14–16 OCTOBER 2026 · MILLENNIUM HOTEL, ROTORUA
A pipeline for courage, confidence and connection.
Three days for wāhine in trade and construction who are ready to take the next step in business, in confidence, connection, and career.
A dedicated apprentice programme runs alongside the main event for the future wāhine of our industry.
THE INVESTMENT
$1,650 +GST per person
including accommodation, all conference sessions, meals, and the Skyline Gondola, welcome dinner and Wai Ariki Spa experiences. See the programme below.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Sponsor an Apprentice
If your business would like to help open the door for the next generation of wāhine in trade, sponsoring an apprentice's place is a direct, visible way to invest in the industry's future.
The programme
Three days to learn,
connect and grow.
A programme designed to build confidence, strengthen business capability, support personal growth and create meaningful connections.
Day one · Wednesday 14 October 2026
Arrival & connection
3:00pm
Check-in and registration
Hotel foyer
4:30pm
Skyline Gondola with Volcanic Hills wine tasting
Group outing
7:00pm
Welcome Dinner
Nikau Restaurant, Millennium Hotel
Day two · Thursday 15 October 2026
Empowering business confidence
9:00am
Welcome & whakawhanaungatanga
MC
9:30am
Wholebeing Balance
Cass Hogan
10:30am
Insurance & Risk
Bridget Upton & Sacha Last
11:30am
Morning Tea
12:00pm
Finance & Finance Fit
Sarah Jamieson & Margie Chambers
1:00pm
HR Updates
Maree Judd
2:00pm
Lunch
3:00pm
Governance Panel
Kaycie O'Connor & Colleen Upton
4:00pm
Day One wrap up
MC
6:00–8:00pm
Evening experience
Wai Ariki Spa — Soak & Sip
Unwind in Wai Ariki's geothermal pools overlooking Lake Rotorua, with a private sanctuary concourse for the group, hot pools and refreshments. Massages or treatments available if pre-booked, at an additional cost.
For apprentices
Dedicated apprentice programme
The apprentice-specific programme for Day Two replaces the three business-owner-focused sessions — Finance Acumen, HR and Governance Panel — which are less directly relevant to someone at apprentice stage.
A hands-on trade skills workshop and a mentorship “day in the life” panel from wāhine in the workplace take their place. Apprentices join the group for everything else.
Day three · Friday 16 October 2026
Wellbeing for women who lead
9:30am
Yoga
Marie Tamatea
10:15am
Energiser Break & Refreshments
10:45am
Balancing Hormones
Marie Tamatea
11:45am
Mental Health – Identity & Reclamation
Rach Axis-Taane Tinorau
1:00pm
Lunch
2:00pm
Speaker to be announced
3:00pm
Sharing Wisdom
Wrap-up & farewell, MC
For apprentices
Dedicated apprentice programme
The apprentice-specific programme for Day Three replaces the business-owner-focused sessions on Balancing Hormones and the 2:00pm session.
Testimonials
“A huge thank you to you Sarah - your vision around this was truely awesome and you are a fantastic example to all of us that you can have your own dream and then make it come true. Best wishes to all the fabulous women in this group 2026 - making it happen, learning to be brave and take risks!”
Colleen, 2025 attendee
“Kia ora aku hoa! Been super focused on some of the whakaro that came up for me during this wananga. Handed final assignment in and now making some progress on my goals. Listening to the Cape Song in the mornings has been awesome”.
Jae-Marie, 2025 attendees
“Just thought I'd share something cool. Anya got her last block course results yesterday. She had to lay a drain and felt she really struggled, but she got lovely feed back about nice tidy work and she got top of the class and bet all those 13 boys!”
Phillipa, 2025 attendee
OUR SPEAKERS
Learn from wāhine who've walked the path.
From business owners and directors to HR specialists, financial advisers, risk experts and industry leaders, Te Ara Wāhine brings together wāhine with experience to share, challenge and inspire.
Bridget Upton
Risk Adviser & Claims Handler
Bridget Upton is a Risk Adviser and Claims Handler with a background in insurance claims, giving her a practical understanding of how insurance works when it is needed most. Having worked hands-on with claims, she has seen first-hand the value of having the right cover in place and the difference a good broker can make in managing claims effectively and reducing stress for business owners.
Cass Hogan
Cass Hogan is a life and business coach, speaker, and the founder of He. and She. – mental health events that create space for real, honest conversations through lived experience.
After building a successful career in corporate operations, Cass made the decision to step back and create a business that prioritised both impact and wellbeing. Now, she works with individuals and business owners to navigate the reality of juggling ambition, pressure, and personal life – without burning out in the process.
Known for her down-to-earth, relatable style, Cass brings a practical and human approach to topics that are often overlooked in business. Through her coaching and events, she helps people move from just “getting through” to feeling more grounded, supported, and in control.
You don’t need to choose between success and your wellbeing – you get to have both.
Colleen Upton ONZM
Colleen Upton ONZM is General Manager and a Company Director at Hutt Gas and Plumbing, with over 34 years in the industry. She was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2021 for services to the plumbing and gasfitting industry and to women in trade, and has received both the inaugural Jackson Women in Plumbing Award and NAWIC's Helen Tippet Supreme Award. Colleen brings deep governance experience — including as Immediate Past President of NAWIC and Chair of the Hātvikah Blue Hope Foundation — and a well-known mantra: ‘If you don't have a seat at the table, you're probably on the menu.’
Kaycie O'Connor
Kaycie O'Connor works with organisations and leaders during pivotal moments, bringing clarity, direction and momentum to what comes next. Her experience spans commercial and community environments, and she is building her governance portfolio across a range of board and advisory spaces. Kaycie is passionate about making governance feel accessible, and about creating space for more wāhine to step forward with confidence.
Maree Judd
Maree Judd has built a career in the hotel industry spanning over 25 years, moving from front-line roles into Human Resources and people & culture leadership with global hotel groups including Hilton, InterContinental and Accor, across New Zealand and Australia. Now based in Rotorua, Maree runs her own HR consultancy supporting small businesses across construction, engineering, hospitality, tourism and property. She takes a practical, relationship-first approach to HR — covering performance management, employment relations and talent development — and believes in keeping things simple and human.
Marie Tamatea
Marie Tamatea is a registered nurse, naturopath, breathwork facilitator, and yoga teacher with over 30 years of healthcare experience. Marie’s approach weaves together clinical knowledge and holistic practice, creating a grounded, heart-first space where you can reconnect with your body, restore balance, and feel empowered to heal from within.
With a Bachelor of Health Science, Postgraduate Certificate in Health Science, Diplomas in Naturopathy, Aromatherapy, and Massage, plus certifications in Reiki, Breathwork, EFT, and Yoga, Marie brings both clinical expertise and holistic wisdom to every session.
Margie Chambers
Margie Chambers holds an MBA and a NZ Certificate in Financial Services (Investment), and is a Financial Adviser with Generate KiwiSaver. An experienced leader with international business experience, she has held programme roles across public and private organisations and owned and operated several small businesses. Margie sits on the board of So They Can and believes education is key to creating opportunity.
Rach Axis-Taane Tinorau
Rach Taane is a registered social worker, speaker, DJ, and family and sexual violence prevention specialist at Tautoko Mai in Tauranga Moana. Through her work in primary prevention, she explores how social norms, gender roles, and inequality create the conditions for harm long before harm happens, partnering with communities to build safer futures and long-term change.
She is also the founder of The Bassline Collective, a community-led primary prevention framework developed through Hikitia and Tautoko Mai to embed consent culture, safety, accountability, and behaviour change across Aotearoa’s live music and events sector. Still in its early stages, the framework is currently being piloted with a local venue and security company, laying the groundwork for wider rollout over time. Alongside this work, Rach DJs nationally and internationally as AXIS, holding space in an industry she is actively working to strengthen from within.
At Te Ara Wāhine, Rach will speak on mental health, identity, and what becomes possible when women step into their values, live with integrity, and show up unapologetically as themselves. Her session explores the cost of people pleasing, the pressure to make choices that benefit others at your own expense, and the power of choosing a life that is aligned, authentic, and grounded in self-worth.
Sacha Last
Sacha is a Senior Risk Adviser with over 20 years’ experience across the insurance industry, having worked with both insurers and broking firms. This breadth of experience gives her strong insight into risk underwriting, insurance products, and practical risk management for businesses. She is known for taking the time to truly understand her clients’ operations and continuity needs, providing clear, easy-to-understand advice that helps them feel confident about their cover. Sacha values long-term relationships and is trusted for her honest, approachable style and high professional standards.
Sarah Jamieson
Sarah is an Associate Chartered Accountant and the owner of a successful plumbing & gas business with branches in Rotorua, Kawerau & Te Puke. With a unique blend of financial expertise and industry experience, Sarah is passionate about empowering other women in trades to build financially resilient businesses. She brings practical insights into budgeting, cash flow management, and strategic planning tailored to the plumbing industry.
WHAT IS TE ARA WÀHINE?
More than an event. A space to grow.
Te Ara Wāhine brings wāhine from across trade and construction together for three days of practical learning, personal growth, inspiration and connection.
Whether you're running a business, building your career, supporting a tradesperson or just starting out as an apprentice, this is a space to learn from others, back yourself and take your next step.
What's included in the investment?
Your ticket includes accommodation, all conference sessions, daily catering, the welcome dinner, the Skyline Gondola and wine tasting, and the Wai Ariki Spa experience.
Who is this event for?
Te Ara Wāhine is designed for wāhine working in trade and construction — business owners, apprentices, office and support staff, and partners of tradespeople — who want practical business tools, personal growth, and connection with others walking the same path. Alongside our mainstream programme, an apprentice focussed programme will run to support our wāhine coming into the industry
Is there support available for apprentices to attend?
Yes — a limited number of places are sponsored for apprentices each year. See Sponsor an Apprentice above, or get in touch to ask about a sponsored place.
READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?
Come together. Be inspired. Back yourself.
Three days for wāhine in trade and construction to learn, connect, grow and invest in what comes next.
14–16 October 2026 | Millennium Hotel, Rotorua
