Another incredible, record-breaking conference

Thank you to everyone who joined us to help make the 2026 Stormwater Conference and Expo one of our biggest and best yet.

All up there were a record 988 of us – delegates, visitors and exhibitors,- and 475 joined us at the Stantec Awards Dinner to celebrate innovation and excellence across the sector.

Our theme – Stormwater is a taonga: Managing challenges and opportunities was particularly apt during this time of climate challenge and the need to recognise rainfall, run-off and our waterways as an inextricable part of our ecosystem.

We heard some outstanding technical and keynote presentations and thought- leaderships sessions – from global environmental leadership and advocacy – to the role of pricing in enabling sustainable stormwater services.

We took part in thought-provoking workshops and panel discussions and witnessed inspiring examples of innovation and leadership across the sector.

And we saw what was possible when we combine technical expertise, nature‑based thinking and community‑centred solutions.

A huge thank you to our speakers, chairs, researchers and practitioners for such a generous sharing of knowledge. Thank you also to our conference committee for helping deliver an exceptional programme and to our event organisers Avenues for bringing this event to life.  

Finally, a special thank you to our partners and sponsors – our premier partner Stormwater360, conference partners Prime Fluid Management and Dutton Stormwater, Conference Awards Dinner sponsor Stantec and all our other sponsors and partners.

Ngā mihi nui

Gillian Blythe

CEO, Water New Zealand.