Eye surgeons' trans-Tasman congress returns to New Zealand: the 57th RANZCO ASM at the NZICC, 6–9 November

The Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) holds its 57th Annual Scientific Congress from 6 to 9 November 2026 at the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) in central Auckland, according to RANZCO's official event listing. The congress is an in-person meeting and marks RANZCO's return to New Zealand for the first time in more than ten years, as reported by trade outlet NZ Optics.

Who runs it

The congress is organised by RANZCO, the binational medical college responsible for the training and professional standards of ophthalmologists across Australia and New Zealand. The college runs the Annual Scientific Congress as its flagship meeting, rotating it between Australian and New Zealand cities. The 2026 edition is convened by Dr Peter Hadden and A/Prof Rachael Niederer, with Prof Clare Fraser and Prof Adrian Fung as scientific chairs, per the official ranzco2026.com site.

Who it's for

The event is aimed at ophthalmologists, trainees, orthoptists, ophthalmic nurses and vision-science researchers from Australia, New Zealand and internationally. The scientific programme carries RANZCO's traditional named lectures — the Ida Mann, Norman Gregg, Fred Hollows and Council lectures — alongside subspecialty update sessions in cataract, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, refractive and retina, according to the organiser. NZ Optics reports the congress opens with engineer and science communicator Dr Michelle Dickinson and features international keynotes including Prof Robyn Guymer on age-related macular degeneration, Prof Chris Hammond on cataract and Prof Robert Casson on retinal metabolism.

The venue and logistics

The New Zealand International Convention Centre sits in Auckland's CBD on Hobson and Wellesley Streets, a short walk from the SkyCity precinct and a dense cluster of city-centre hotels. Auckland Airport connects to the city by the AirportLink bus to Puhinui and the Eastern Line train, by the SkyDrive coach service to the downtown terminal, and by road in roughly 40-50 minutes depending on traffic. The CBD location places most delegate accommodation, dining and the waterfront within walking distance of the venue, which is relevant context for a congress drawing a largely out-of-town and trans-Tasman audience.

Why it matters for New Zealand MICE

RANZCO staging its binational congress in Auckland is a notable trans-Tasman inbound win for the New Zealand business-events sector, bringing a professional medical audience to the country for the first time in over a decade, as NZ Optics notes. A multi-day medical congress at NZICC generates concentrated central-city room nights and delegate spend over its run, and association medicine is exactly the kind of rotating, high-yield conference business the NZICC was built to attract.