PrefabNZ CoLab 2018 – ACENZ
PrefabNZ’s CoLab 2018 conference is coming…Its THE fun, interactive and thought-provoking event that places you are the heart of innovative construction that is transforming the industry. Wed 7 – Fri 9 March in Auckland.
Wednesday 7 March – full of varied prefab site visits
Thursday 8 – phenomenal conference day with evening soiree
Friday 9 – Member-only half day event
For further information click here.
NZTA’s decision-led approach: The framework for state highway projects – ACE New Zealand
As of July 2025, the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi uses its decision-led approach to develop state highway infrastructure projects which supports smarter, more transparent decision-making.
Consultants will see changes in how NZTA develops investment cases and the role consultants play. Those who are currently working on NZTA projects or will be in the future are encouraged to attend this session.
In this webinar you’ll learn about:
What the decision-led approach is and why it matters
How to apply the approach
What changes consultants can expect to see
New tools, templates and examples to support your work
How this approach aligns with Treasury’s Better Business Cases and the investment lifecycle
Check out the draft guidance
The draft guidance for the approach is now available on the NZTA website.
Register for the webinar
Join NZTA and ACE New Zealand via Zoom on Wednesday 8 October to get an overview of the decision-led approach, understand the changes consultants can expect to see, and learn about new tools and templates to support your work.
Register here
Share your feedback
To further refine the guidance, NZTA is collecting feedback from those who’ve used the approach. We encourage you to get familiar with the approach and the guidance, and understand how it will shape the way NZTA and consultants will work together.
To provide feedback, email decisionledpdinfo@nzta.govt.nz by 16 October 2025.
Christchurch Umbrella Mental Health Workshop – ACENZ
March 7th 2019, from 9am – 4.30pm. ACENZ is hosting a heavily subsidized Umbrella Workshop.
Limited seats available, be sure you don’t miss out on this great opportunity!
The Mental Health Awareness Workshop is designed to:
Increase participant’s knowledge about stress, mental health and illness,
Help participants feel more confident talking about mental health, including when speaking with colleagues they may be concerned about,
Further develop their understanding about how to promote and protect mental health at work,
Ensure participants understand how they can enhance their own emotional, psychological, and social well-being
Key Learning Outcomes:
Connect with colleagues and feel confident you have new knowledge and robust skills to take away
Practice how to have conversations about mental health and illness
Identify when stress turns into signs of something more serious, and what to do about it.
Learn effective, practical strategies to strengthen your wellbeing at work
Learn more about the facilitator here
Register for the Christchurch Workshop
Early bird registration (prior to 14th Dec 18): $315+gst
Standard registration (from 15th Dec 18 onwards): $400+gst
2018 Presidents Roadshow – Tauranga 12th June – ACENZ
Please join us for the 2018 ACENZ President’s Roadshow in Tauranga! Hear from President Mike Kerr. Held at the Trinity Wharf Hotel (located at 51 Dive Crescent, Tauranga) beginning at 5:30pm on Tuesday, 12th June. Use the form below to reserve your place for a single individual or multiple people. The President’s Roadshow is FREE to attend, with dinner after at your own expense. Send any questions to Katie Bartlett at katie@acenz.org.nz
Drinks (at your own expense) will take place at the hotel bar prior to the President’s address with dinner following. Dinner will be at your own expense and you will be able to choose from an a-la-carte menu from the hotel’s restaurant.
Please RSVP no later than Tuesday, 29th May to reserve your place for the roadshow.
AMINZ Role of the Expert Seminar Auckland – ACENZ
The Role of the Expert, Auckland – 26 February 2018
Experts often play vital roles in a wide range of disputes, as investigators, witnesses and determiners.
This one-day seminar considers the various expert roles, best practice in the use of experts and how to make the most of experts.
The day will cover a range of topics including:
Expert roles – defining differences
The investigator expert
The expert witness
The determinative expert
Expert investigation and forensic analysis
Investigator bias and cognitive illusions
The place of fact and opinion in investigation
Air accident investigation protocol – a template for evidence collation and reporting
Expert witnessing
Eliminating indigestible evidence, saving time and making settlement easier
What counsel wants from a witness
Forensic accounting evidence – considerations and practical experiences
How to be an expert determiner
Expert determinations – it’s not as simple as it seems
Tribunal appointed experts and other procedural considerations
What’s a determiner to do: When expert evidence collides
Who should attend:
Lawyers and advocates who use experts
Engineers and those working in the construction industry
Expert witnesses
Expert investigators
Expert determiners
Arbitrators
Adjudicators
AMINZ is offering a 10% discount if you register before 16 February – just use the discount code ACENZ when you buy online and get to the shopping trolley.
To register, please click HERE.
If you have any questions, please contact our Education Co-ordinator, Rebecca – education@aminz.org.nz
Practice Managers Forum – ACE New Zealand
The ACE New Zealand Practice Managers Forum is for practice managers and leaders involved in the operational functions of their firm, such as HR, finance, general office operations and more.
The forum aims to connect people in small to medium sized firms to enable them to discuss relevant topics, ask questions and share concerns.
The forum is facilitated by ACE staff with a new topic selected for discussion each session.
The forum runs approximately every few months and is open to ACE members.The next Practice Managers Forum is scheduled for Monday 15 September from 1pm-2pm.
This month’s topic
We’ll be discussing contracts, including issues we are currently seeing in the market, some of ACE’s recent advocacy work, and the resources we have available to support members in navigating these issues.There will be an opportunity for you to ask questions and discuss with the group.
If you have any specific questions you would like us to cover, please send these through to julia@acenz.org.nz prior to the meeting.
We look forward to seeing you on Monday 15 September!
Join the forum
Enter your details online and we’ll send you a link to join the online meeting.
Wellington Umbrella Mental Health Awareness Workshop – ACENZ
March 5th 2019, from 9am – 4.30pm. ACENZ is hosting a heavily subsidized Umbrella Workshop.
Limited seats available, be sure you don’t miss out on this great opportunity!
The Mental Health Awareness Workshop is designed to:
Increase participant’s knowledge about stress, mental health and illness,
Help participants feel more confident talking about mental health, including when speaking with colleagues they may be concerned about,
Further develop their understanding about how to promote and protect mental health at work,
Ensure participants understand how they can enhance their own emotional, psychological, and social well-being
Key Learning Outcomes:
Connect with colleagues and feel confident you have new knowledge and robust skills to take away
Practice how to have conversations about mental health and illness
Identify when stress turns into signs of something more serious, and what to do about it.
Learn effective, practical strategies to strengthen your wellbeing at work
Learn more about the facilitator here
Register for the Wellington Workshop
Standard registration (from 15th Dec 18 onwards): $400+gst
Auckland Cocktail & Networking Event – ACENZ
Join us for a Members Cocktail & Networking Event in Auckland on Wednesday, 23rd May from 5:30-7:30pm at the Rydges Hotel Rooftop Deck (located at 59 Federal Street, Auckland). This event is FREE for ACENZ Members and includes light nibbles and drinks.
You’ll hear from two speakers with networking time before and after the presentations on
“How technology can build resilience within your AEC firm”
It is a testing time for the architecture, engineering and construction sector, with project complexity increasing as clients want projects delivered faster and cheaper. The industry also faces labour shortages, which means firms are being stretched to do more with less people so it is time for action, before profit margins suffer and staff burn out.
To overcome these challenges, AEC firms need to review their current processes to decrease risk, ensure more robust project delivery processes and improve collaboration. This can be achieved by embracing new technologies to unify internal operations into a single view of people, work, time and financial results. Building trust and communication, which in return boost employee engagement and commitment.Join us for an evening of networking to hear how technology can help your firm create synergy, and purpose for all team members allowing your company to grow and/ or stay competitive.
Attendees will hear from industry experts Lisa Hinton, Director of Context Architects and Jonny Breen, Digital & IT Manager of Context Architects presenting their success and lessons learnt along the way in implementing the right strategy and technology to their business.
This event will cover:
The steps your organisation can take to avoid risk from managing the end-to-end project lifecycle, to ensure on time and on budget delivery of projects
Embracing new technologies to remain relevant to prospective employees
Streamlining processes so staff focus on design not administration task
Give staff the visibility and organisation they need
About our speakers:
Lisa Hinton, Director
Lisa is a founding director of Context and sits on the practice’s board to drive our strategic direction.
She makes a three-fold contribution to the business. First, she’s not an architect; her focus is on the business of architecture and strategic financial management. On getting architectural practice and business thinking together aligned. Second, Lisa helps shape our culture. Her nose for good people – with the right attributes and attitudes – has built a strong team with a shared sense of purpose. And third, she takes on strategic special projects that look to the company’s future.
Lisa is also a director of Confitex Underwear, a New Zealand textile technology company that is taking its world-first urinary incontinence range global. Pre-Context, she spent seven years at Trade New Zealand (now NZTE) managing a team that helped technology-and-services exporters set up shop in international markets.
BBus, GradDip Public Relations, MA International Relations
Jonny Breen, Digital & IT Manager
Jonny is our virtual building expert. He also does all the behind the scenes strategising that means our IT systems are some of the most advanced in the business. Before he joined us, he studied architecture in his native Ireland and worked for a leading BIM software developer.
Jonny is an enthusiastic advocate of the power of Building Information Modelling. It’s a way to combine every element of a building’s design – architectural, structural, electrical, heating and plumbing – into one smart virtual model. It results in better designed, higher-performing structures that are easier to build. In warmer months, Ironman Jonny also leads our lunchtime Context boot camps.
BSc (Hons) Architecture
Don’t miss out on this fantastic event, proudly sponsored by Deltek.
About Deltek (our sponsor) – Deltek is the leading global provider of enterprise software and information solutions for government contractors, professional services firms and other project-based businesses. For decades, we have delivered actionable insight that empowers our customers to unlock their business potential. 22,000 organizations and millions of users in over 80 countries around the world rely on Deltek to research and identify opportunities, win new business, recruit and develop talent, optimize resources, streamline operations and deliver more profitable projects.
The Modern Engineer: Cultivation, Collaboration & Communication – ACENZ
Our Auckland Regional Chair, Meagan Barfoot, has organised a Members event co-branded with Hays Recruitment for Thursday, 22nd February, 2018 beginning at 5:30pm. “The Modern Engineer: Cultivation, Collaboration, and Communication” is a white paper published by Hays. Hear from Ludo Campbell-Reid, GM of the Auckland Design Office, Phil Bull from Blue Barn Engineering, and Liesl Waldek of Hays Recruitment. Discussion will include what engineers and businesses can do to ensure they are keeping up with future demand, what can be done better, and how these changes can be made.
Drinks and canapes will be provided at this FREE event at the Birdcage located at 133 Franklin Road, Auckland (note that Hays Recruitment is managing this event, and by signing up you are agreeing to be added to their contact database). Join in on the discussion on key issues within the industry and take time to network with your peers.
RSVP for this event online here
Unlocking the Value Within : An ACE educational series on reframing procurement
This ACE New Zealand educational series on reframing procurement will leverage critical thinking tools to explore the inherent challenges locked within the realm of procurement to reimagine what might be possible.
A lot of great discussions are happening across the construction and infrastructure sector as the industry looks at how it can gain greater efficiency and productivity to deliver innovative, affordable and impactful outcomes for our communities. An efficient, effective approach to procurement is the first step to an outstanding result. Our goal with this series is to look at procurement as an object of design and to explore ways to improve it.
How we define, set up and procure a project from the outset has significant implications downstream for the outcomes we will achieve – cost, time, innovation, behaviours and more. How we procure can also help us achieve better cultural, economic, social and environmental outcomes for New Zealand.
Nevertheless, we see inconsistent, uncoordinated approaches to procurement that have widespread negative impacts throughout the supply chain and society. It’s time to look at new ways of doing things.
Who is this series for?
This educational series has been designed for senior staff involved in procurement, who are industry leaders in this area and want to take an even more visible leadership role in being part of influencing change across our industry, while at the same time developing their personal and professional skills in design-led thinking.
If you work at an ACE member firm (or a partner or client organisation) and you’re keen to advance your problem-solving skills and creative thinking in the context of procurement, this series is for you. It has been designed for individuals interested in leveraging design-led thinking tools to address and improve real issues within the industry and becoming thought leaders who will lead and contribute to the industry development.
It will equip you with advanced creative problem-solving techniques and provide a unique opportunity for personal and professional growth.
Presenter
ACE has partnered with Maureen Thurston, Chief Executive Officer of Access Partners and Chief Experience Officer at Aurecon, to deliver a bespoke educational series aimed at advancing our members’ creative competencies.
Maureen is an experienced senior advisor who works with executive leaders at the interface of industry disruption and organisational transformation. She’s an acknowledged critical thinker and skilled facilitator recognised for her ability to navigate ambiguity, simplify complexity and align strategic intent.
Programme
Introduction event: 12pm Tuesday 7 May (an in-person session in Auckland)
Week one: Monday 20 May (online)
Week two: Tuesday 4 June (online)
Week three: Monday 17 June (online)
Week four: Monday 1 July (online)
Week five: Monday 15 July (online)
Week six: Monday 29 July (online)
Week seven: Monday 12 August (online)
Week eight: Monday 26 August (online)
Week nine: Monday 9 September (online)
The online programme consists of nine participants, engaging in three teams, across nine weeks, broken down into 90-minute segments, working on one real-life problem – procurement.
The programme kicks off on Tuesday 7 May with an in-person foundational tools session in Auckland.
At the end of the programme, participants will be invited to share their perspectives on the educational experience and insights into a new way of looking at procurement as a plenary keynote at the ACE New Zealand Futurespace conference in Christchurch in October 2024.
There will also be an in-person debrief for participants and invited guests (for example, relevant chief executives or general managers) with Maureen and ACE NZ executives.
Cost
Workshop fee per person $10,000
GST (15%) $1,500
Total workshop fee including GST $11,500
Register your interest
This is a limited opportunity with only nine participants and priority will be given to those who are “first in”.
For more information and to register your interest, email ACE General Manager of Engagement Hannah Bryce at hannah@acenz.org.nz.
Find out more
Download the full prospectus for Unlocking the Value Within