Wao Summit Event Programme
Te Taiao Day
Wānaka has long been renowned as a place of learning.
Day One of Wao Summit 2026 invites us to reconnect with the meaning of place by stepping back to see the bigger picture.
Featuring an exceptional line up of leading academics, researchers and thought leaders, the day explores the interconnected systems that shape our world through the lenses of climate, health, systems thinking, nature, resources and democracy. Challenging assumptions and expanding perspectives, this is the event you never knew you needed, offering the knowledge, context and inspiration to better understand an increasingly complex world and our place within it.
DAY PROGRAMME
Tuesday 27 October 2026
9:30AM: Morning Tea & Coffee
10:00AM: Welcome with Monique Kelly
10:15AM: The Environmental Costs of our Choices
10:30AM: Systems not Silos
11:15AM: The Planet is Running a Fever
12:00PM: Te Taiao Lunch
1:00PM: Beyond Climate
1:45PM: Investing in Nature
2:30PM: Afternoon Tea
3:00PM: Critical Minerals: At What Cost?
3:45PM: The Afterlife of Plastics
5:30PM: Once Were Farmers Photography Exhibition & Green Drinks
6:30PM: Evening Kōrero - The Election Conversation (separate Kōrero ticket required. Te Taiao Passholders receive a $5 discount - purchase as a ticket add-on via Humantix after selecting your day pass to receive the discount )
Schedule subject to change, any updates will be communicated here and to ticket holders.
SESSION DETAILS - CLICK ON A SESSION FOR FULL DETAILS
Better Business Day
Better Business Day brings together visionary leaders, practical thinkers and purpose-driven businesses to explore what leadership looks like in a rapidly changing world. Through workshops, inspiring conversations and real-world examples, discover how hope, innovation and purpose can help create resilient businesses, stronger communities and a thriving future for generations to come.
Read more about the Better Business Day in this blog post by Kelcey Radford, Better Business and Events Programme Manager at Wao.
DAY PROGRAMME
Wednesday 28 October 2026
7:00AM: Morning Flow (optional)
8:30AM: The Networking Breakfast
9:00AM: Designing Hopeful Futures
11:00AM: Morning Tea
11:30PM: Built to Adapt
12:30PM: Better Business Lunch
1:30PM: Innovation vs. Consent: Who Is Technology Really For?
2:15PM: Planetary Insights: Beyond Carbon
2:45PM: Afternoon Tea
3:15PM: Business as a Force for Good
5:30pm: Evening Green Drinks & Kōrero - The Age of Complexity: Navigating an Interconnected World(separate Kōrero ticket required. Better Business Day Passholders receive a $5 discount - purchase as a ticket add-on via Humantix after selecting your day pass to receive the discount)
Schedule subject to change, any updates will be communicated here and to ticket holders.
SESSION DETAILS - CLICK ON A SESSION FOR FULL DETAILS
Designing Hopeful Futures
Move beyond fear and uncertainty to imagine the future you want and discover practical tools to build resilient people, workplaces and communities.
What sort of future are you imagining for yourself, your family, your community or your business?
For many of us, the future can feel uncertain. It is easy to become consumed by headlines that leave us asking, How do I survive what's coming? But what if we asked a different question? How do we build the future we want?
The future doesn't exist yet. Before we can create it, we have to be able to imagine it.
In this highly interactive workshop, Dr Denise Quinlan will guide participants through practical tools and conversations that help turn hope into action. Together, you'll explore what a thriving future could look like, connect with others who share your aspirations, and discover how stronger relationships and shared purpose can build resilience in your workplace, your community and your own life.
Because hope is more than optimism. It is something we create together. And when we imagine better futures together, we are far more likely to build them.
YOUR FACILITATOR
Founding Director, NZ Institute of Wellbeing and Resilience
Built to Adapt
Building resilience into your business. What would it take for your business to keep functioning when the conditions you depend on change?
Better Building Day
Hosted this year at Rippon Hall, the Better Building Day brings together architects, builders, designers, local government, developers and changemakers to explore how we can build better. From healthier materials, circular design, nature positive development and values led leadership, our speakers and experts will set out the future direction of the industry. The day will end with a tour of some of Wānaka's inspiring local projects that are redefining what it means to build well. A day for the entire building industry to gather and shape future development.
Read more about the day in this blog post by Olivia Bonifant, Better Building Programme Manager at Wao.
Professional development: NZIA-registered Better Building Day pass holders are eligible for 50 CPD points. Unlimited Festival Pass holders are eligible for 100 CPD points. Check out the FAQ page for more information. LBP points can also be claimed by pass holders..
DAY PROGRAMME
Thursday 29 October 2026
7:30AM - 8.45AM: Better Building Brekkie & Trade Show
9:00AM - 12.00PM: Speaker Presentations
Morning Tea
Regeneration: A Positive Action We Can All Take In This Time
Designing with Māori and Pacific Values
12:00pm - 1.00PM: Better Building Networking Lunch
1:00pm - 5.00pm: Better Building Tour
5:30pm - 8.00PM: Green Drinks & Evening Kōrero - The Future of Energy (separate Kōrero ticket required. Better Building Passholders receive a $5 discount - purchase as a ticket add-on via Humantix after selecting your day pass to receive the discount)
Schedule subject to change, any updates will be communicated here and to ticket holders.
PASS OPTIONS
SESSION DETAILS - CLICK ON A SESSION FOR FULL DETAILS
Circularity Mythbusters: Greenwashing in Construction
Greenwashing is easy to spot — right? A timber labelled "sustainably sourced," a product claiming "low embodied carbon," a self-issued green logo on the box… but what questions should we ask to spot the fakes?
In an industry with endless products, certifications and claims, it can be difficult to know what the right choice is, and how it stacks up against something else.
This circularity myth busters workshop with Terri-Ann Berry, Environmental Innovation Centre, explores the common myths around sustainability claims in products, suppliers, and certifications. Learn how to look beyond the label to understand a product's full life cycle: where it comes from, what it's made of, and what happens to it at end of its life — so you can make more informed choices in your projects.
What to expect:
Real New Zealand examples
A group activity and discussion
Practical guidance on what to ask suppliers and subbies
Who it's for:
Architects, designers, builders, councils, and anyone interested in practical circular solutions. No prior or specialist knowledge is required, and all materials will be provided.
Cost: $25.00
CPD points for NZIA members:
NZIA-registered ticket holders are eligible for 15 CPD points for attending this event. Check out the FAQ page for more information.
LBP points can also be claimed for attending.
YOUR SPEAKERS
Co-Director, Environmental Innovation Centre & Associate Professor, Auckland University of Technology, Chartered Chemist, Chartered Environmentalist, Fellow RSC
Zine for Change: Crafting Climate Action
Create a climate action zine using collage and creativity. Explore local issues, express your vision and leave inspired to spark change. All ages welcome.
Climate Club’s Ripple Workshop: Understanding Climate & Imagining Our Future
This workshop is about taking a step back and understanding the causes and consequences of climate change. It brings people together through an interactive format that encourages people to creatively arrive at solutions to the climate crisis together.
Better Communities Weekend
Explore what it means to create regenerative, connected, and resilient communities. This day features a self-guided walking tour, a hands-on climate workshop, a session on working with nature to manage water and reduce risk, among others. Wrap up the day with an inspiring community film night on regeneration and action. A powerful day for anyone who cares about the future we’re building, together.
Better Building Day
Better Building Day at the Wao Summit is the South Island’s premier event for builders, architects, and industry professionals, showcasing the latest in sustainable construction and design.
Making Sense of Sustainability
Cut through the noise. This interactive session unpacks what sustainability and ESG really mean in business—and how to turn them into tools for strategic advantage.
Better Business Day
Unlock a full day of inspiring, actionable sessions exploring how business can be a powerful force for environmental and social regeneration. From the emerging world of biodiversity credits and place-based conservation in the mountains, to emotionally intelligent leadership and future-ready sustainability strategy, you'll gain insights and tools to lead with impact. Whether you're in business, tourism, finance, or governance, this is your invitation to build better—together.
The State of Our Climate
Join Dr. Greg Bodeker for a kōrero on the intersection of growth limits and the climate crisis. He will explore the impacts of a neoliberal capitalist economy and discuss alternative pathways for systemic, sustainable change.
Building Better Builders' Breakfast - Wānaka
Join us for the Launch of the "This is How We Build" Campaign. Enjoy a coffee and food and listen to some of the local builders talk about their moves to reduce waste in the industry and lower their footprint.
Rethinking Economics - Queenstown
Look beyond GDP and explore what an economy where people and nature thrive looks like, and more importantly, what steps are needed to put this into action.