SkyCity Auckland Convention Centre

Once again, this large-scale biennial conference was a privilege to manage. Held at SkyCity Auckland Convention Centre, with over 600 delegates, 50 exhibition spaces, 42 concurrent sessions, six panel discussion and a number of keynote and invited speakers.  In addition to the programme a wine, cheese and chat night, and conference dinner all ran smoothly, like clockwork.

Following the powhiri, a sand artist opened the conference, along with a violinist and the Minister of Health. Complete with an ending with Korean and Pasifika dance groups.

This year, tweeting and updates via facebook were encouraged as an added way for delegates to participate in discussions.

Rydges Latimer Christchurch
The Combined Community Trusts’ biennial conference was hosted by the Rata Foundation (formally The Canterbury Community Trust) and was attended by over 200 staff, board trustees, chief executives and fund managers from throughout New Zealand.

The 12 combined community trusts of New Zealand are the custodians of over $2 billion of investments and collectively grant over $100 million to thousands of community organisations throughout New Zealand each year.

The theme of conference was “Seed”, drawing inspiration from the beautiful whakatouki (Maori proverb) that “Today’s Seeds are Tomorrow’s Forests”. We wanted to create an experience for delegates that embraced the ideas of renewal, innovation, growth and hope – elements reflected in the conference setting of Christchurch; a city rising again after the earthquakes.

Day one featured a pōwhiri at the spectacular Rehua Marae. Delegates were later led on a double-decker bus tour of the inner city to visit some of the key rebuild projects, before arriving at their final destination, the recently re-opened Christchurch Art Gallery, for their Welcome Reception.

The three days offered trustees and staff to get together, with the support of speakers and sponsors to network and disucss mutual and contemporary philanthropic issues. The programme was split into three core themes, philanthropy, governance and investment. There was 38 impressive speakers ranging from international keynotes speakers, to local leaders, such as Judge Andrew Becroft, Hana O’Regan, Nigel Latta, Arihia Bennet, Marcus Akuhata-Brown.

Amongst the conference, the social media was going wild, with disucssions on Twitter, Facebook, and the conference app, all part of the live diaglogue.

Amongst the busy conference programme of speakers and concurrent sessions, the Dr Seuss themed conference dinner at the Transitional "Cardboard" Cathedral, provided an opportunity to wear wacky costumes and indulge in some silliness!

Lincoln University
CAUTHE entrusted us with their first conference outside Australia. Held over four days, and with delegates from around the world, it was the ideal opportunity to promote New Zealand, and post-earthquake Christchurch, as a destination.

We created a tasting plate of Kiwi experiences for the delegates to enjoy amidst the programme of speakers and workshops, including a pōwhiri, a welcome Kiwi BBQ (with a Plan B up our sleeves in case of bad weather) and a formal evening five-course dinner held at the historic Riccarton House. We arranged a tour of the post-earthquake City Centre, and to finish off the night booked out several local Christchurch restaurants so that delegates could experience a wide range of cuisine and Kiwi hospitality. 

Infocus Conference 2009 - 2015 - Various venues
This was our sixth year (Queenstown and Rotorua both destinations twice, Auckland and Christchurch) managing the Infocus conference; the event for seasoned photographers and those just starting out to meet up, network and be inspired. As well as the chance to hear respected photographers from NZ and around the world, the conference featured a large art exhibition of over 1,000 prints.

Day one culminated in the Gala awards dinner: a celebration of NZ’s most talented photographers. And for day two, a change of pace … a “shoot out” between three well-known photographers. Given just 15 minutes to create a shot live, the winner was decided by the level of applause; a fun and inventive way to involve the audience.

Rotorua - Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre
With NZ and international dementia experts in attendance, this was the opportunity to showcase exciting developments in the areas of research, prevention and treatment of dementia.

It was important to make information accessible to a wide-ranging audience, particularly in the “extra-curricular” activities. We were lucky to have the Brain Health Centre’s inflatable brain on display. This amazing interactive exhibit allowed the delegates to literally step inside the brain to discover more about its inner workings.

Another experience that got everyone talking was an excerpt from the verbatim play about dementia -"The Keys are in the Margarine". Performed live, and using words and stories from real people, this piece gave delegates a powerful insight into what life is like for those affected by the disease.

Shed 6 and TSB Arena, Wellington

Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) hosted this one-day event, which encompassed the following:

- Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) Programmes Annual Meeting

- Shaping New Zealand’s Food and Fibre Future Conference

- Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) programmes Exhibition and Networking Expo

The event had grown over the years and tenders were sourced to manage the logistics of the event. With a short lead in time, the programme was established to look 10 - 20 years into the future and consider how New Zealand’s primary industries can prepare for the challenges and opportunities this brings.

The 21 programmes exhibiting all had individual requirements, from lamb being cooked on a BBQ indoors, to pizzas being cooked in the correct ovens onsite at the venue and getting approval to use the exhibitors own mozzarella.

It was a full on day, but the delegates went away having networked, debated, participated and learned about New Zealand food and fibre future.  

Two destinations in the one conference - Wellington for two days, followed by the third day in Christchurch
Ever up for a challenge, how could we pass up the chance to organise the annual conference for the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (NZ)? These guys were amazing in the immediate aftermath of the CHCH earthquakes; leaping into action to arrange the logistics of getting much-needed equipment on site as quickly as possible.

Their three-day conference entitled The Logistics of Natural Disaster Recovery was split over two locations: Wellington and Christchurch, and required our best logistical know-how to ensure that delegates got from A to B with minimum fuss. We organised special charter flights to Christchurch, and, to finish off the event on a practical note, arranged for the delegates to receive an extensive guided study tour of Christchurch City Centre. 

The Langham Auckland
For the Hospice New Zealand Palliative Care Conference, we wanted to create an event that reflected different aspects of hospice life – the caring and inclusive atmosphere, touching moments and flashes of laughter.

This three-day conference, held at The Langham in Auckland was formally opened by the Minister of Health. It featured keynote speakers from New Zealand and overseas as well as a panel discussion led by TV journalist Mike McRoberts.

Central to the conference was the Remembrance Service. A moving experience that gave delegates the opportunity to reflect and remember those who have departed.

In contrast, the Express Yourself conference dinner was the ideal way to relax, socialise and bring out some smiles, courtesy of two outrageous drag queens – Buffy and Bimbo. Something unique and unexpected - the perfect way to wrap up the final night. 

Travelodge New Plymouth, Rydges Lakeland Resort Queentown, Napier War Memorial Centre
It was a pleasure to arrange the two-day Research Forum held at the Rydges Lakeland Resort in Queenstown, following on from organising the previous forum in New Plymouth.

In fact, we enjoyed it so much that we did it all over again in the Hawkes Bay. Set against the stunning backdrop of Lake Wakatipu, the forum featured 15-minute presentations followed by Q&A sessions. We kept our heads to ensure that everything ran to time. And what better way to cap off a hectic first day, than to arrange an informal dinner for delegates to sit back, relax and enjoy the best that Queenstown has to offer. 

Te Papa, Wellington

This was the first summit held of it’s kind in New Zealand, with a collaboration between New Zealand Dementia Co-operative, Alzheimer’s New Zealand and Carers New Zealand.

The summit was workshop style with delegates pre-seated at tables, to ensure groups had a wide range of voices and experiences at each table. Each table had a scribe and facilitator which fed-back to the wider audience of their tables thoughts, insights, on questions posed by the Summit facilitator.

The goal was to identify any gaps and explore better was to deliver better outcomes for people with dementia which is now being implemented throughout New Zealand

Rydges Latimer Christchurch

This was a unique conference, at the time of the Christchurch earthquakes donations were made to Christchurch Osteopaths. The small fund was used as seeding funds to start this conference.

The conference was held in honour of Janet Meller, a Christchurch Osteopath, who died in the CTV building. Her colleagues and industry peers on the committee, brought this conference together, held a tremendous sense of responsibility to ensure not only the delegates had a fantastic experience, but also the memory of Janet and all she stood for was up-held.

We were called in to manage the conference, once the committee realised that their skills lay in being Osteopaths not conference organisers! We got to work, on all the elements required to bring the conference together.

Osteopaths are quite literally hands-on people. So the conference included plenary sessions, but also practical workshops. It’s not often that part of the runsheet, included 40 practice tables, and linen for those tables!

Many delegates said it was a brilliant conference and they felt it would have made Janet proud. We hope so.

Claudelands Conference and Exhibition Centre, Hamilton
This large-scale event at Claudelands Conference and Exhibition Centre in Hamilton, called upon our best organisational and management skills to keep everything running smoothly. Slotted neatly between the opening and closing ceremonies of the three-day event were plenary sessions, 6 panel discussions and 42 concurrent sessions.

Comedian Michele A’Court was on hand to provide a hilarious keynote address and the entertainment continued into the evening with the conference dinner. The spectacular Atrium at Wintec was the venue, and delegates made the most of the wonderful atmosphere, food and chance for a boogie!

TE PAPA Wellington
We were delighted to once again organise the Hospice NZ Palliative Care Conference. This year was a special milestone: their 21st conference. Held over three days at Te Papa, the venue was an extraordinary backdrop; and we were excited by the challenge of managing the event within a working museum.

In the spirit of tradition, we thought it perfectly fitting to celebrate the conference turning 21 with a “Happy 21st” dinner on the first night. The dress code for delegates: come dressed as they would have done when they were 21. The night generated a lot of laughter and was a wonderful way for everyone to relax and connect.

The theme for this year’s conference was Reaching Out, Community Engagement. This engagement extended beyond the discussion topics to the other delegate experiences: the pōwhiri, Remembrance Service, conference app and the inclusion of the interactive art form Tape Art; whose temporary murals sparked many a conversation.

Wellington Convention Centre / Michael Fowler Centre
With over 800 delegates, two venues in Wellington, over 50 exhibitors, and a number of off-site social functions, our challenge was to bring all the elements together to create a cohesive and enjoyable event.

Alongside concurrent sessions running over the three days, we organised a visit to Tapu Te Ranga Marae. It gave delegates an opportunity to look at childbirth from a different perspective as they wandered past the beautiful fountains in the whenua garden, dedicated to the Atua Waahine (goddesses) who preside over childbirth.

We carried the idea of different perspectives through to the opening and closing ceremonies, electing to mix it up a little with a range of entertainment including a choir, opera singer and a hip-hop dance crew. 

The Langham, Auckland

We were delighted to be back at The Langham Auckland, which suited this conference in size and proportion perfectly.

The theme for this conference was ‘What matters most?’. When time is short, we want to do what matters most. The conference theme challenged each delegate to consider what matters from a range of perspectives. What matters most to patients, to their families, to the carers and to our communities when it comes to end of life care? What maters to us most personally?

How we translated this theme into the conference was have each hospices ask staff, patients, those in the communities to write what matters most to them, and photographed them, which was showcased on the screens to music at the beginning of every plenary session. It was a way of centering the room, prior to the session starting and kept the theme in the for-front of everyone’s mind.

With five international keynote speakers, the programme is always going to be heavy hitting, but we ensured the speakers were well brief on the theme and the layer behind it, in the lead-up.

Along with some amazing entertainment elements in the conference, the conference dinner provided a night of great fun, with The Great Gatsby theme.  

Shed 6, Wellington

This symposium was to be held in Wellington, in November 2016. Unfortunately, it was the day of the Kaikors earthquakes and the Wellington CBD was completely closed down. Logistically we swung into action, getting the message out to delegates, who were travelling from all around New Zealand to attend, as well, as liaising with the venue, speakers and hosts Hospice New Zealand.

The symposium was rescheduled for February 2017, and was the first New Zealand symposium on palliative care outcome measures. The purpose of the symposium is to stimulate discussion and collaboration across the New Zealand palliative care sector, while benefiting from international expertise and experience.

It was an interactive day with delegates from across aged residential care, hospital, hospice and research settings attending.

One presentation from the UK, it wasn’t cost effective to bring them out for the day, and their presentation was pre-recorded and then they were Skyped in for a question and answer session with the audience.

The day was hugely successful, with papers drawn up from feedback provided on the day.