Clearway Conference & Awards 2026: TTM-ISG's inaugural sector gathering at Shed 10

The Clearway Conference & Awards 2026 runs for a single day at Shed 10 on Auckland's Queens Wharf on Thursday 3 September 2026. It is an inaugural event, convened by the Temporary Traffic Management Industry Steering Group (TTM-ISG), and it pairs a full-day conference programme across three sessions with the first Clearway Awards and Gala Dinner. The organiser's tagline for it is "Where systems and strategy meet the streets".

The published programme is unusually complete for a first-year event. Registration and networking open at 8.00am. Session One, from 8.30am, opens with a mihi whakatau and remarks from TTM-ISG chair Darren Wu, then keynotes on the drivers for change and a system-level view of the shift to risk-based traffic management from Andrew Clark, Group General Manager Asset and Operations at NZTA Waka Kotahi. It closes with a filmed interview with Elisabeth Lunman, National Traffic Engineer at the Swedish Transport Administration, on Sweden's decade-plus of risk-based temporary traffic management. Session Two, from midday, is built around what the organisers call the Three Cs — consultation, cooperation, collaboration — with a lightning round drawing on Chorus, Vector, Wellington City Council and ASM. Session Three, from 3.00pm, covers forward works planning, procurement and assurance, and health and safety, and ends with a facilitated workshop. The Merge networking event runs 5.00pm to 6.30pm, and the Gala Dinner and Awards follows from 6.30pm, MC'd by Michèle A'Court. Madison Malone MCs the conference floor.

The awards carry five categories: Corridor Planning Excellence, Corridor Delivery Excellence, Integrated Corridor Project, Site Champion of the Year, and Industry Champion. Entries closed on 12 August 2026, with finalists due to be announced on 24 August and winners revealed at the gala on the night, according to the organiser's awards page.

Who runs it

TTM-ISG is a sector steering body rather than a commercial conference promoter. Its committee draws representatives from temporary traffic management suppliers, utilities, lead contractors, engineering consultants, road controlling authorities, Civil Contractors New Zealand and WorkSafe, and it works across five workstreams: training and competency, procurement, good practice, communications and engagement, and assurance. Its stated purpose is to connect, collaborate, advocate and share on behalf of the sector, with a focus on safety and efficiency outcomes for road workers and road users.

Simon McManus is chief executive; Darren Wu, a technical director at Beca, chairs the group; Shannyn Hiroti is operations and engagement manager and is the named contact on the Clearway site. Conference and partnerships are handled by The Orange Agency Ltd. TTM-ISG announced the event on its own news page as "a brand new conference" for organisations procuring, delivering and maintaining transport and utilities infrastructure. There are no past editions to compare against — 2026 is edition one.

The partner list is a reasonable proxy for sector standing. myWorksites is premium partner, NZTA Waka Kotahi sponsors the Gala Dinner and Awards, the NZ Utilities Advisory Group and Digital Built Aotearoa sponsor sessions, and Traf Hire sponsors The Merge, with ChevTrain, TM Academy and Connexis in supporting roles.

Who it's for

The organisers define the audience as professionals in temporary traffic management, road safety, infrastructure delivery, utilities, local government and transport operations — clients, contractors, consultants, regulators, suppliers and industry leaders. The Humanitix listing adds infrastructure owners, road controlling authorities and health and safety leaders. Registration covers all three sessions, the breaks, the Engagement Hub exhibition and The Merge; the Gala Dinner and Awards is a separate ticket and can be bought standalone.

No delegate number has been published.

The venue and the logistics

Shed 10 was built in 1910 and is a Category 1 Historic Place, the last original building on Queens Wharf. Auckland Conventions, part of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, lists it at roughly 4,400 square metres over two levels: a ground floor of 2,216 square metres with concrete floors and exposed steel, and a Level 1 of 2,204 square metres with timber flooring and a skylit gabled ceiling. Ground floor capacities run to 1,575 theatre and 700 banquet; Level 1 seats 1,000 theatre and 750 banquet. The building doubles as a cruise ship facility.

On access, Auckland Conventions notes the venue sits next to the ferry terminal and opposite the Britomart Transport Centre, putting it on the city's rail and bus interchange. There is no public parking on Queens Wharf; public parking is at the Britomart and Downtown car parks. The venue is in the central city with hotel stock within walking distance, and Auckland Airport is south of the CBD, so most out-of-town delegates will connect through the city centre rather than direct to the wharf.

Why it matters for New Zealand MICE

A new national conference with a paired awards programme is a meaningful addition to the Auckland calendar, particularly one that is association-led rather than promoter-led. Clearway is aimed squarely at a sector that has been through significant regulatory change, and it has pulled NZTA, WorkSafe-adjacent voices, councils, utilities and the major contractors into one room on one day.

The format is worth noting for planners: a single day that carries a full conference, an exhibition hub, a networking event and a gala, all inside one heritage venue. That is a compact, high-utilisation use of Shed 10 and it keeps delegate travel to a single overnight rather than a multi-day commitment. Whether it becomes an annual fixture will depend on this first outing, but the partner depth and the calibre of the speaking list suggest the sector intends it to stick.