Christchurch-hosted Adaptation Futures named 'Business Event of the Year'

Adaptation Futures 2025 wins New Zealand's top business events award

Adaptation Futures 2025 has been recognised as New Zealand's Business Event of the Year, taking out a top honour at the New Zealand Event Awards on Wednesday evening. The award celebrates how city-wide collaboration helped deliver outcomes extending far beyond the event itself, creating benefits for local communities while contributing to global climate adaptation solutions.

As the flagship conference of the United Nations World Adaptation Science Programme (WASP), Adaptation Futures 2025 welcomed around 2,000 delegates from 99 countries to Christchurch, bringing global leaders together to tackle one of the world's most pressing challenges. The event delivered an estimated $2.5 million in visitor expenditure, a significant boost to the local economy in a typically quieter shoulder season.

ChristchurchNZ General Manager of Visitor Economy Anne Newman says this award reflects a truly collective effort, acknowledging the University of Canterbury conference convenors Professor Bronwyn Hayward and Distinguished Professor. Steven Ratuva, as well as the University for hosting the conference, with support of Ngāi Tahu, Tourism New Zealand, The Conference Company and Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre.

Adaptation Futures 2025 brings 2,000 global climate adaptation leaders to Christchurch

Held across Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, Christchurch Town Hall and locations throughout the city, the conference featured more than 200 sessions across four days of knowledge sharing to advance inclusive climate adaptation. With Indigenous leadership and Pacific voices at the heart of the conference, the sessions aimed to connect delegates with real-world climate adaptation projects across Canterbury while creating space for Indigenous conversations and locally led solutions.

University of Canterbury Vice-Chancellor Professor Cheryl de la Rey said, “It was a privilege to open Adaptation Futures 2025 here in Ōtautahi Christchurch and to witness the passion, expertise and commitment of those who took part. A tremendous amount of mahi went into creating an event that placed Indigenous leadership and Pacific voices at its heart, while connecting global knowledge with locally led climate adaptation solutions. I congratulate everyone whose contribution made the conference such a success and led to this well-deserved recognition.

“Business events such as Adaptation Futures are an important way universities contribute to their regions. They bring people and ideas together, strengthen local, national and international partnerships, and demonstrate our ability to co-host major global events that create lasting benefits for Ōtautahi Christchurch.”

How Adaptation Futures 2025 is creating a lasting climate adaptation legacy in Christchurch and beyond

The award recognises not only the scale and quality of the event, but also the legacy it continues to create. This includes initiatives such as the International Indigenous Adaptation Network, helping strengthen access to climate adaptation funding for Indigenous communities around the world, as well as the Ōtautahi Christchurch Adaptation Challenge.

The challenge invited participants to propose innovative solutions focused on flooding, stormwater management, sea-level rise and heat resilience. A rain garden initiative named "To Berm and Beyond" was the winning proposal. It reimagined how in climate‑vulnerable areas like Linwood, transformed berms could become a visible sponge‑city system that restores biodiversity, strengthens resilience, activates public space, and fosters community stewardship.

Key takeaways

• Christchurch-hosted conference Adaptation Futures 2025 wins New Zealand’s top business events award at the 2026 New Zealand Event Awards, recognising its scale, quality,2 and long-term impact.
• Christchurch welcomed 2,000 delegates from 99 countries to the event, bringing global experts together to advance climate adaptation solutions.
• The conference generated an estimated $2.5 million in visitor expenditure, delivering a valuable boost to the local economy during a traditionally quieter tourism period.
• The event elevated Indigenous leadership, Pacific perspectives, and community-led adaptation, connecting international delegates with real-world climate resilience initiatives across Canterbury.
• Initiatives such as the International Indigenous Adaptation Network and the Ōtautahi Christchurch Adaptation Challenge are creating ongoing partnerships, innovation, and climate resilience benefits beyond the event itself.