Kohinga Koha 2026, the Te Arikinui Māori Economic Summit and business expo, runs 20–22 October 2026 at Mercury Baypark in Tauranga Moana, hosted by the three Tauranga Moana iwi.
Kohinga Koha 2026, the Te Arikinui Māori Economic Summit, runs from 20 to 22 October 2026 at Mercury Baypark in Tauranga Moana, opening at 8:00 AM on Tuesday 20 October. Carrying the kaupapa "One Journey, One Economy, One Future, One Movement," the three-day summit and business expo is a Māori-led economic platform rooted in whakapapa, organised around three pillars: Whenua (land), Moana (ocean) and Rangi (sky). It follows the inaugural 2025 edition in Kirikiriroa (Hamilton), which showcased 158 marae and businesses from the Tainui Waka and drew more than 170 leaders from across Aotearoa, Asia, Australia, the Pacific, Europe and North America.
The 2026 edition is led by the three iwi of Tauranga Moana — Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Pūkenga — under the wider Ōhanga ki te Ao / Kohinga Koha initiative hosted by Te Kīngitanga. Te Arikinui Kuini Ngā wai hono i te pō announced that Tauranga Moana would host this next expo, giving the region's iwi the platform to showcase Māori innovation and leadership.
The programme convenes iwi and Māori leaders, whānau, hapū and iwi enterprise, business owners, investors, procurement leaders, government representatives and Indigenous partners, with a pakihi (business) registration stream for Māori businesses wanting to exhibit alongside the summit.
Mercury Baypark sits at 81 Truman Lane, Mount Maunganui, within the Tauranga urban area. It is one of the Bay of Plenty's principal event and exhibition venues, combining an arena, stadium and conference spaces — scale suited to a multi-day summit and expo of this size.
A growing, iwi-hosted economic summit landing in Tauranga Moana anchors a marquee business-events programme in the Bay of Plenty and demonstrates the region's capacity to host multi-day, internationally attended gatherings. As an expression of the Māori economy — a $126b asset base — the event underlines the rising role of iwi-led business events in New Zealand's MICE calendar.
Cited links supporting this report.
The Acoustical Society of New Zealand holds its 2026 biennial conference, Acoustics 2026, at Trinity Wharf in Tauranga from 2 to 4 November 2026 — the first time the event has been hosted outside a main centre. Under the theme '… And now for something completely different!', it gathers acousticians, researchers and students for keynotes, concurrent technical sessions, a trade show and social functions.
CONZTRUCT, the touring building-industry trade expo run by The CMS Group, stops at Mercury Baypark in Tauranga on 11 November 2026 (3pm-6:30pm) with 50+ trade displays and CPD/LBP licence points for construction trades.
A guide to event caterers in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty, with 10 listed catering companies for conferences, functions and corporate group dining.
Kohinga Koha 2026 - Te Arikinui Māori Economic Summit runs 20-22 October 2026 at Mercury Baypark in Mount Maunganui, convened by the three Tauranga Moana iwi to advance Māori-led economic development. It carries the theme "One Journey, One Economy, One Future, One Movement" and builds on Te Arikinui's national economic movement launched in 2025.
Conference and event venues in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty — purpose-built centres, the biggest conference hotels and waterfront venues.
A practical guide to planning a conference in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty: real venues, hotels, transport, catering and activities.