, but people in Wellington have the highest salaries in New Zealand coupled with the most affordable housing options, with just 22% of their income going to rent.
• From sports to film, Wellington is a cultural hub with world-class events and activities. Dubbed “the world’s coolest little capital” by Lonely Planet, people from around the world have descended on Wellington to celebrate the world’s largest women’s sporting event, reinforcing the city’s reputation as a vibrant, under-the-radar cultural capital. The city is also globally recognized as a creative hub for its visual effects, post-production, and physical effects sector, having been dubbed “Wellywood.” Wellington’s calendar is jam-packed year-round, including a just-announced, world-first exhibition coming in December that is expected to draw international interest.
• New Zealand is more globally connected than ever. Moving to Wellington means being super connected to the rest of the world—you can visit family in the U.S. easily and explore other amazing cities and shores. And it’s more accessible than ever: five direct flights are launching to New Zealand from major cities in the U.S. this year—in addition to the JFK-AKL route that debuted to much excitement last year.

For more information on the campaign, including case studies from expats living in Wellington, visit WellingtonNZ.com/Esc.

About WellingtonNZ
WellingtonNZ is the Wellington region’s economic development agency, tasked with enhancing prosperity, vibrancy and livability across New Zealand’s capital city and surrounds. Its mission is to make the Wellington region thrive as a place to live, visit, study, work, do business, and invest, and achieves this by supporting businesses to build capability, attracting, hosting, and investing in events, running civic venues, engaging in marketing and storytelling, and destination development.

Photo credit — Wellington City Council