Programme

Our ANZEA team has been hard at work crafting a conference experience that gives you the space to think, connect, and discover fresh ideas.

We know how much goes into planning your travel, so here is a quick look at how our days will flow:

• Day 1 (Mon 3 August): Registration opens at 8:00 AM. We kick off with an intentionally relaxed start with time to land, grab a coffee and catch up with colleagues or join one of our interactive events for new or seasoned evaluators. The official Mihi Whakatau is at 11:00 AM. Then it’s ANZEA’s welcome orientation, lunch and a full afternoon until 5:30 PM, leading straight into welcome drinks!

• Days 2 & 3 (Tues 4, Wed 5 August): We hit the ground running with keynotes at 8.30 am, then you choose from a variety of sessions and workshops until 5:00 PM.

A Programme Built Around You

Over three packed days, you’ll find an incredible variety of rapid-fire short talks, ignites, deep-dive presentations, and interactive workshops. Rather than prescribe a single pathway, we hand you choices and an invitation to custom-build a schedule that perfectly matches your unique interests and practice.

As well as ideas and workshops, we’ve built in generous lunch and tea breaks, open rooms for spontaneous catch-ups, and a dedicated Talanoa room throughout, to connect and share your thoughts, ideas and feelings. Make all that work for you!

Special Interest Group Hui on day one

From 9.00–10.30am on Day 1, we will have dedicated hui spaces for Mā te Rae, the Pasifika Fono and Pasific evaluators, and emerging evaluators, alongside the registration meet and greet space, with additional space for other networks to gather as interest grows. These sessions are about whakawhanaungatanga, talanoa and relationship-building – a chance to meet people with similar journeys, strengthen support networks, and ground the rest of your conference in authentic connection.

Celebrate and Explore Together

Connection doesn’t stop when sessions end! We’re thrilled to host a conference dinner on 4 August, which promises celebration, storytelling, catching up with old friends and making new friends. Plus, we’ve built in opportunities to get outside, stretch your legs, and get to know beautiful Ōtautahi on foot, alongside your evaluation colleagues.

Ignite sessions - short talks with big ideas!

The Ignite / short-talk sessions at the ANZEA 2026 Conference are where big ideas meet bite-sized formats. In a series of 5-8 minute presentations, you’ll hear from emerging and experienced evaluators, policy practitioners, and researchers working across disability, youth, local government, education, and community contexts. 
Generally grouped around shared themes, these sessions are designed to give you quick insights, practical provocations, and stories you can carry straight back into your own work.

Be sure to register for access to all this year's conference has to offer!