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Tickets
available now!
We're heading to the NZICC this October
The retail sector is being tested like never before — by economic uncertainty, shifting consumer behaviour and the evolving shape of our cities and centres. Yet from this pressure comes progress.
Join us at the New Zealand International Convention Centre on 29 October 2026 for RECON/ Retail Conference — where the industry comes together to navigate what’s next.
This year’s theme, Progress under pressure, explores how retailers, investors and city-makers are adapting and innovating in the face of change — rethinking formats, redefining customer experience, and creating places people genuinely want to spend time in.
Because the future of retail isn’t just about weathering pressure — it’s about using it to build something stronger, smarter and more resilient.
Act fast to secure the hottest ticket in town!
Connect, learn, and grow
at RECON!
Curated for property professionals in the retail sector, RECON gathers international and local thought-leaders, experts and trend-setters to explore what’s new in retail property.
Once again, attendees will enjoy two unmissable days:
👷♀️ 28 October: Exclusive site tours showcasing innovation in action
🎤 29 October: A full day of sharp insights, big ideas, and industry-leading voices
Book your early bird tickets now!
From immersive experiences to backstage tech, this is where innovation meets insight.
Suggestions?
Do you have a topic, speaker or project you’d like to see grace the Retail Conference stage in future – contact the events team today!
Featured Speakers
Watch this space for further 2026 announcements!
Juanita Neville-Te Rito is one of the world’s most energising voices on retail, customer experience and the future of how people shop, connect and stay loyal to brands.
Named by the U.S. National Retail Federation as a Retail Voice for 2026 – one of just 50 global luminaries recognised as catalysts for progress and innovation – Juanita brings over 30 years of real-world experience to every stage she steps onto. She has advised and worked with brands including Woolworths, Noel Leeming, The Warehouse, Spark, Google, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Honda, Estée Lauder, Freedom Furniture and many more, across retail, hospitality and services.
As Founder and Managing Director of RX Group and RXCOLAB.AI, Juanita translates customer insight into strategy and execution across ANZ and internationally, including how AI is reshaping the way businesses understand, reach and retain customers.
9:35 am | Opening Keynote
The Future of Retail - What It Means for Your Assets
Juanita Neville-Te Rito explores how rapidly evolving customer behaviour, shaped by six generations and distinct behavioural clusters, is redefining what people expect from retail environments. The session examines what this means for tenant mix, dwell time and precinct design, and how assets must adapt to remain relevant in 2026 and beyond. The central question for this audience isn’t “what’s happening in retail?” but “what does that mean for the value, viability and vitality of the spaces we own and operate?”
Expanding from customer behaviour to asset performance, this keynote unpacks how global best practice retail and place-making is responding to these shifts, and what it demands from the design, curation and long-term positioning of retail environments.
Tim Bateman is the founder of O-Studio, a fast growing wellness and recovery franchise redefining how health and wellbeing experiences integrate into modern property and retail environments. Originating in Christchurch, O-Studio is now expanding across New Zealand and Australia, partnering with landlords and developers to deliver premium, experience led spaces that drive foot traffic, dwell time, and long term tenant value.
With a background as a professional rugby player for the Crusaders and at international level, Tim brings a unique perspective on performance, recovery, and human behaviour. His journey into wellness was shaped not only by elite sport, but also by personal experiences that highlighted the importance of accessible, everyday wellbeing.
Tim now works at the intersection of wellness, business, and property, helping shape precincts that better serve how people live, work, and connect. Through O-Studio, he is focused on building scalable, commercially strong wellness assets that enhance both customer experience and asset performance. He is passionate about creating spaces that are not just financially successful but genuinely improve the communities they serve.
4:10 pm | Closing Keynote
Winning Habits: Lessons from Elite Sport
Tim Bateman draws on 17 years in elite high-performance environments to explore what truly drives sustained success under pressure. Reflecting on his career in professional sport, he unpacks the habits, mindsets and standards consistently found in high-performing individuals and teams, and how these principles extend beyond sport into business and organisational life. This closing keynote connects the disciplines of preparation, accountability, culture and resilience, translating them into practical lessons for leaders and teams operating in fast-moving, competitive environments. It offers a clear lens on how high performance is built, maintained, and scaled—turning sporting experience into actionable insight for business and leadership.
Shamubeel Eaqub makes economics easy and fun. Shamubeel is the Chief Economist at Simplicity. He is also an author, media commentator and a thought leading public speaker.
He graduated with Honours in Economics from Lincoln University and is also a CFA Charterholder.
He has 25 years of experience as an economist in Wellington, Melbourne and Auckland in leading financial institutions and consultancy (ANZ Bank, Goldman Sachs JBWere, NZIER, Sense Partners and Simplicity).
He balances a portfolio of economics, consulting, public speaking, governance and family duties. He lives in Auckland with his wife and two sons.
9:00 am | Forecasting Retail
As economic pressures, shifting consumer behaviour and global uncertainty continue to reshape the market, leading economist Shamubeel Eaqub will share his outlook on the economy with a special focus on the retail sector. This session will explore the key forces influencing consumer confidence, spending patterns, investment and business resilience, while examining what lies ahead for retailers, property owners and city centres. Gain practical insights into the challenges, risks and opportunities shaping the future of retail in New Zealand.
Have a look at the 2025 highlights!
Why attend RECON26?
Aotearoa New Zealand’s premier event for retail property professionals.
“Loved the range and variety – awesome agenda – thank you!”
Past Attendee
RECON24