The NZ CIO Innovation Summit & Awards runs 3-5 August 2026 at NZICC Auckland, organised by Brightstar with Ecosystm, combining an enterprise-technology leadership conference with a national awards gala dinner on 4 August.
The New Zealand CIO Innovation Summit & Awards 2026 brings the country's enterprise-technology leadership community together at the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) in Auckland from 3 to 5 August 2026. A pre-summit Innovation Forum on 3 August sets the stage, followed by the main summit on 4 and 5 August, with the national awards gala dinner staged on the evening of Tuesday 4 August.
The summit is organised by Brightstar, which describes itself as New Zealand's leading provider of B2B conferences, exhibitions and awards. Brightstar co-organises the programme with technology research firm Ecosystm, with the two named jointly as the event organisers. The 2026 edition carries the theme 'THE FUTURE C_O', reflecting a rebrand to 'C_O' that the organiser says represents the connection between Chiefs and Officers collaborating to shape the future of New Zealand enterprise.
The event is aimed at CIOs, CDOs, CTOs and senior technology and transformation leaders from New Zealand's enterprise and public sectors, alongside entrepreneurs, investors and the wider innovation ecosystem. The centrepiece is the New Zealand CIO Innovation Awards, whose winners are revealed at the gala dinner (5:30pm registration and networking drinks, 7:00pm doors open) hosted by journalist and MC Daniel Faitaua.
The 2026 awards span eight categories: New Zealand CIO of the Year; Emerging ICT Leader of the Year; Business Transformation through Digital and IT; Best ICT Team Culture & Inclusion; Innovation Leadership Through an Emerging Technology; the new Innovation for Impact and Purpose award; Excellence in Customer Value; and Outstanding Contribution to Technology and Business in New Zealand. Entries opened on 2 March 2026 and closed on 26 May, with finalists announced on 1 July.
As context, the NZICC at 101 Hobson Street sits in central Auckland and is New Zealand's largest purpose-built convention centre, making it a natural fit for a multi-day summit paired with a large-scale gala dinner drawing hundreds of technology executives within walking distance of the CBD's hotels and transport links.
Combining a two-day conference, a pre-summit forum and a national awards gala under one roof, the CIO Innovation Summit & Awards is one of the anchor business events on New Zealand's enterprise-technology calendar. Its return to the NZICC underlines Auckland's role as the hub for large corporate conference-and-awards formats, blending thought-leadership content with the networking and recognition that drive repeat attendance year on year.
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