Call for Abstracts and Summary of Sessions NZGS/IAG Conference 8-10 December 2026
22nd May 2026
New Zealand Geographical Society and the Institute of Australian Geographers 2026 Joint Conference in Palmerston North, December 2026
On behalf of the New Zealand Geographical Society and the Institute of Australian Geographers, we warmly welcome you to the 2026 Joint Conference in Palmerston North. We gather under the theme Hopeful Spaces to exchange ideas, foster collaboration, and envision geographies of creativity, regeneration, and possibility. This year, the joint conference is hosted by the Manawatū Branch of the New Zealand Geographical Society, aiming for a lower-key, wellbeing-led conference. Please join us in Palmerston North, in the North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand, for in-person early summer collaborative engagement including keynotes, plenary panels and fieldtrips. The Conference will commence with Pre-conference events and Study Group sessions on Monday 7 December and Conference sessions will run from 8-10 December 2026. This is an 'in person' conference.
Tēnā tātou,
The organising committee for the ‘Hopeful Spaces’ New Zealand Geographical Society (NZGS) and Institute of Australian Geographer’s (IAG) Conference, 8 – 10 December 2026 invite you to submit your abstract.
Conference details:
8-10 December 2026, Massey University Manawatū Campus (hosted by the Manawatū Branch of the NZGS in Palmerston North).
Key dates:
· Call for abstracts is now open
· Registration opening soon
· Call for Abstracts closes 17 July 2026. Please check the conference website for more details about workshops, creative events, keynote speakers, pre-conference events and field trips as these become available.
Call for Papers / Abstracts
We have had a tremendous response to the call for session proposals. There are 64 sessions, closed panels and workshops as well as 8 pre-conference events. Themed sessions can be found here. Abstracts not aligned with a session can also be submitted through the abstract portal by selecting ‘open session’. If you have any questions about the sessions, please contact the corresponding session convenor. However, your abstract must be submitted through the form portal.
Please submit your Abstract by 17 July 2026 by visiting the NZGS/IAG 2026 Conference website to submit your abstracts (up to 250 words) and five keywords.
If you have any questions about the conference in general, please contact the organisers at conference@nzgs.co.nz
Please note that the conference is in Manawatū, hosted at Massey University Palmerston North campus (not Auckland or Wellington). Depending where you are coming from, it is sometimes cheaper and more straightforward, however, to fly to Wellington and get an intercity bus to Palmerston North (1.5 hours away), or share the rental of a van or car. Accommodation options are on the website.
Ngā mihi
Kelly Dombroski, Matt Henry (co-chairs) and the Manawatū Conference Committee.
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