Techweek 26 Logo

18-23 May 2026

Technical depth. Regional perspective. Professional craft. Explore the week defining the tech landscape in Whanganui.

Whanganui Tech Network Logo

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Schedule

A curated program of regional insights, practical workshops, and community sessions focused on meaningful exchange.

Workshop
calendar_today 18 May
schedule 10am - 11am

Thinking With AI

location_on Gonville Library, Whanganui

A Small-Group Masterclass

A practical, small-group session exploring how to work with AI as a thinking partner - not just a tool for answers.
Registration required.

Hosts: Digital Inclusion Whanganui

Workshop
calendar_today 18 May
schedule 11am - 12pm

SENSE Whanganui: Cyber Safety Made Practical

location_on Gonville Library, Whanganui

What will actually help you feel safer online?

This one-hour SENSE Whanganui session focuses on the real situations people face every day: suspicious messages, scams, account issues, and those moments where something just doesn't feel right.

Hosts: SENSE Whanganui

Workshop
calendar_today 18 May
schedule 3:30pm - 4:30pm

Latest Library Apps

location_on Alexander Library, Whanganui

Discover our latest library apps BorrowBox and the Whanganui District Library app.

Get free access to eBooks, eAudiobooks, eNewpapers & eMags. Take control of your library account.
Registration required.

Hosts: Whanganui District Library

Keynote
calendar_today 18 May
schedule 5:30pm - 8pm

Regional Energy Outlook: Insights and Opportunities

location_on Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery

An evening of insight and discussion on energy, infrastructure, investment, and regional opportunity.

Join us for an evening of discussion on the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the energy landscape. Bringing together sector voices and local leaders, this session will explore the forces influencing energy infrastructure, investment, innovation, and regional growth, and what they could mean for Whanganui and the wider region. Guests will have the chance to connect with fellow attendees before the session begins, with further opportunities for informal discussion and networking afterwards in the foyer at the Sarjeant Gallery.
Registration required.

Hosts: Tim Easton, Whanganui & Partners | Whanganui Tech Network

Book club
calendar_today 19 May
schedule 1:30pm - 3pm

Good Reads @ Gonville

location_on Gonville Library, Whanganui

This month's book chat will have a focus on tech, AI, and sci-fi.

Bring your favourites along and share your thoughts with others!
No registration required.

Hosts: Whanganui District Library

Workshop
calendar_today 19 May
schedule 5pm - 7:30pm

AI Together: Learning as Whānau

location_on Hive HQ 120 Victoria Ave Whanganui

A practical, hands-on wānanga for parents and rangatahi. Come and explore how to use AI in a way that works for your whānau.

This is a Bring Your Own Devices sit-down session intended for small whānau groups to support collaborative activities. Our event is open to the public with registrations open 20 April 2026. It is targeted toward whanāu with Rangatahi aged 9-15, and space is limited — priority given to whānau registrations.
Registration required.

Hosts: Ngā Tai O Te Awa | Whanganui Tech Network | HIVE HQ

Workshop
calendar_today 20 May
schedule 10am - 12pm

Serious Brand Strategy: Tech

location_on Hive HQ 120 Victoria Ave, Whanganui

How A Strategy Dev Completes Your Product Stack

Serious Brand Strategy: Tech has been specially created to help tech builders, founders, and teams understand how brand strategy can help them ship faster, sell smarter, and reach the people who need what they've built. In this two-hour workshop, you'll discover what a Strategy Dev brings to a product team, why their thinking catches problems your roadmap can't see, and how embedding brand strategy early changes not just how you talk about your product - but how you build it.
Registration required.

Hosts: Kit Lawrence, Serious Marketing

Workshop
calendar_today 20 May
schedule 10am - 12pm

Heritage Helpdesk FAQs

location_on Alexander Library, Whanganui

Tech tips for researching smarter in the digital age.

Increase your genealogical genius with the local branch of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists. | Using Excel to organise family DNA matches | Using the Alexander Library microfilm to read old newspapers | How do I use the card catalogue and browse Ancestry.com? | How do I join a Microsoft Teams meeting?
Registration required.

Hosts: Whanganui District Library

Kids Event
calendar_today 20 May
schedule 3:30pm - 4:30pm

Minecraft

location_on Davis Library, Whanganui

Kids - enjoy Minecraft at the Davis Library.

Bring your own fully charged device with the full version of Minecraft installed. You will need a Microsoft account to connect to our server.
No registration required.

Hosts: Whanganui District Library

Networking
calendar_today 20 May
schedule 5:30pm - 7:30pm

Celebrating Tech - Networking event

location_on Hive HQ 120 Victoria Ave, Whanganui

Join the Whanganui Tech Network for an informal, social networking evening to celebrate Techweek 2026!

Techweek is Aotearoa New Zealand's national festival of tech and innovation. Sponsored by UCOL, the Whanganui Tech Network and Hive HQ celebrate Techweek by co-hosting a networking event intended for anyone interested in making connections within our local tech ecosystem.
Registration required.

Hosts: Whanganui Tech Network & Hive HQ | Sponsored by UCOL

Workshop
calendar_today 21 May
schedule 10am - 11am

The Pocket Te Reo Māori Apps Guide

location_on Hive HQ 120 Victoria Ave, Whanganui

A Māori Apps tech play time for all ages, to help take out some of the mystery of common Māori language and culture situations.

Always wanted wanted to know what to ask about a Māori welcome - and too scared to get it wrong? Been invited to a marae for work but never been before? Attending a Māori funeral at a local home or marae but don't know what to expect? Looking to up your Te Reo Māori phrases but don't know any speakers for a one-on-one? Whetū takes you through her favourite Apps she keeps in her kete to help you on your own Māori language journey.
Registration required.

Hosts: Whetū Fala, Te Manu Atatū Whanganui Māori Business Network

Kids Event
calendar_today 21 May
schedule 3:30pm - 4:30pm

Cyber Thursday

location_on Davis Library, Whanganui

Kids - join us for some STEAM fun with VR headsets, coding, Lego and other tech activities.

No registration required.

Hosts: Whanganui District Library

Workshop
calendar_today 21 May
schedule 6pm

The Māori AI Future

location_on Hive HQ 120 Victoria Ave, Whanganui

Where are we in our transformational journey as First Nations people from consumers to creators of emerging technology.

How is all the work that has been done to build Māori AI that reflects our values and voices being used? Building on his PHD thesis work with fellow Dr Kelvin Shedlock, completed in 2025, that explored how Kaupapa Māori can shape AI algorithms, a chance to hear on his latest updates on his work and also the international First Nations AI research work he is involved with, Abundant Intelligences.
Registration required.

Hosts: Dr Petera Hudson (Whakatohea) | Sponsored by Te Manu Atatū Whanganui Māori Business network.

Expo
calendar_today 22 May
schedule 10am - 2pm

Rangatahi Tech Expo

location_on Hive HQ, Whanganui Regional Museum, Alexander Library & Sarjeant Gallery

Dive into a high-energy day of innovative tech experiences designed for rangatahi, rotating in small groups across four exciting venues — registration essential!

Multiple workshops & information sharing activities across all venues. Building a creative and collaborative network that will unlock the innovation potential of Māori knowledge resources and people. We imagine an equitable society where everyone realises the future of their dreams.
Registration closed.

Hosts: Ngareta Patea - Te Kaahui o Rauru

Keynote
calendar_today 22 May
schedule 6pm - 9pm

Shaping Whanganui's Tech Future

location_on Hive HQ 120 Victoria Ave, Whanganui

A conversation about innovation, growth and opportunities in the Whanganui tech sector

This event will bring together local leaders, industry voices, and community stakeholders to explore the future of technology in Whanganui. The session will introduce the Whanganui Tech Sector Proposal as a starting point for discussion, collaboration, and future action, while exploring the ideas, opportunities, and partnerships that can help grow a strong and future ready tech sector in our region. Guests will have the chance to connect with fellow attendees before the session begins, with further opportunities for informal discussion and networking afterwards.
Registration required.

Hosts: Michael Law (MC) | Whanganui Tech Network

Event
calendar_today 22 May
schedule 6pm - 9:30pm

Call of Cthulhu: Techweek Adventure

location_on Alexander Library, Whanganui

Join us for a tech-inspired roleplaying adventure.

Enjoy a tech-inspired roleplaying adventure inspired by the Mythos of H.P. Lovecraft. Like Dungeons & Dragons but spookier.
Registration required.

Hosts: Whanganui District Library

Workshop
calendar_today 23 May
schedule 2:30pm - 4:30pm

How to keep your children safe online

location_on Gonville Library, Whanganui

Learn how to keep your children safe online at this presentation and open discussion.

Registration required.

Hosts: Whanganui District Library

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