CBAFF marks 30 years with a three-day national conference at Te Pae Christchurch

The Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Federation of New Zealand (CBAFF) will bring its national conference to Christchurch from 22 to 24 September 2026, marking the organisation's 30th anniversary. Branded CBAFF26, the event runs across three days at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre: a Tuesday welcome function, a full conference day on Wednesday, and a second conference day on Thursday capped by a 30th anniversary gala dinner.

The event is independently listed on Te Pae Christchurch's own What's On calendar for the same 22–24 September window, and the organiser's event site, managed by Mandeville Limited on CBAFF's behalf, is live with registration open, a preliminary programme, a speaker list, sponsor and exhibitor information, and hotel details. That three-day span differs from the single-day listing carried elsewhere; the official programme has been treated as authoritative.

The published agenda runs eight themed sessions across the two conference days: opening keynotes, an IN:CITE networking roundtable format, sessions on diversity, sustainability and governance, security and border protection, geopolitics and supply chain disruption, workforce upskilling, and AI and technology in logistics, closing with a look ahead for the sector. Confirmed speakers include the Hon Casey Costello (Minister of Customs), economist Tony Alexander, CBAFF board chair Rachel Madden, CBAFF chief executive Sherelle Kennelly, New Zealand Customs Service Comptroller Christine Stevenson, KiwiRail chief strategy officer Vanessa Oakley, Ports of Auckland general manager Tessa Auelua, Lyttelton Port Company's Abbey Clapp, and officials from Biosecurity New Zealand and the Civil Aviation Authority.

Tuesday afternoon includes a slate of behind-the-scenes site visits arranged for delegates, among them tours of Airwork's freighter operation, an Emirates A380 aircraft familiarisation session, a Lyttelton Port tour, Christchurch Airport's solar station and substation, the Christchurch Engine Centre, and a New Zealand Customs inspection tour — giving the conference a logistics-and-infrastructure dimension beyond the meeting rooms.

Who runs it

CBAFF is the national industry body representing customs brokers, freight forwarders and the wider logistics sector in New Zealand. According to the organisation's own history, it was established on 1 July 1996 through the amalgamation of the New Zealand Society of Customs Brokers, founded in 1921, and the New Zealand Institute of International Freight Forwarders Associations. CBAFF describes its role as advocacy, education and training for members, and maintaining formal relationships with government agencies including the New Zealand Customs Service, with which it holds a Memorandum of Understanding, the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority. The 2026 conference is run on CBAFF's behalf by event management company Mandeville Limited.

Who it's for

The conference is aimed at CBAFF's core membership base of customs brokers and freight forwarders, alongside the broader supply chain and logistics community: ports, shipping lines, airlines and airfreight operators, rail and courier operators, logistics technology and software providers, and government agencies with a border or trade role. Customs, Biosecurity New Zealand, the Civil Aviation Authority, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade all feature in the programme. The exhibition hall and sponsor floor indicate the event also functions as a trade-facing showcase for logistics technology and service providers alongside its member-conference programme.

The venue

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre is confirmed as the venue for all three days, with the welcome function held in the Waitaki Room and the gala dinner in the Rakaia Room and Rakaia Foyer.

Te Pae sits on the edge of Cathedral Square in central Christchurch, which the venue's own site describes as a 15 to 20 minute drive from Christchurch International Airport, with Hagley Park a 10-minute walk away. There is no on-site car park at Te Pae itself, though the surrounding area has secure public car parks, and the city is served by public transport, airport shuttles, taxis, ride-share and rental car operators. For delegates flying in nationally — the conference draws attendees and speakers from across New Zealand's ports, airports and logistics operations — the central-city, walkable location clusters hotel accommodation close to the convention centre, a factor the event's own hotel booking page highlights.

Why it matters for New Zealand business events

A 30th-anniversary national conference for an established trade federation, run over three full days with a dedicated exhibition hall, sponsor programme, government keynote speakers and organised industry site visits, is a solid example of the recurring, association-driven business event that underpins New Zealand's meetings calendar outside the main centres.

Te Pae has again secured a national industry conference with cross-sector government and private-sector participation — Customs, Biosecurity New Zealand, the Civil Aviation Authority, KiwiRail, Ports of Auckland and Lyttelton Port Company are all represented in the programme — reinforcing the South Island's role in hosting sector-wide gatherings that combine policy discussion, professional development and supply chain networking.