The New Zealand office of BDO is flooding Samoa’s shores with close to 300 people filling a booked Taumeasina Island Resort for their annual conference over the Easter weekend.

BDO is an international accounting network form, joined recently by Samoan firm Betham and Co, now BDO Samoa in January 2017. Today, BDO Samoa is the largest accounting firm in the country, and part of the largest international firm across the Pacific.

Beginning Thursday, BDO New Zealand’s partners, and their families will gather for their annual wrap up conference and preparations for their new year. For the first time that annual conference is in Samoa.

“It is so great that we are considered as a destination,” said Hanalei Betham, partner of BDO Samoa.

“Since we joined BDO, we have definitely opened their eyes to Samoa as a conference location.”

The conference includes 74 partners of BDO New Zealand, 72 accompanying people and 92 of their children who get to join in the trip and enjoy Samoa. BDO meet for half days from Thursday to Sunday, with the other half of the day spent on trips around the island.

Founding member of Betham and Co., Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr Sailele Malielegaoi will give a keynote address at the conference gala on Sunday evening. In a letter to BDO Samoa, Tuilaepa said he was proud of the firm’s achievements, and initiative.

“The BDO conference will promote our country not only as a tourist destination but also as a large scale conference venue for the private sector,” said Ms Betham.

She believes this may be the biggest private sector conference Samoa has ever hosted, and that perhaps there will be more to come as well as the usual calendar of large intergovernmental meetings and non-government organisation’s events.

Taumeasina Island Resort General Manager Tuiataga Nathan Bucknall said he is proud to be hosting the conference, and agrees it is great for Samoa’s tourism industry.

“It’s great that we have got the facilities for it, we are lucky to have the rooms,” he said.

“We’re really looking forward to it.”

BDO NZ Chairman David O’Connor arrives this afternoon along with 125 participants of the conference.