Ngā mihi to our sponsors
PREMIER SPONSOR
MAJOR SPONSOR
EVENT SPONSORS
SUSTAINABILITY SPONSOR
To discuss opportunities to partner with RECON, please contact Catie Harris.
Welcome
to RECON25
12 - 13 November 2025
Retail’s Next Chapter Starts Here
The retail game has changed — again. From immersive store design to backstage tech revolutions, the future of retail isn’t just arriving — it’s being built in real time.
RECON // Retail Conference is your front-row seat to the transformation. This year, we’re diving into “Retail’s Next Chapter,” a bold exploration of how retailers are reimagining everything: from customer experiences to supply chain smarts, from loyalty that feels human to collaborations that quietly power the future.
Because the brands winning today aren’t shouting louder — they’re building better.
Connect, learn, and grow
at RECON25!
Curated for property professionals in the retail sector, RECON25 gathers international and local thought-leaders, experts and trend-setters to explore what’s new in retail property.
Join us for two unmissable days:
- 12 November: Exclusive site tours showcasing innovation in action
- 13 November: A full day of sharp insights, big ideas, and industry-leading voices
Register now and be part of the conversation shaping tomorrow’s retail property.
From immersive experiences to backstage tech, this is where innovation meets insight.
Introduction to Retail Property Fundamentals
📅 28 July 2025 | Auckland
New to the retail property sector? We’ve got the training for you! Crafted by some of New Zealand’s top retail property experts, Introduction to Retail Property Fundamentals delivers a comprehensive understanding of the retail property sector.
Featured Speakers
Check out our 2025 speaker lineup!
Justin Flitter founded New Zealand.AI in 2017 to help business leaders discover why, where, and how to leverage this remarkable new technology. Today, NewZealand.AI is the go-to platform for Kiwi companies embarking on their AI journey.
Justin’s career as a tech marketer and senior business leader complements his passion for community and events. In 2000, he founded one of New Zealand’s first business incubators, marking the beginning of his journey in fostering innovation and supporting startups. Since 2012, Justin has been a producer and emcee of TEDxAuckland, bringing cutting-edge ideas and inspiration to the forefront of public discourse.
9:50 am How AI is powering the next wave of retail innovation
AI is no longer a future concept—it’s here, and it’s changing retail today. In this dynamic session, the founder of NewZealand.AI Justin Flitter will guide you through the latest AI innovations transforming the way retailers operate, market and serve customers.
From hyper-personalised shopping experiences and predictive stock management to AI-driven customer service and automated marketing, you’ll see how AI is helping retailers work smarter, move faster and stay ahead. Justin will cut through the noise and showcase real-world examples already making an impact in Aotearoa and globally.
Whether you’re running a retail empire or just starting out, this session will give you practical insights, bold predictions and the confidence to explore what’s next. Get ready to reimagine what’s possible in the AI-powered retail era.
Nadine Higgins
Master of Ceremonies
Leading business journalist, news presenter and professional host
Biography
Nadine Higgins (nee Chalmers-Ross) is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster with extensive experience across television, radio, newspapers and magazines. Nadine is renowned as a fiercely intelligent, articulate and engaging MC.
Nadine’s background in broadcasting and business journalism means she can quickly get to grips with complex topics, moderate multi-person panels and think on her feet when the best laid plans go awry.
Fabian Winterbine is the Expansion Manager for IKEA Australia & New Zealand and brings over 30 years of experience across markets, roles, and projects within IKEA—the world’s largest home furnishing retailer.
With a background in visual merchandising and retail design, Fabian began his IKEA journey in a small Melbourne store and has since played a key role in the brand’s growth across multiple regions.
He has held senior leadership roles across Australia, China, and the Asia Pacific region, and has contributed to projects in the UK, Europe, Asia, and the United States. Now based in Sydney, Fabian leads the IKEA omnichannel market entry into New Zealand, including its first store in Auckland, opening in late 2025.
Known for his collaborative leadership and customer-focused approach, Fabian brings valuable insights into large-scale retail expansion and its role in shaping inclusive, future-ready spaces for an increasingly digital retail landscape.
11:05 am IKEA Case Study
Details to come.
Reid is an experienced architect and versatile creative director, specialising in the strategy, design and delivery of next-generation retail experiences. With an unwavering passion for working with both retailers and property owners, Reid’s unique skillset encourages an unlocking of value and innovation across the broader built environment and customer experience spectrum. In his role as Chief Experience Officer and Head of Architecture & Interiors at multidisciplinary creative agency, The General Store, Reid and his team have become a highly sought after household name in the industry, consistently delivering award-winning projects across various sectors around the world. From flagship stores and first-to-market retail concepts, to large scale mixed-use precincts and retail developments, the studio proudly support some of Australia and New Zealand’s most prominent retail businesses and property owners – including Rebel Sport, BCF, Supercheap Auto, Michael Hill, Baby Bunting, Briscoe’s Group (NZ), Dedes Hospitality Group, Fitness First, Endeavour Group, Vicinity Centres, GPT Group, Dexus, and Sydney Airport as well as various independent property owners and e-commerce retailers.
The Future of Retail – Insights from Around the World
Step inside the fast-evolving world of retail with Reid Nakou, Chief Experience Officer & Head of Design from The General Store, as he shares the latest global insights and standout innovation shaping the industry. Drawing on fresh intel from the 2025 World Retail Congress, Reid will spotlight the macroeconomic trends and key growth drivers retailers are focusing on to future-proof their businesses. He will dive into G-Store’s exclusive list of the “Top 10 World’s Coolest Retailers” – a curated showcase of the most creative, disruptive, and awe-inspiring brands from across the globe. These examples offer powerful lessons in experience design, customer engagement, and boundary-pushing retail strategy. Bringing it closer to home, Reid will also highlight one or two cutting-edge New Zealand projects, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how world-class innovation is being brought to life in our own backyard. Expect inspiration, insight—and a few bold ideas to steal.
Ben van Bruggen is a passionate urbanist and founder of The Urban Room Foundation, a charitable trust championing public participation in city-shaping. He’s leading efforts to create Auckland’s first Urban Room – a civic gallery and gathering space for collective action on complex urban challenges.
With nearly 30 years of experience in urban design, urban regeneration and planning, Ben has worked on large-scale regeneration projects across the UK, Europe, China and New Zealand, including as Director at Savills and head of design strategy for Auckland Council. His work bridges public and private sectors, property development, and as a government advisor on the value of good design, always with a focus on creating places people love – and cities that work for everyone.
1:20 pm The CBD is Dead. Long Live the City Centre.
The future of the city is shaped by its ability to support a successful core. What does the future hold for our city centres? Urban strategist Ben van Bruggen explores the evolving role of the city and city centre in a post-pandemic world, asking the big question: How do we make our cities thrive again? Drawing on international experience, Ben will unpack what’s working, what’s not, and what we can learn. From the evolution of work to changing retail behaviours and residential growth, this session dives into the shifting dynamics shaping our urban cores and how urban rooms are leading the agenda for change. With his deep expertise in urban design and planning, Ben will offer insight into how we can reimagine the city centre as more than just a place to shop — transforming it into a place like no other.
Biography
A well-respected industry leader, Leonie has extensive experience in the New Zealand property industry, having held top positions in both the public and private sector. From creating the concept of what is now realestate.co.nz, to buying and transforming her own residential property management business, helping establish the new Auckland Council, and managing asset development for Housing New Zealand, there’s not many areas of property that Leonie has not touched.
In 2011, Leonie was appointed to the board of NZX listed company Goodman Property Trust, and up until her 2018 appointment as Property Council’s Chief Executive, she dedicated her time to leading an independent philanthropic initiative to solve Auckland’s housing crisis.
Leonie holds a Master of Commerce, majoring in valuation and property management and is a life member of the Property Institute of New Zealand, a chartered member of the Institute of Directors, and a member of Global Women. In 2017 she was awarded the Property Institute’s Supreme Property Award, and the Property Council Auckland Property People Judges Choice Award, and in 2020 she received the prestigious Bledisloe Medal from Lincoln University.
Have a look at the 2024 highlights!
Why attend RECON25?
Aotearoa New Zealand’s premier event for retail property professionals.
“Loved the range and variety – awesome agenda – thank you!”
Past Attendee
RECON24