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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
Save the date — 12 & 13 November — and be part of the conversation shaping tomorrow’s retail property.
From immersive experiences to backstage tech, this is where innovation meets insight.
Suggestions?
Let us know if there’s any particular topic, speaker or project you’d like to see gracing the RECON stage in future – contact the events team today!
Have a look at the 2024 highlights!
Why attend RECON24?
Aotearoa New Zealand’s premier event for retail property professionals.
“Loved the range and variety – awesome agenda – thank you!”
2022 Attendee
RECON22
Featured Speakers 2024
Watch this space for our 2025 speaker announcements!
J Ballantyne & Co Ltd, known to most as Ballantynes, is a family-owned business that was established in 1854 – making 2024 its 170th year in operation. With its flagship store in Christchurch’s central city and stores in Timaru, Invercargill, plus a partner store – Seasalt Cornwall in Milford Auckland, Ballantynes is considered by many as an iconic Cantabrian business.
A true Department store offering with over 36 departments from accessories to homewares. Ballantynes offers a curation of leading national and international brands including many exclusive to New Zealand such as Pottery Barn and West Elm.
Maria O’Halloran has been the CEO of Ballantynes since 2013. During this time she has steered the organisation through various milestones and challenges including a post earthquake rebuild project to navigating the business during a global pandemic.
Maria is the Chair of the BrainTree Wellness Centre – an innovative, first-of-its-kind facility in Christchurch that supports people living with neurological conditions to live well in the community.
In her spare time, Maria finds physical challenges are a powerful stress release and is currently training for her next Adventure Race. In this she will run, bike, raft and navigate for anything between six to twelve hours – depending on her team’s ability to not get lost along the way.
11:00am | Navigating the Evolution:
The Ballantynes Story and the Future of Retail
Join Maria O’Halloran as she shares her journey with Ballantynes Department Store. Discover how she tackled challenges and navigated the ever-evolving retail landscape. Maria will compare the strengths of bricks & mortar versus online shopping. She’ll also provide her vision for the future of department stores in New Zealand. Gain insights from one of the industry’s leading voices and learn strategies to thrive in today’s dynamic market.
Varun Verma is a distinguished AI and Data Analytics leader based in Melbourne, Australia. He has over a decade of professional expertise spanning diverse industries and global cultures. His leadership positions in prestigious organisations such as Loreal, Heineken, PwC, Visa, Accenture, and Allianz have been pivotal to his extraordinary contributions to the Data Analytics field.
Armed with a rich skill set encompassing digital and data strategy, business intelligence, machine learning, big data, and Artificial Intelligence, Varun holds the challenging position of Chief Data Analytics Officer at L’Oréal Australia and New Zealand. His educational background includes an MBA in Marketing and Information Systems and a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science.
Varun’s notable achievements include a groundbreaking patent for a computer program product. This innovative method utilises the machine learning tree-net gradient boosting algorithm to determine a dominant debit card profile. The aim of this innovation is to drive automated AI-driven marketing campaigns tailored to consumers based on their past purchase behaviour. Recently, he was honoured with the Outstanding Data Scientist award from the 40 under 40 category, further highlighting his innovative thinking.
3:05pm | BeautyTech: L'Oréal's AI Solutions for Customer Experience
Hear from Varun Verma, Chief Data Analytics Officer, on how L’Oréal Australia leverages AI and Virtual Try-on technology to revolutionise customer experiences. He will explore the intersection of beauty and technology and unveil the secrets behind how L’Oréal wants to make beauty more personalised, accessible, and innovative to its consumers.
With a decade of dedicated service to the spatial design community, I bring a wealth of experience as an Interior Designer. Throughout my professional journey, I’ve proudly witnessed and contributed to the evolution of trends within the industry. My expertise spans across various sectors including Commercial, Hospitality, Office, Retail and Accommodation design.
Having weathered the ebb and flow of design trends, I’ve honed my skills to not only adapt but also innovate, ensuring that each project I undertake is not just a reflection of current styles but a visionary statement of the future. My tenure at CTRL Space has provided me with invaluable insights and opportunities to collaborate with talented professionals both internally and externally, fostering a dynamic environment for creative exploration and boundary-pushing design solutions.
My recent travels abroad have enlightened me to some of the cutting-edge trends emerging in international retail design. This experience has deepened my commitment to delivering innovative solutions that exceed clients’ expectations. With a keen eye for detail and a dedication to staying ahead of global trends, I am excited to continue shaping the spatial landscape for years to come.
9:35am Panel | Next-Gen Retail:
Trends in Design & Consumer Experience
This panel discussion will focus on the latest trends in retail design. Our industry leaders will explore how innovative design strategies are transforming the shopping experience. Discover how cutting-edge technology, sustainability practices, and consumer behaviour insights are shaping the future of retail spaces. Our experts will delve how retail and hospitality has evolved, the integration of digital and physical environments, the importance of creating immersive and personalised experiences, customer insights in design, use of technology and the evolution of this in our designs along with sustainability for circular fitouts and adhering to international deforestation regulations.
Having lived most of his life in Hamilton and being a builder by trade, Matt is passionate about Hamilton and the Waikato. Always with people in mind and an appetite for excellence, he is driven to create functional, well-designed and useable spaces that inspire people and productivity and facilitate a sense of community. His vision and creativity combined with sharp focus drive Stark Property in forward-thinking and innovative ways.
Matt has a visionary approach to property and business, coupled with a strong understanding of market drivers, an extensive network and an entrepreneurial style which has resulted in significant growth within the Stark Property business over the past 10 years.
Stark Property is currently involved in multiple property construction and redevelopment projects in Hamilton, each at varying stages. Matt is committed to seeing quality property projects completed and is particularly passionate about seeing the revitalisation of our central city.
Matt also holds a strong community vision, particularly towards education. He is a Trustee of the Southwell School Foundation, where his family provide scholarships for local children who would not otherwise have these opportunities. He is also a Trustee of the Mesh Sculpture Trust, a local philanthropic art trust that commissions nationally significant artworks, which are then gifted to the city.
1:25pm Case study | Reviving Hamilton East:
The MADE Story
Situated at the heart of the thriving Hamilton East village and upon the banks of the Waikato River, Made is now home to 45 of the Waikato’s best local businesses. Known to many Hamiltonians as the old Waikato Regional Council building, the property has been extensively transformed and now comprises a new urban precinct, offering a mix of small bespoke retail tenancies, market stalls, eateries, light industrial, and commercial spaces spread across 5,200 sqm of floor space. Matthew Stark will discuss this groundbreaking project transforming retail and urban living in Hamilton. Learn how innovative design, sustainable practices, and cutting-edge technology are creating a vibrant, dynamic space for today’s consumers.
An Auckland-based designer, Bridget brings over 12 years of expertise in interior architecture, specializing in hospitality, retail, and commercial sectors. Armed with a Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Spatial Design from Massey University, her career is marked by a deep commitment to creating spaces that transcend mere aesthetics.
Before establishing herself as the founder of Hellospace in 2019, she honed her skills at top-tier design agencies, where she crafted high-end environments for leading New Zealand brands. Her approach is distinguished by meticulous attention to detail and a dedication to authentically conveying each client’s unique story through bold and beautiful spaces.
Her design philosophy, influenced by Bernard Tschumi’s quote, “a mode of spacing that gives its place to events,” emphasises that Architecture is not just about space and form but also about the events happening inside, infusing each project with transformative elements that harmonise aesthetics with functionality.
9:35am Panel | Next-Gen Retail
Trends in Design & Consumer Experience
This panel discussion will focus on the latest trends in retail design. Our industry leaders will explore how innovative design strategies are transforming the shopping experience. Discover how cutting-edge technology, sustainability practices, and consumer behaviour insights are shaping the future of retail spaces. Our experts will delve how retail and hospitality has evolved, the integration of digital and physical environments, the importance of creating immersive and personalised experiences, customer insights in design, use of technology and the evolution of this in our designs along with sustainability for circular fitouts and adhering to international deforestation regulations.
Ashley Fell is a social researcher, TEDx speaker and the Director of Advisory at McCrindle. She is the author of two books on leadership and generational insights, titled Work Wellbeing and Generation Alpha. She is also the host of McCrindle’s podcast, The Future Report.
In addition to delivering keynote presentations at conferences, Ashley is booked to conduct training days, facilitate panels and deliver workshops across an array of industries. From generational change to the impact of technology, from key demographic transformations to social trends, Ashley delivers research-based presentations analysing global megatrends.
With academic qualifications in communications, an ongoing role in deploying and analysing national research studies, and with her position leading the advisory team at McCrindle, Ashley brings robust, research-based content to her engaging presentations and consulting.
3:40pm A snapshot of the changes transforming real estate and property
Only occasionally in history do massive demographic changes combine with huge social shifts, ongoing generational transitions, unprecedented technological innovation, and a global pandemic so that within the span of a decade society altogether alters. We are currently amid one such transformation. While such change impacts everyone and every organisation, those who will thrive amidst such evolutions are those who understand the times, influence the trends, and shape the future. In this session, social researcher and futurist Ashley Fell will navigate retail property professionals through the megatrends transforming New Zealand and deliver a snapshot of the industry’s landscape. She will cover the key implications of these changes on retail products and emerging needs, emerging and declining sales channels, attracting and retaining top talent, developing a culture of innovation and consumer engagement and community connection.
Harold is an experienced retail design architect with over 20 years of experience in commercial developments and shopping centre designs for some of Australia’s leading real estate investment trusts and developers. His insatiable curiosity of future customer experiences is at the heart of all creative decisions for Harold, enabling him to solve many complex designs facing developers at the challenging intersection between design, retailer expectations, development objectives, and customer experience.
As the Founding Director of Perks and Co Design, Harold and his creative design team love optimising retail assets and crafting beautiful developments that bring joy and delight to those they serve, without reservation. Innovation by research is a key principal in Harold’s design approach as it ensures that outcomes are truly inclusive. With a keen eye for contemporary design, and a genuine understanding of diversities within our community, Harold continues to passionately shape authentic places that inspire and leave sensible footprints for generations to come.
11:40am Ideas from the floating laboratory
Rather than business as usual, the transaction of time has become the focal point of good retailers and strong retail assets alike, truly placing brick-and-mortar assets in prime position to capitalise on authentic experiences beyond goods – as a wholesome extension of clever online retail strategies.
Whilst current trends provide great inspiration and excitement, it is what’s ahead that is fascinating. Harold will delve into other creative experience economies during the session to elevate how other industries are creating memorable experiences. How does the cruise industry do things differently with a captive audience, or, how are international sports organisations challenging their traditional offer to improve viewership, engagement, and game attendance. Looking outside of retail, through a few different lenses, will broaden our creativity and engagement opportunities.
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 and we very much look forward to welcoming her to RECON24.
Tony Alexander was Chief Economist at the BNZ for almost 25 years and has been out on his own as an independent economist since late-2019.
He distributes the free weekly “Tony’s View” publication to over 25,000 subscribers each week, writes a weekly column for OneRoof, has a weekly video blog, and speaks at about 80 functions a year around New Zealand. He also runs six monthly surveys which give coalface insight into what is happening in NZ industry and the housing market in particular.
9:05am Keynote | A Retail Market Outlook
In this enlightening and engaging session, Tony will give an in-depth look at the current economic climate and how it impacts Aotearoa’s retail sector.
