Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland has been selected to host WIPCE 2025 – the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education.
WIPCE is the largest, most diverse Indigenous education forum in the world, and is expected to attract some 3,000 representatives from around the world to New Zealand to share strategies for culturally grounded education.
The event will be held in November 2025 and will be one of the first international conferences held in Auckland’s New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC), delivering an estimated economic impact to the city of more than $6m.
The bid was led by Auckland University of Technology’s Office of Māori Advancement and Te Ara Poutama – its Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Development with support from Auckland Convention Bureau (ACB), a division of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, and Tourism New Zealand’s Business Events team.
The bid also received support from Māori King Te Arikinui Tūheitia Paki, the Chair of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust Marama Royal, and distinguished academic leaders in Māori advancement.
AUT’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Māori Advancement, Professor Pare Keiha, is the Chair for WIPCE 2025 and says the WIPCE International Council voted unanimously for Te Wānanga Aronui O Tāmaki Makau Rau (AUT) to host the event in 2025.
“The WIPCE council was elated by the calibre of our bid, by its multi-generational focus. My esteemed colleagues have done Aotearoa proud in bringing this home, a job made possible with the full support of others, including Tourism New Zealand and the Auckland Convention Bureau,” Professor Keiha says.
“We look forward to welcoming thousands of our global Indigenous brothers and sisters to the shores of Aotearoa New Zealand, so that we may collectively work to transform the lives of our young people, the world over.”
Head of ACB Ken Pereira says: “We are proud of the opportunity to celebrate the mana of our indigenous Māori culture and highlight the important work being done in our education sector on a world stage. This win is an example of the importance of industry partners working together to bring world-class events to Tāmaki Makaurau.”
Tourism New Zealand General Manager New Zealand & Business Events Bjoern Spreitzer adds: “It’s truly exciting to be able to share New Zealand’s unique Māori culture and world view with the manuhiri (visitors) who will attend this conference.
“The authentic and transformative cultural knowledge and experiences that Aotearoa New Zealand can offer business event attendees really sets us apart as a destination. This event will create excellent opportunities for knowledge sharing and positive legacies.”
NZICC’s Director of Sales & Marketing Prue Daly says: “As the only venue in New Zealand large enough to host a conference of this scale, it is a privilege to be welcoming WIPCE and their delegates to the New Zealand International Convention Centre as one of our first international conventions after our much-anticipated opening in 2025.
“The sharing of knowledge and showcasing New Zealand’s manaakitanga are fundamental values of the NZICC, and to be able to foster this through the WIPCE conference, who are utilising all 32,500 sqm of our world-class venue, is very exciting.”
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NOTES:
About the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education:
WIPCE is a movement of individuals and organisations dedicated to the design and development of culturally affirming and intellectually enriching education for Indigenous peoples.
Over more than 30 years, WIPCE has grown to become a major international event in the Indigenous education movement. WIPCE draws Indigenous education experts, practitioners, scholars, students and communities from across the globe to share successes and strategies for culturally grounded education.
The accrued skills and knowledge resulting from participating in schooling and post schooling learning opportunities that are culturally affirming as well as intellectually enriching is viewed as fundamental to positive human growth and development and serve as an empowering tool central to cultural survival and celebration as Indigenous peoples.
About Tourism New Zealand:
Tourism New Zealand’s dedicated Business Events team provides strategic funding and support to attract conferences and incentives that will enrich New Zealand.
For more information on holding a business event in New Zealand, visitbusinessevents.newzealand.com
About Auckland Convention Bureau (ACB):
ACB promotes and positions Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland in domestic and international markets as a premium destination for business events, ranging from large-scale conferences and conventions to meetings, seminars, tradeshows and incentive travel.
It is a specialist unit within Tātaki Auckland Unlimited with the objective of driving the growth of Auckland’s world-class business events sector.
Business events provide a platform to exchange knowledge and ideas, build relationships and attract investment and talent to Auckland.
About the Auckland University of Technology (AUT):
Auckland University of Technology (AUT) is one of the world’s best modern universities. Home to more than 28,000 students across three campuses, AUT leads Australasia in global research impact, with over 60 research centres and institutes delivering leading research – from artificial intelligence to robotics, and ecology to public health.
As a contemporary university AUT is connected to an extraordinary range of organisations worldwide; sharing expertise and resources, collaborating on ground-breaking research, and connecting students with industry leaders and employers.
About NZICC
Scheduled for completion in 2025, the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) has been designed by world-class architects, and over 70 event industry experts and future clients, creating a building design that is versatile, flexible and adaptable. NZICC presents opportunities for a wide range of business and non-business events on all 4 levels and includes:
- capacity for one off events of 4000 people
- a tiered, divisible or flat floor theatre venue to accommodate 2850 seats auditorium style or 1100 banquet seating
- multipurpose divisible Halls of 6700sqm, that accommodate 16 different modes, for up to 400 exhibition booths or over 3200 banquet seating
- up to 33 meeting rooms at any one time for breakout spaces or smaller events.
- Connected to the city via a laneway, with airbridge access to 1000 hotel rooms linked directly to NZICC via air bridges.
NZICC will showcase sustainable and community legacy focused operations, not only providing economic impact to Aotearoa New Zealand, but also positive social impact to our local Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland community.
Picture caption (left to right): New Zealand celebrates winning WIPCE 2025 - Joshua Wainui, Regional Manager Māori Service Innovation, Auckland Council; Michael Stokoe, Business Development Manager, Tourism New Zealand; Dr Noe Wong-Wilson, WIPCE Council Chair; Taituwha King, Senior Lecturer, AUT (holding the boomerang); Colleen Leauanae, Manager of Projects and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Māori Advancement, AUT; Aroha Te Kanawa, Secretary, WIPCE Council; Toiroa Williams, PhD student and Lecturer, AUT.
