PADI brings its Marketing Academy to Auckland Airport as dive-industry training tours Asia Pacific

PADI Asia Pacific Marketing will hold the PADI Marketing Academy 2026 in Auckland on Tuesday 11 August 2026, running 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM at Naumi Hotel Auckland Airport, according to the event's Eventbrite listing. The organiser describes it as a one-day, in-person programme built to help dive centres, resorts and PADI Professionals develop practical marketing skills they can apply immediately.

Who runs it

The Academy is organised by PADI Asia Pacific Marketing, the regional arm of PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. On the PADI Pros blog, PADI Asia Pacific states the Academy is "returning across multiple Asia Pacific regions in 2026 with a refreshed, one-day program" aimed at giving PADI Members marketing knowledge that supports business growth. The Auckland session is one stop on a wider 2026 tour that, per the same organiser page, also visits Seoul, Bali, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney and Chennai.

What it covers and who it's for

According to the organiser, the programme concentrates on four areas: social media trends, strategy and planning; content storytelling that turns dive experiences into bookings; the future of search across Google, social platforms and AI; and the psychological triggers behind booking decisions. The day also includes interactive workshops where attendees apply lessons from two of the presentations with support from the PADI team. PADI says the sessions are designed for dive operations rather than professional marketers, and lists the intended audience as dive centre owners and managers, PADI Professionals involved in marketing, and retail and resort teams supporting course sales.

Venue and getting there

The listing places the event at Naumi Hotel Auckland Airport, 153 Kirkbride Road, Auckland 2022. As context, the property sits in the Auckland Airport precinct in the city's south, which puts delegates close to the terminals for those flying in from other regions and gives on-site accommodation for anyone travelling the day before. The airport area is served by road links to State Highways 20 and 20A and by bus connections toward central Auckland, useful reference points for attendees weighing whether to stay locally or commute on the day.

Why it matters for NZ business events

The Academy is a niche but genuine example of an international membership body routing a structured training roadshow through New Zealand, choosing an Auckland Airport venue that is geared to receive a national and trans-Tasman audience. For the local MICE sector it reflects the steady flow of sector-specific professional-development days, run alongside larger conferences, that keep regional meeting venues in demand.