ETA Confernces

 

ETA Conference 2026

Novotel Rotorua Lakeside

Friday 9th October 2026

10.00am

The ETA are excited to bring you another opportunity to network within your industry. We have some excellent content this year in our most popular conference location, Rotorua!


An earlier start time of 10 am, including lunch and finishing with dinner and drinks.

Keynote speaker - Brad Olsen

Our Keynote Speaker this year is Brad Olsen - Chief Executive and Principal Economist at Infometrics and is widely recognised as one of New Zealand’s most respected and engaging economic commentators.

Brad Olsen - Chief Executive and Principal Economist at Infometrics

Second Speaker - Dr Dougal Sutherland

Dougal’s experience as both a psychologist and a people leader informs his commitment to enhancing personal and organisational wellbeing.

Dougal has been working as a clinical psychologist for over 20 years and is the CEO of Umbrella Wellbeing. Dougal’s work providing psychological support to workplaces and employees has seen him assist an array of organisations, including government departments and private companies. This work has taken him around the country and around the world, providing help to everyone from stressed-out bureaucrats in Wellington, to victims of car-jackings, to people living in a constant state of fear due to impending missile attacks.

Dougal has a passion for making psychology more accessible to the general public and has worked with the media in print, radio, and TV. His skill at translating expert psychological knowledge into accessible learning experiences contributes to Dougal’s training expertise, and his ability to support individual clients to make effective changes.

Dr Dougal Sutherland

 

 

More information to come, as usual the cost will be subsidised for ETA members and will present excellent value.

 

And it would be really helpful if you could flick us an email and let us know you plan on attending - it helps our planning.

admin@eta.org.nz

 

 

ETA Conference 2025

The end of year has nearly arrived and pleased to say the ETA has made progress in raising from the ashes again. On the 21st of November a very successful conference and dinner was held at Waipuna Hotel with 60 plus attendees. Must thank the board for the excellent range of presentations. The keynote speaker Sarah Laurie certainly gave us a lot to think about our mental fitness and health wellbeing. The importance of one of our tools being breathing. 90% of us do not know the importance of proper breathing and what we need to do to improve our health care, further details can be found at takeabreath.world or can e-mail Sarah at   sarah@takeabreath.world

 

The next presentation by Wayne Grieve and Kath Horler from Recycling Group assisted by Jordan Varley from Phoenix Recycling Group the importance of the correct disposal of e-waste and recycling. New Zealand is not doing enough in this field, over 50 councils around New Zealand are now using Phoenix "Smart" bins for battery collection and recycling.

 

Presenter Andy Cooper, Head of Strategic Development at SKILLS certainly knew his subject when it came to cover the benefits that AI has in the future and the benefits that will be a great tool for the service industry as well. A small demonstration in doing an appliance repair, AI being able to tell how to diagnose the fault, how to repair, where parts are currently available, prices, etc. Just by aiming your Smart phone at the appliance and talking to it, the benefits in using apps such as COPILOT, GEMINI or Google Pomelli  just to quote a couple.

 

The final presentation, Gavin Denby, Learning Support Manager for ETEC covered the changes in the training organisations, plus what is happening with EWRB and reclassification of the different license groups.

 

A well-deserved drinks break was had before dinner sponsored by Panasonic and Electrolux.

The ETA would like to offer special thanks to all sponsors being, Panasonic, Electrolux, LG, Makita and BEKO.   

Please support our sponsors.

 

Once again, the dinner enjoyed by all especially those who won fantastic raffle prizes donated by our sponsors.

 

Past Conference Photos