The New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects (NZILA / Tuia Pito Ora) holds its 2026 Firth NZILA Wānanga and Resene NZILA Awards in Ōtautahi Christchurch from 4–6 November 2026, with the two-day Wānanga at Majestic on Durham and the Awards Gala Dinner at One NZ Stadium at Te Kaha.
The New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects (NZILA / Tuia Pito Ora) brings its 2026 Wānanga and Awards to Ōtautahi Christchurch from 4 to 6 November 2026. According to NZILA, the Firth NZILA Wānanga runs across 5–6 November 2026 at Majestic on Durham under the theme "Ka Rū Ka Hā, Awaken the Energy," with the Resene NZILA Awards Gala Dinner on Thursday 5 November 2026 at One NZ Stadium at Te Kaha. Registrations are open through the institute's official portal, with earlybird registration listed as closing 23 September 2026.
The event is run by the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects (NZILA), also known by its te reo name Tuia Pito Ora, the professional body for landscape architects in Aotearoa New Zealand. NZILA states that its Resene NZILA Awards recognise work showing "exceptional rigour, ambition and contribution to landscape architecture in Aotearoa," with entries assessed on the strength of their thinking, their response to people and place, and their contribution to the field. The institute confirmed the 2026 Awards shortlist on 30 July 2026, spanning 15 categories from Parks, Open Spaces and Recreation through to Enduring Landscape, with Resene as naming-rights sponsor.
The Wānanga is aimed at practising landscape architects, academics and students from across New Zealand. NZILA describes two days of presentations, case studies, workshops, discussion and shared learning, with field trips to local Ōtautahi projects. Indicative timings published by the institute (noted as subject to change) show registration from 8.00am and the programme starting 9.00am on Thursday 5 November with field trips ending around 4.30pm, and a 8.30am start on Friday 6 November closing around 4.30pm. A Student Wānanga at the School of Landscape Architecture, Lincoln University, and an invitation-only Pō Whakamānawa at Chateau on the Park are scheduled for Wednesday 4 November, with the Awards Gala Dinner that follows on 5 November opening with arrivals from 6.00pm and the formal programme from 6.30pm.
The principal Wānanga venue, Majestic on Durham, sits in central Christchurch, within the rebuilt CBD and close to the city's hospitality and accommodation precincts. The Awards Gala Dinner is held at One NZ Stadium at Te Kaha, the new covered stadium in the central city. Christchurch International Airport lies roughly 10–12 km from the city centre, typically a 20–25 minute drive, with the metro Purple Line bus and airport shuttles serving the CBD. Central Christchurch offers a concentrated spread of hotels and serviced accommodation within walking distance of the CBD venues, and the compact city grid keeps most delegate movement between the Wānanga, gala and accommodation short. Lincoln University, host of the Student Wānanga, is about 20 km south-west of the city centre.
As the flagship national gathering of the landscape architecture profession, the NZILA Wānanga and Awards is an established association event that rotates through New Zealand's main centres and draws delegates nationwide. Its 2026 return to Christchurch places a multi-day professional conference and a gala dinner at One NZ Stadium at Te Kaha into the city's calendar, reflecting the association-sector activity that underpins much of New Zealand's business-events market.
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