The Zespri AIMS Games is Australasia’s largest junior sporting event, held annually in Tauranga Moana. Celebrating diversity, the Games provides an opportunity for adolescents from all demographics and education contexts to compete in sporting competitions, to meet others from outside their normal peer group, and to learn and build on their social interaction skills. The Zespri AIMS Games is highly regarded by national education and sporting organisations and is considered a leader in its area.

The AIMS Games Trust is a strategic partnership between the four founding intermediate schools (Otumoetai Intermediate, Mount Maunganui Intermediate, Tauranga Intermediate and Te Puke Intermediate), Sport Bay of Plenty and Tauranga City Council. Advisory Trustees from Sport New Zealand, ACC and NZAIMS (New Zealand Association of Intermediate Middle Schooling) also work alongside the Trust to provide strategic advice on the continued development of the Zespri AIMS Games.  Regional and national sporting organisations are actively involved in the Zespri AIMS Games to share knowledge and expertise in sports event governance, leadership, operational capability and systems.

Since its inception in 2004, the Zespri AIMS Games have grown from 760 competitors representing 17 schools and four sporting codes, to the 2023 tournament which welcomed 11,733 competitors, representing 373 schools and 25 sporting codes. It is remarkable to see a concept that Tauranga locals had, evolve into an event that in 2023 had 2.7% more athletes than the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Even with this outstanding growth, the Zespri AIMS Games continues to be largely delivered by Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty locals and is successfully hosted within the region using existing public sport and recreation facilities.

The 2024 Zespri AIMS Games will be held in Tauranga Moana, September 7-13 2024.