NZIX was yet again a proud Gold Sponsor of the annual NZNOG conference. This year we headed to picturesque city of Napier on the east coast. The Napier War Memorial was a beautiful venue for the event, with stunning coastline views from the main conference room and breakout areas. Thankfully, the weather cooperated this year, which was pleasant change from last time.
In addition to representing at the conference, NZIX was also excited to support the inaugural IAASysters NZ program as a bronze sponsor. The program is an initiative of the Internet Association of Australia (IAA) and backed by NZNOG to support women in the internet industry. It offers a one-day workshop that provides expert career advice and helps build the soft skills essential for career advancement. IAA have hosted a similar program in Australia for the past four years, and we hope to see the program continue and grow in Aotearoa for years to come. The workshop preceded the conference, which the Systers then attended.
They also joined in the welcome drinks at K Kitchen and Bar on the Wednesday evening. This event marked the official start of NZNOG, where the conversations were lively and the atmosphere welcoming.
On Thursday morning, the conference began at 9am sharp, with IAA’s Sabrina Chang-Rozario recapping the IAASysters NZ program. She was joined by two brave participants who shared their reflections on the day, offering great insight into the impact of the initiative
As always, Team NZIX had our signature purple stand set up and ready to meet conference goers. This year we were giving away large NZIX thermos water bottles, socks and lollies, and they were all a hit! We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with our members, suppliers and all other conference attendees throughout the event.
Day one saw a full lineup of thought-provoking presentations, including an IX update from our very own Matthew Kobayashi to close out the day. Edge IX and Megaport also gave IX updates. The day wrapped up right on time and it was on to the evening’s entertainment. Activity options included the choice of an outdoor escape room or a relaxed tour of the National Aquarium, and beach clean-up session. Many were surprised by just how much rubbish the NOG crew managed to collect! Dinner was served back at the venue and the cocktail-style setup, made it perfect for more socialising and networking.
Day two kicked off with an APNIC update and wrapped up early in the afternoon, following a series of lightning talks. Many stayed on to enjoy the post-NOG cocktail or gin master classes, whilst others used the early mark to get a jump on travelling home.
NZNOG 2025 was a huge success, and if the NOG will have us, we’ll see you all back in 2026!
