Conference - Alzheimers New Zealand

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Grounded in lived experience, our 2026 conference will bring together leading voices from across the sector to share ideas, spark conversations, and help shape a better future for people and their whānau living with dementia mate wareware.

📅 When: Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 September
📍 Where: Grand Millennium, Auckland and online

Marking World Alzheimers Month, this event will also be a timely lead up to the 2026 General Election and an opportunity for you to join us as we celebrate our 40^th birthday – making it a powerful moment for connection, learning, and impact.

There’ll be something for everyone, from researchers and decision-makers to clinicians, community service providers and people with lived experience.

We’ll start World Alzheimers Month with a political panel as part of the pre-election activities on Tuesday 1 September from 5pm in Wellington and online. Please note you need to register for each event separately.

We’ll add more details as they’re confirmed and see more details about accommodation below.

Register now

Programme

Day one: Making the Action Plan real (from 1pm)

Kaupapa

Mihi whakatau and welcome

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei
Alzheimers NZ

Plenary session: Setting the scene
Latest breaking news and find out Government’s plans

Associate Minister of Health Hon Casey Costello conference opening
Jendi Paterson – Lived experience perspective
Professor Ngaire Kerse, University of Auckland – IDEA study
Professor Maurice Curtis, University of Auckland – What does the science tell us?

Breakout sessions (concurrent)
Working together to make our case through stories and data

Telling better stories – facilitator Fiona Parrant, Chair Lived Experience Advisory Group – in person and online
- Bill Yeates – Lived experience perspective
- More details to come
Strengthening the case with data – facilitator Nicky McDonald, Director Office for Seniors – in person and online
- Cathy Cooney, Dementia NZ and Renée Clark, Alzheimers Whanganui – Joint national data set
- Tom Love, Health NZ – How Health NZ uses their data to shape the services they purchase
- Margaret Milne, InterRai – What does the InterRai data tell us about the people living with dementia?
- Wayne Naylor, Hospice NZ – Other sector that has this right

Beyond dementia: A tale of Aotearoa New Zealand’s future
A panel that looks beyond today’s challenges to what’s possible

More details to come

Join us for a networking event to acknowledge our 40^th birthday

Day two: Service innovations and workforce (full day)

Kaupapa

Plenary session: Service innovations
Changing the way services are delivered in our communities

Lived experience perspective (TBC)
Denise Cogrove, The Selwyn Foundation and Lady Tureiti Moxon, Te Kōhao Health – Kaupapa Māori services
Dr Matthew Croucher, Health NZ Waitaha Canterbury – Dementia diagnosis

Plenary session: Workforce
Tackling the ongoing challenges facing the workforce

More details to come

Breakout sessions (concurrent)
Working sessions on the challenges of strengths-based services and enablement

Professional development – in person only (not available online)
- More details to come
Service innovations – facilitator Carolyn Cooper, former Aged Care Commissioner – in person and online
- Antoinette McLean, Alzheimers Otago – Community participation
- Associate Professor Gary Cheung and Dr Kathy Peri, University of Auckland – CST innovations in Aotearoa New Zealand
- Helen Frank, Alzheimers Taranaki – Younger Onset Dementia
- More details to come

Plenary session: Quality of services and closing
What does good look like and why is this so important?

Val Pollard and Ruth Seeman – Lived experience perspective
Professor Lee-Fay Lowe, University of Sydney – Services and quality

We’re delighted the CeleBRation Choir will perform on day two

Keep checking back as we add more details!

Have you got something you think is a good fit? Get in touch with us via comms@alzheimers.org.nz.

Sign up to our mailing list to get the details first.

Register now

Accommodation

If you’re attending the event in person in Auckland, you can access group accommodation rates at the Grand Millennium Auckland (where the conference is being held). To book your accommodation click on click on the external link below, which includes the ‘ALNZ2026’ promo code. If you would like to add breakfast to your room, you can do this at the hotel for $30 + GST.

Please note, your booking is direct with the hotel. Should you wish to cancel your booking please contact the hotel directly. Cancellation terms are subject to the hotel’s accommodations cancellation terms advised at the time of booking.