NZSG Gastroenterology Annual Conference 2026, Christchurch

The New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology and the NZ Gastroenterology Nurses College bring their joint Annual Scientific Meeting — branded Gastro 2026 — to Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre from 18 to 20 November 2026, with a pre-conference endoscopy masterclass on Tuesday 17 November. The organisers have set the 2026 theme as "Global Frontiers in Gastroenterology," with a programme spanning the latest research, expert panels and an international faculty drawn from the United States, Canada, Singapore and Australia.

Who runs it

The meeting is run jointly by the New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology (NZSG) and the NZ Gastroenterology Nurses College (NZgNC). NZSG describes itself as a member-led professional body made up of professionals across the gastroenterology health sector of Aotearoa New Zealand, governed by an elected Executive Committee. The Annual Scientific Meeting is the society's flagship event and rotates between New Zealand host cities each year; the 2026 edition is delivered by the ASM Conference Committee with professional conference management by Conference Innovators.

Who it's for

According to the organisers, the programme is aimed at clinicians, nurses, dieticians, researchers and industry partners working in gastroenterology and hepatology. The standalone pre-conference endoscopy masterclass is pitched at both emerging and experienced endoscopists, moving from foundational principles through to advanced techniques. The combined NZSG and NZgNC format means the meeting draws both medical specialists and the specialist nursing workforce into one scientific congress.

The venue and getting there

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre sits at 188 Oxford Terrace in the heart of Ōtautahi Christchurch, with its banquet space overlooking the Ōtākaro Avon River. Per the venue, Te Pae caters for events from 50 to 2,000 people and includes a 1,364-seat tiered auditorium (divisible into two), an 860-seat banquet room and 2,800 square metres of exhibition space across three halls. The purpose-built centre opened in 2021 and is one of New Zealand's newest convention facilities. It is in the central city, so delegates are within walking distance of a large pool of hotel accommodation, and Christchurch International Airport — the South Island's main gateway, with direct trans-Tasman and domestic links — is a short drive from the city centre.

Why it matters for NZ MICE

A three-day national medical and scientific congress with an international faculty, a pre-conference masterclass and a full social programme — including an Avon River boat race and a gala dinner at One NZ Stadium — is exactly the kind of multi-day, high-value business event that anchors a convention centre's calendar. For the Christchurch business-events sector it demonstrates Te Pae's pull for specialist health congresses, and the combination of visiting clinicians, nurses, researchers and industry exhibitors generates sustained accommodation, dining and transport demand across the central city during the November shoulder period.