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Programme
Progress under pressure
The 2026 conference programme has been curated by the Retail Committee brainstrust for property professionals just like you.
All timings remain subject to change without notice.
1:00pm – 5:30pm Retail Site Tour
This year’s pre-conference walking tour will explore the transformation of Auckland CBD — showcasing the projects, precincts and public spaces redefining the future of the city centre. From major transport infrastructure to landmark mixed-use developments, the tour will highlight how investment, connectivity, living and placemaking are reshaping the way Aucklanders work, study, shop and connect.
Featured developments to be announced.
➡️ Book your site tour here!
Sponsored by
Please note: Site tours are exclusively for RECON26 attendees, but are not included in the general admission ticket and will need to be purchased in addition to your registration. Limited spaces are available.
7:45 am Registration desk open
8:45 am Conference Opening
Nadine Higgins
Master of Ceremonies
8:50 am Welcome
Leonie Freeman
Chief Executive, Property Council New Zealand
8:55 am Premier Sponsor Address
9:00 am Economic Forecast
Shamubeel Eaqub
Economist
9:35 am Opening Keynote |
Juanita Neville-Te Rito
Customer Experience Strategist & Director, RX Group
10:15 am Paramanawa
Morning Tea
10:50 am Retail Committee Update
Michael Sweetman
Chair, Retail Committee
10:55 am Session
11:35 am Session
12:10 pm Tina
Lunchtime
1:10 pm Property Council Advocacy Update
Denise Lee
Advocacy Consultant, Property Council New Zealand
1:20 pm Session
1:50 pm Session
2:30 pm Paramanawa
Afternoon Tea
3:00 pm Session
3:35 pm Session
4:10 pm Closing Keynote |
Tim Bateman
Founder, O-Studio
4:50 pm Conference Closing
Leonie Freeman
Chief Executive, Property Council New Zealand
5:00-7:15 pm Martelli McKegg Networking Function
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.
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.
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.