3 - 5 august 2026 | NZICC, Auckland .

EVOLUTION OF A LEGACY

For nearly two decades, the New Zealand CIO Summit & Awards has been the definitive platform for enterprise technology and transformation leadership in the country. It has consistently stood at the intersection of global and local thought leadership, hosting experts from institutions like NASA, the Estonian Government, the New York Times, Stanford University, and NATO, while celebrating the homegrown talent that powers Aotearoa’s digital edge.

THE FUTURE c_o

The New Zealand CIO Innovation Summit & Awards is evolving, powered by a new strategic partnership between Brightstar and Ecosystm. This collaboration unites the complete innovation value chain – enterprise technology leaders, digital entrepreneurs, technology providers, investors, and government leaders – to create an essential platform.

Brightstar is New Zealand’s leading provider of B2B conferences, exhibitions, and awards events, deeply connecting and influencing local business capability. The event’s transformation is fueled by the new partnership with Ecosystm, a leading market analyst and advisory firm for the new digital economy, which helps ensure the Summit is rooted in data-driven insights and world-class best practices, helping enterprises make the best decisions in the evolving digital economy. This powerful, comprehensive network creates unparalleled opportunities for sharing insights, resources, and strategic partnerships, vital for both showcasing New Zealand’s innovation capabilities globally and integrating world-class best practices locally, reflecting our understanding that innovation is the responsibility of the entire C-suite.

A New Era Begins
at the NZICC

In 2026, Over three days – research driven insights drive the basis for the next layer of discussion with engaging exclusive roundtables to startup showcases, global keynotes, and the highly anticipated CIO Innovation Awards Gala Dinner – this event will recognise and celebrate what’s working, what’s next, and inspire the future. 

Held at the new New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) in Auckland, the setting embodies the Kiwi spirit of manaakitanga – genuine hospitality and courageous thinking. It’s a place built for bold ideas and lasting impact. It’s a place designed to facilitate connection and foster bold thinking, providing the state-of-the-art environment needed to bring the future of technology and enterprise to life. This move isn’t just a change of venue; it’s a statement that we are building the future, together.

Welcome to a new chapter

Welcome to the New Zealand CIO Innovation Summit & Awards. Join us as we connect and collaborate to lift the narrative, showcase the best innovation from New Zealand, and take a giant step toward becoming a global innovation leader..

We’re excited to reveal more of this event, contact us or register your interest below
and follow us on LinkedIn  for updates.

Meet the team

AMIT GUPTA

Group CEO and Founder, Ecosystm

Arishta Khanna

Group Chief Operating Officer, Ecosystm

Ullrich Loeffler

co-founder and ceo,
Ecosystm

Paula Cleghorn

CEO,
Brightstar

SASH MUKHERJEE

VP, Industry Insights,
Ecosystm

Sarah Day

Portfolio Manager,
Brightstar

Finn Robertson

Conference Producer,
Brightstar

Dominic Duncan

Sponsorship Leader,
Brightstar

Scott Clogg

Senior Account Manager,
Brightstar

Aman Bajaj

Senior Account Manager, Brightstar

Chris White

VP, Marketing & Communities
Ecosystm

MELANIE EVANS

HEAD OF MARKETING,
Brightstar

SHYLA STRATFUL

Events & Operations Manager,
Brightstar

Register your interest

Keep up to date with the New Zealand CIO Innovation Summit & Awards

This privacy policy describes how the CIO Summit organisers (Brightstar and Ecosystm) deal with your personal information, and how we protect your privacy.

Your privacy

We are committed to protecting your privacy when you visit our site or contact us in any way. You have the right to view and update the personal information we hold about you.

You have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of your information, or to have it corrected, please contact us at:

database@brightstar.co.nz or +64 9 912 3616, or

PO Box 31506, Milford, Auckland, NEW ZEALAND

We deal with your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and this privacy policy.

Your personal information

Brightstar collects and stores personal information from you including:

  • Name
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This information is stored in our secure database.

We collect your personal information in order to:

  • Fulfill our obligations as event organisers and communicate regarding the event(s) you are attending
  • Promote future events and services offered by Brightstar and IDC which we believe will be of interest to you.
  • Conduct ongoing research and product development

Disclosing your personal information

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Before you disclose any personal information to another site we advise you to check its privacy policies.

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