Hawke's Bay hosts the 26th Great Wine Capitals International Annual Conference and AGM from 18–22 October 2026, its first as the network's newest member, drawing 150-plus international delegates to Napier and Hastings.
Hawke's Bay will stage the 26th Great Wine Capitals International Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting from 18 to 22 October 2026, its debut as the newest member of the global network. Napier sits at the centre of the programme, with the region also drawing on neighbouring Hastings for gala and awards functions.
The five-day gathering carries the theme "A World of New" and is expected to bring more than 150 delegates to the region.
The conference is convened by the Great Wine Capitals Global Network (GWCGN), the Bordeaux-founded body established in 1999 that links the world's leading wine regions and rotates its annual conference among member cities. The organiser's own event listing confirms the 2026 edition for Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.
On the ground, hosting is led by Tourism New Zealand Business Events in partnership with Hawke's Bay Tourism, with support from Hawke's Bay Wine, Hastings District Council, Napier City Council and Hawke's Bay Airport, according to Business Events New Zealand and the host conference site.
The audience is international wine-tourism trade and media, wine-related businesses and academics, and delegates from the 11 Great Wine Capital cities — Bordeaux, Mainz/Rheinhessen, Lausanne, Verona, Porto, Bilbao/Rioja, San Francisco/Napa Valley, Adelaide, Mendoza and Valparaíso/Casablanca Valley — alongside observer members from Yantai, China.
The published schedule includes a Knowledge Day at the Napier War Memorial Centre on Thursday 22 October, an International Wine Tasting at Black Barn Market on Wednesday 21 October, and the Global Best Of Wine Tourism Awards and Gala Dinner at Toi Toi – Hawke's Bay Arts and Events Centre in Hastings. Separate delegate itineraries run for GWC delegates, international business delegates and New Zealand business delegates.
The conference uses multiple venues rather than a single centre. In Napier, the Napier War Memorial Centre on Marine Parade anchors the daytime conference sessions, while functions extend to Black Barn Market and, in nearby Hastings, the Toi Toi – Hawke's Bay Arts and Events Centre. Napier is served by Hawke's Bay Airport, a short drive north of the city centre, and delegate accommodation is concentrated around the Napier CBD and Marine Parade.
Securing a rotating international association conference of this profile is a marquee win for New Zealand business events, positioning Hawke's Bay — marketed as New Zealand's Food and Wine Country — on a global stage and channelling a multi-day influx of high-value international trade and media delegates into the Napier and Hastings visitor economy.
Cited links supporting this report.
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