Barack Obama will make one speech in New Zealand during his visit in March, and it will be invite-only.
NZUS Council chairman Leon Grice, speaking this morning to TVNZ1's Breakfast today, said Mr Obama will speak in Auckland during his sponsored private trip to New Zealand, and that only those chosen by the sponsors will be able to attend.
"It's a private visit, so he and his team ... we need to know what they want to achieve while they're down here, but the thing that really nails the visit is giving a speech that makes it possible, commercially, to bring him down," Mr Grice said.
He wouldn't reveal how much the visit will cost.
"We didn't want to have this like a typically-promoted speech, where we were advertising and selling tickets, so all of the sponsors were of the same mind that we wanted to make this an invitation only speech so that people get to enjoy him without having to pay.
"A lot of them will be people who are doing business with the United States, there's no doubt about that, and people that are important to the sponsors, but we're also going to make sure that community leaders, youth leadership, Maori business, that there's a good cross section of society that get to see him."
His visit would be "great profile for New Zealand", Mr Grice said.
The trip was organised by The NZUS Council, who went to Air New Zealand to help with it, and also Mastercard and Westpac.
He is expected to play a round of golf with former Prime Minister Sir John Key, who is a director of Air New Zealand, and Obama will also visit Sydney where he will make a speech.
The visit has also been welcomed by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
"I look forward to welcoming Mr Obama to our country and anticipate meeting him once his full programme is finalised," Ms Ardern said.
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