Te Ara Wahine

This three-day event was created especially for wāhine in trade and construction who were ready to take the next step in business and in themselves.

Our first-ever gathering brought together an inspiring group of women who had spent years supporting their partners’ business dreams and decided it was time to invest in their own.

Held at the beautiful Millennium Hotel Rotorua, the event centred on the themes of courage, confidence and connection. Over three days, participants shared their experiences, challenges, and insights, finding strength in each other’s stories and support in a community of like-minded wāhine.

Through keynotes, hands-on workshops, and shared moments from professional sessions to laughter-filled dinners and a stunning boat cruise on Lake Rotoiti, the weekend created space for learning, confidence-building, and genuine connection. It was an inspiring celebration of women uplifting women, with every conversation contributing to a growing sense of courage and collective empowerment.

Key Event Goals
The client’s vision was to create a transformative experience that empowered wāhine to step confidently into leadership and business ownership. The event aimed to:

• Equip attendees with practical tools in financial acumen, HR, governance, and business efficiency.

• Support personal growth through strategies for balance, self-belief, and overcoming imposter syndrome.

• Foster strong networks and lasting relationships among wāhine who are paving the way for others in the trades.

• Provide a forum to recharge and celebrate success, through shared meals, social gatherings, and a memorable closing champagne breakfast.

HPCE Aotearoa’s Challenge

As the first event of its kind for wāhine in trade and construction, this gathering came with both excitement and uncertainty. With only six weeks of lead time, the team faced the challenge of building awareness and trust for a completely new concept, one that blended business development with personal growth and authentic connection.

The event was capped at 25 participants, with a minimum number required to break even. Without sponsorship, attending represented a significant personal and financial commitment for participants, making it essential to clearly communicate the value and impact of the experience.

What made the event particularly complex was its dual focus: delivering practical, professional development content while maintaining a warm, holistic atmosphere that encouraged openness, courage, and community. Striking this balance between structured business learning and genuine human connection required thoughtful design and careful attention to every detail, from the program flow to the tone of communication and facilitation.

Despite these challenges, the result was a deeply meaningful and well-received event that set a new standard for empowering wāhine in the trades.

Our Approach

With just six weeks to bring the concept to life, HPCE Aotearoa took a strategic, hands-on, and highly collaborative approach to planning and delivery. The team began by working closely with the client to define clear objectives, identify the right audience, and design an experience that felt both professionally valuable and personally meaningful

Recognising that this was the first event of its kind, HPCE Aotearoa focused on building trust and excitement through authentic storytelling, clear communication, and relationship-based marketing. The messaging was carefully crafted to speak to wāhine in trade and construction; women who value practicality and real-world learning, but also crave connection, confidence, and community

From a delivery perspective, HPCE Aotearoa combined business-focused workshops with reflective and wellbeing elements to ensure a holistic experience. Each session was intentionally designed to flow between professional insight and personal growth, creating an environment where participants could both learn and be seen.

HPCE Aotearoa’s strong cultural capability played a key role in shaping an inclusive and respectful environment. The team integrated te ao Māori values of manaakitanga (care and hospitality) and whakawhanaungatanga (connection and relationship-building) throughout the event, ensuring every participant felt welcomed, supported, and valued.

Sustainability was also a consideration with mindful choices around local suppliers, venues, and catering to reduce environmental impact and support the local Rotorua community.

Ultimately, HPCE Aotearoa’s approach was defined by collaboration, creativity, and care, transforming a tight timeframe and complex brief into a seamless, inspiring experience that celebrated courage, connection, and change.

Bringing the event to life

Every element, from session flow to venue logistics, was planned to create an experience that felt seamless, uplifting, and empowering.

Day One: Setting the Scene

The event opened with registrations and a welcome lunch, setting a relaxed and inclusive tone from the outset. MC Hayley Nelson guided participants through a whakawhanaungatanga session to establish connections and shared purpose.

The afternoon programme combined practical insights and personal reflection, beginning with Deborah Workman’s session on balancing business, family, and self, followed by Maree Judd’s HR essentials workshop. After an energiser break, Colleen Upton led a thought-provoking session on overcoming imposter syndrome. The day concluded with reflections and a memorable evening boat cruise and dinner on Lake Rotoiti with Pure Cruise Airstream, a highlight that deepened relationships and set the tone for the days ahead.

Day Two: Empowering Business Confidence

Day two focused on building business capability and confidence. After breakfast and an energiser, Sarah Jamieson led a practical session on financial acumen, followed by an interactive workshop on creating efficiencies with AI.

Anna Veale’s session on mental fitness and holistic wellbeing encouraged balance and self-awareness, complementing the technical sessions with a focus on sustainability and personal resilience. The afternoon featured a Governance Pathways Panel with Sarah Jamieson and Colleen Upton, offering real-world advice from women who’ve walked the path into leadership.

Participants then had a chance to recharge with a spa, walks, or quiet connection before an evening of networking and shared stories over drinks and dinner in the Club Lounge.

Day Three: Collective Strength

The final morning was designed to consolidate learning and celebrate connection. The Champagne Breakfast & Open Forum invited attendees to bring their challenges, share wisdom, and support one another, a powerful culmination of three days of courage, collaboration, and shared growth.

This open discussion provided valuable insight into the experiences, needs, and aspirations of wāhine working in trade and construction. Participants shared what resonated most, from the practical business tools to the authentic, supportive environment, and offered constructive ideas for how the event could evolve in the future.

In the true spirit of collaboration and continuous improvement, HPCE Aotearoa gathered this feedback to ensure that next year’s event is shaped by the voices of those who attended.

Our goal is to co-create the next experience together, refining content, themes, and delivery to reflect the real challenges and opportunities faced by women in the industry.

The event closed with reflections and farewells, leaving participants inspired, connected, and empowered, and the HPCE Aotearoa team energised to build on this momentum, turning the insights and ideas shared into an even more impactful event in 2026.

Event Delivery

Behind the scenes, HPCE Aotearoa managed all logistics, technology, and facilitation with precision and care. From coordinating speaker schedules and AV requirements to ensuring smooth transitions between sessions, the team maintained a consistent focus on participant experience and cultural integrity.

A balance of structure and flexibility allowed space for organic connection while keeping the programme on track. HPCE Aotearoa’s thoughtful attention to detail ensured that every moment from the first welcome to the final farewell reflected the event’s spirit of connection, courage, and change.

Results & Impact

The inaugural event was a resounding success, achieving its goal of bringing together a focused, highly engaged group of wāhine in trade and construction. With 16 attendees, the event struck the perfect balance between an intimate, supportive environment and a powerful platform for learning and leadership.

Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, praising both the programme quality and the sense of connection created across the three days. Attendees described every speaker as engaging and relatable, noting that “all presenters were good; I enjoyed every session.”

Many left with renewed motivation and clear action steps to implement in their businesses. One participant shared plans to “hire another staff member to take the load off myself from the day-to-day tasks so I can concentrate more on the business.”

When asked about their confidence after the event, most participants responded “very confident,” and overall satisfaction scores were exceptionally high. Attendees highlighted the event’s unique balance between professional learning, personal growth, and genuine connection, describing it as “just right.”

Beyond individual outcomes, this event marked a milestone for the wider industry; the first gathering of its kind focused specifically on empowering wāhine in trades and construction to grow as leaders, business owners, and change-makers. It has already inspired continued collaboration and enthusiasm for future events.

For HPCE Aotearoa and our client, this success laid a strong foundation for the years ahead. Future iterations will build on the valuable feedback and ideas shared by attendees, ensuring each event remains a co-created experience, shaped by wāhine, for wāhine, celebrating confidence, courage, and connection.