New Zealand Cloud & Datacenter Convention 2026

ATTENDEES

Event Venue

5 November 2026

Pullman Auckland Hotel & Apartments

8:00 AM

6:00 PM

Event Brief

The New Zealand Cloud & Datacenter Convention 2026 brings together leaders from across the data centre, cloud, AI and digital infrastructure ecosystem to explore the technologies and infrastructure shaping New Zealand’s digital future.

As AI and cloud adoption accelerate, increasing demands for power, cooling, connectivity and high-performance compute are changing how infrastructure is designed, developed and operated. The event will examine how New Zealand can build scalable, resilient and future-ready infrastructure to support these evolving requirements.

Across two dedicated stages, the Data Centre Plenary Stage will focus on the physical infrastructure powering the next generation of facilities, while the Cloud, AI & Compute Stage will explore the technologies, platforms and strategies enabling AI and high-performance workloads.

Key Themes

Data centre development and capacity
Power, energy and resilience
AI-driven rack density and cooling
High-performance compute and AI infrastructure
Cloud and enterprise AI adoption
GPUs, AI accelerators and emerging technologies
Connectivity and digital infrastructure
Designing infrastructure for future workloads

The conference will bring together data centre operators, cloud providers, technology leaders, enterprise decision-makers, infrastructure specialists and AI innovators for a day of insights, discussion and networking.

Event Agenda

8:45 AM

8:55 AM

Main Hall

Opening Ceremony | Mihi Whakatau

8:55 AM

9:00 AM

Main Hall

Opening Remarks | Chair Opens Conference

9:00 AM

9:30 AM

Main Hall

International Keynote | Powering the AI Era: Building the Infrastructure Behind Next-Generation Compute

How AI and cloud are reshaping global data centre demand, from traditional enterprise workloads to high-density AI infrastructure.
The evolution of data centre development and investment, including hyperscale and colocation.
The infrastructure challenges shaping the next generation of facilities, including power, cooling, connectivity and supply chain capacity.
What global trends mean for New Zealand, and how does the local market position itself to attract investment and support future digital growth?

9:30 AM

9:55 AM

Main Hall

Keynote | Engineering the AI Data Centre: Power, Cooling & Infrastructure for High-Density Compute

Understanding how AI workloads are changing power, cooling and infrastructure requirements.
Designing resilient and efficient systems for increasingly high-density compute environments.
Balancing performance, energy efficiency and sustainability as AI demand scales.
Preparing data centre infrastructure for the next generation of AI hardware and workloads.

9:55 AM

10:35 AM

Main Hall

Panel | Connecting New Zealand’s Digital Infrastructure Future

The growth of data centres, cloud and digital services and the connectivity required to support them.
The role of fibre and network infrastructure in attracting hyperscale, enterprise and cloud workloads.
Building resilient, high-capacity connectivity to support New Zealand’s growing digital economy.
What New Zealand needs to do to strengthen its position as a connected digital infrastructure market?

10:35 AM

11:05 AM

Main Hall

Morning Tea & Networking Break

11:05 AM

11:30 AM

Main Hall

From Planning to Production | Delivering New Zealand’s Data Centre Projects

Lessons from recent and major data centre developments.
Managing project timelines, costs, approvals and stakeholder requirements.
Addressing land, construction and supply chain challenges.
Delivering projects that can support long-term customer requirements.

11:30 AM

12:10 PM

Main Hall

The Changing Role of Colocation in New Zealand

How are changing enterprise requirements shaping colocation?
The growing importance of connectivity and interconnection.
Supporting customers across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
How can colocation providers evolve from capacity providers to strategic partners?

12:10 PM

12:30 PM

Main Hall

Panel | New Zealand’s Data Centre Development Pipeline

The current and future pipeline of data centre developments across New Zealand.
Development challenges including land, planning, consenting and infrastructure.
How are developers approaching project delivery and expansion?
What needs to change to accelerate new capacity?

12:30 PM

1:45 PM

Main Hall

Lunch & Networking Break

1:45 PM

2:10 PM

Main Hall

Fireside Chat | Building Faster: Delivering the Next Generation of Data Centres

Using modular and prefabricated construction to improve delivery times and increase consistency across data centre projects.
Improving project delivery and efficiency, from design and procurement through to construction and commissioning.
Overcoming supply chain and skills challenges that can impact project timelines and costs.
Standardising infrastructure for future expansion, enabling faster deployment while maintaining quality and resilience.

2:10 PM

2:30 PM

Main Hall

From Silicon to AI Agents: Understanding the Infrastructure Behind AI

- How AI has evolved from silicon and specialised chips to increasingly capable models and AI agents.
- Understanding the relationship between chips, models and applications, and how each layer drives infrastructure requirements.
- Why AI workloads demand significantly more compute and power, and what is happening behind the scenes to deliver them.
- What the shift from training models to running AI applications and agents means for data centre infrastructure.
- Breaking down the AI stack to explain why we need all this power and what we are using it to achieve.

Moderator

2:30 PM

3:10 PM

Main Hall

Panel | Who Will Drive New Zealand’s Next Wave of Demand?

Understanding the growth of enterprise AI adoption and its impact on future data centre capacity requirements.
Exploring government digital transformation, including the infrastructure needed to support secure and scalable public services.
Assessing hyperscale expansion and cloud demand, and what this means for New Zealand’s infrastructure pipeline.
Identifying emerging industries driving demand, from financial services and healthcare to manufacturing and technology.

3:10 PM

3:30 PM

Main Hall

Afternoon Tea & Networking Break

3:30 PM

4:00 PM

Main Hall

Principal Keynote | Delivering New Zealand’s Largest Data Centre Projects

Lessons from recent data centre developments, including what is working and where projects continue to face challenges.
Managing project risk, costs and timelines across complex developments involving multiple stakeholders.
Navigating planning, approvals, land and infrastructure requirements to accelerate project delivery.
Delivering facilities ready for AI workloads, with the power, cooling, connectivity and scalability required from day one.

4:00 PM

4:20 PM

Main Hall

Powering New Zealand’s Data Centre Growth

Meeting the growing power requirements of AI and high-density data centre workloads.
The availability, reliability and cost of power across New Zealand.
How developers, utilities and the government can work together to support future capacity.
Planning for long-term energy requirements as data centre demand continues to grow.

4:20 PM

5:00 PM

Main Hall

CEO Panel | Can New Zealand Become the Next Digital Infrastructure Hub?

The current and future investment outlook across New Zealand, including the growth of hyperscale, colocation and enterprise data centre developments.
Attracting hyperscale and enterprise workloads, and what New Zealand needs to offer to compete for regional and international demand.
Addressing planning, land, power and connectivity challenges that could impact the pace and scale of future data centre development.
Building a stronger digital infrastructure ecosystem, through collaboration between government, developers, utilities, technology providers and the wider industry.