James Laughlin
Influence That LastsLeadership and Performance Coach. 7x World ChampionAuthor, The Habits of High Performers
Takeaway: Earn trust. Influence decisions. Lead meaningful change.
Skip to main content
Keynote
Keynote
Keynote
Keynote and Host
Group 1 · Workshop A
Group 1 · Workshop B
Group 2 · Workshop A
Group 2 · Workshop B
Panel
Panel
Panel
Tickets
The countdown is on. Safety Summit 2026 is 15 October, 28 days out. Tickets on sale until 15 October.
Lead when it matters most.
New Zealand's conference for H&S leaders strengthening their leadership, decision-making and influence in high-risk environments.
Get Your Ticket, $690
Bringing your team? 3 people for $1,620
Compliance doesn't change culture. Leaders do.
New Zealand's health and safety law has changed. The Health and Safety at Work Amendment Act 2026 has been enacted and takes effect on 1 April 2027, moving critical risk to the centre of the system. Safety Summit 2026 runs before that date, the room to prepare your leadership team while there is still time to act, not react.
100+ safety leaders raised their standard at Safety Summit 2025. In 2026, the room grows again.
"That was by far the best summit I have ever attended. Keynote speakers were on point. I've got so many takeaways."
Arthur Preuss
Health and Safety Manager
"This was not your usual H&S conference. It was a day of inspiration and motivation."
Geoff Brokenshire
Company Director / H&S Consultant
"I took so many learning opportunities from the amazing speakers, both from the stage and from casual conversations."
Bernie Wesselingh
Health and Safety Compliance Supervisor
Raise your standard as a safety leader
What you walk away with.
1
Influence executive decisions
Develop the influence to be heard and respected at every level, from the frontline to the boardroom.
2
Make defensible calls
Build the confidence and frameworks to make sound, defensible decisions when critical risks escalate and time is short.
3
Align safety and operations
Walk away with practical tools to build strategic partnerships with operations and stop the constant friction for good.
Who is Safety Summit for?
Make sure this is the room you need.
This probably isn't for you if...
- You're looking for a passive seminar experience.
- You're happy ticking boxes and calling it safety leadership.
Safety Summit 2026 is for you if...
- You're responsible, formally or informally, for influencing safety outcomes.
- You feel the weight of knowing your leadership quality determines the outcome in high-stakes moments.
- You want practical frameworks for defensible decisions when critical risks escalate.
- You're ready to move beyond compliance and lead with real authority.
Choose your ticket
All prices include GST · Non-refundable but fully transferable at no extra charge · Full comparison and inclusions below.
Learn from people who've led under pressure
Keynote speakers.
Dr Alia Bojilova
Performance Under PressureFormer SAS Lead PsychologistAuthor, The Resilience Toolkit
Takeaway: Practical tools for maintaining clarity and control in your next high-consequence moment.
Moni Hogg
Safety Differently From the Inside OutSafety Differently SpecialistAuthor, Discovering the New View of Safety
Takeaway: Embed a human-centred approach to risk that strengthens culture from the inside out.
Matt Jones
Why Good Organisations Go BlindFounder, NZ Health and Safety ProfessionalsAuthor, Raise the Standard
Takeaway: A clear view of the critical risks your organisation has stopped seeing and a practical path to get them back in sight.
Workshop facilitators.
How the workshops work
- The room splits into two halves after lunch, one half starting in Group 1 and the other in Group 2.
- In Round 1 at 1:40pm you choose Workshop A or B from the group you start in.
- In Round 2 at 2:35pm the halves swap over and you choose Workshop A or B from the other group.
You'll attend two of the four workshops, one from each group. Every facilitator runs their session twice so both halves get the same shot at it. See the afternoon in the programme
Paaka Westrupp
The Gap Between the Boardroom and the BootsSouth Island Health and Safety ManagerFulton Hogan
Takeaway: How to connect leadership intent to frontline work, with critical risk as a practical example of strategy in action.
Nicola Knobel
Psychological safety is a risk control, neuroinclusivity is good governanceRisk Professional of the Year 2026, LLMAuthor and TEDx Speaker
Takeaway: Designing for variance, not assuming sameness.
Matt Williams
Knowing Isn't DoingFounder, Better TrainingAuthor, Moments That Matter
Takeaway: A practical way to turn what your people already know into what they actually do when it counts.
Dave Greenberg
Brace for Impact25 years, 4,000+ missions. Certified Speaking ProfessionalEmergency Preparedness Services
Takeaway: An honest read on whether your leadership would hold when it counts, and the tools to close that gap.
Expert Panel: Integrity Under Pressure.
3 Experts, 1 Conversation.
Claire Pattinson
Whose worker is it anyway?Recruitment Support Advisor (H&S)Tradestaff
Jodhi Warwick-Ponga
Competence is grown, not certifiedHead of ApprenticeshipsVertical Horizonz New Zealand
Wayne Marriott
It's not the cucumber, it's the brine Foundation SponsorMediator and Organisational OmbudsFleetwood Group
Safety Summit 2026 is brought to you by
Gold Sponsor
Supported by
15 October 2026, The Majestic, Christchurch
The day, unfolded.
Doors at 8:15am, drinks from 4:50pm. Four keynotes, one panel and two workshop rounds where you attend two of the four workshops.
Every session time below is a start time
Four workshops run in each round, you attend one from each group
Full catering all day by White Tie
8:15am45 min
Registration
Registration & Arrival Coffee
Doors open at 8:15am. Collect your event bag, get a coffee and find your table before the room fills.
9:00am45 min
Welcome
9:45am45 min
Keynote
Performance Under Pressure
Practical tools for maintaining clarity and control in your next high-consequence moment.
10:30am30 min
Break
Morning Break & Connection Tables
Structured networking, not a scrum. Connection tables let you book a 1:1 rather than hope you bump into the right person.
11:05am45 min
Keynote
Safety Differently From the Inside Out
Practical tools for embedding a human-centred approach to risk that strengthens culture from the inside out.
11:50am45 min
Panel
Expert Panel: Integrity Under Pressure
Three experts, one conversation, on what integrity actually costs when the pressure is real and the easy call is the wrong one.
12:35pm60 min
Break
Lunch
Full catering by White Tie. A proper hour, so the conversations you started in the morning have somewhere to go.
1:40pm40 min
Workshop 1
Workshop Round 1
The room splits in two. Choose one workshop from your group.
Group 1
Workshop A
The Gap Between the Boardroom and the Boots
Paaka Westrupp
How to connect leadership intent to frontline work, with critical risk as a practical example of strategy in action.
or
Workshop B
Psychological safety is a risk control, neuroinclusivity is good governance
Nicola Knobel
Designing for variance, not assuming sameness.
Group 2
Workshop A
Knowing Isn't Doing
Matt Williams
A practical way to turn what your people already know into what they actually do when it counts.
or
Workshop B
Brace for Impact
Dave Greenberg
An honest read on whether your leadership would hold when it counts, and the tools to close that gap.
2:20pm15 min
Changeover
Swap Groups
Fifteen minutes to move rooms, grab a water and find your Round 2 workshop in the other group.
2:35pm40 min
Workshop 2
Workshop Round 2
The halves swap. Choose one workshop from the group you didn't do in Round 1.
Group 1
or
Workshop B
Psychological safety is a risk control, neuroinclusivity is good governance
Nicola Knobel
Group 2
Same four workshops as Round 1, run a second time so both halves get the same choice.
3:15pm30 min
Break
Afternoon Break & Connection Tables
Second run at the connection tables, with the workshops fresh enough to actually talk about.
3:45pm45 min
Closing Keynote
Why Good Organisations Go Blind
Matt Jones, Host
A clear view of the critical risks your organisation has stopped seeing and a practical path to get them back in sight.
4:30pm20 min
Wrap-Up
Wrap-Up & Book Launch: Raise the Standard
The day pulled together into what you do on Monday, and the launch of Raise the Standard: Why Good Organisations Go Blind and How Leaders Restore Visibility. Every delegate is handed a signed paperback at the close.
4:50pm60 min
Networking
Drinks & Connection
The part of the day where the year's most useful contact usually turns up. Stay for it.
Choose your ticket
Lead with certainty.
Full Access
$690
Full price now live. Includes GST.
- Full-day access to Safety Summit 2026
- Four keynote sessions and the expert panel
- Two workshops, one from each group
- Structured networking, plus booked 1:1s at connection tables
- Full catering all day by White Tie
- Post-event session recordings
- A signed paperback of Raise the Standard, handed to you at the close
- Access to the NZHSP Connect community
Non-refundable but fully transferable at no extra charge. On sale until 15 October.
Team ticket - 3 people
$1,620
$540 a person. Includes GST.
- Everything in Full Access, for three of your people
- Save $450 against three standard tickets
- One invoice, one PO, one approval
- Three people hearing it first-hand, not one reporting back
The team rate closes on 8 October so every team booking can be invoiced and confirmed before the day. Single tickets stay on sale until 15 October.
FAQs
Still have questions?
When and where is Safety Summit 2026?
Thursday 15 October 2026 at The Majestic on Durham, 189 Durham Street South, Christchurch Central City. Centrally located, within walking distance of hotels, cafes and parking buildings.
What's included in my ticket?
All tickets include full-day access to keynote presentations and panel sessions, structured networking, full catering, session recordings post-event, and access to NZHSP Connect.
How do the workshops work?
There are four workshops across two groups and the room splits into two halves after lunch. In Round 1 you choose Workshop A or B from the group your half starts in, then the halves swap and in Round 2 you choose A or B from the other group. You'll attend two of the four, one from each group.
Are ticket prices inclusive or exclusive of GST?
All prices shown are inclusive of GST, no nasty surprises at checkout.
Can my organisation pay by invoice or purchase order?
Yes. Email info@safetysummit.co.nz with your PO number and we'll issue an invoice.
Is the venue accessible?
Yes. The Majestic on Durham is a modern, easily accessible venue, including step-free access for wheelchair users.
Is accommodation available nearby?
Plenty. The venue sits centrally in the Christchurch CBD, close to a wide range of hotels including Christchurch City Hotel, The Observatory Hotel and BreakFree on Cashel.
Does attending count towards CPD?
Safety Summit is genuinely valuable professional development, but it does not carry formally recognised CPD units or hours through any professional body. If your organisation or association tracks CPD internally, keep your own record of attendance.
Can I substitute an attendee on a Team ticket?
Yes. The same transfer process applies, email the new attendee's name and details to info@safetysummit.co.nz before 8 October 2026 so we can update registration and catering.
Is there parking nearby?
There is no dedicated on-site parking. Wilson Parking and Christchurch City Council parking buildings are within easy walking distance, and metered street parking is also available. We recommend arriving early.
What is the cancellation policy?
Tickets are non-refundable but fully transferable at no extra charge. If you can't attend, send a colleague in your place, email their name and address to info@safetysummit.co.nz before 8 October 2026.
Will sessions be recorded?
Yes. Session recordings will be made available post-event, with access details provided closer to the date.
Secure your ticket today.
15 October 2026, The Majestic on Durham, Christchurch
Get Your TicketsThe countdown is on, 28 days to go.