Natural beauty a natural fit for connections and kōrero
Sound Futures He Raranga Kōrero
RMLA Conference 2025
10-12 September 2025
Wairau, Blenheim
The Resource Management Law Association’s 2025 conference brought 390 of the environmental and resource management community together among the vineyards, the braided Wairau River and the Wither Hills in Blenheim. With a dynamic mixture of informative speakers, panels, workshops, social functions and fieldshops, the conference programme was designed to resonate with the surrounding environment and focus discussion, knowledge sharing and industry connections, delivering an engaging balance of professional and social sessions.
Regional relationship
Since 2005, CI has provided professional management services for the RMLA’s annual conference, resulting in a special relationship which has grown and strengthened over time. Each year, the event takes place in a different region throughout New Zealand and is crafted around a carefully considered theme connecting the kōrero directly with the local resources and environ. In 2025, the theme “Sound Futures | He Raranga Kōrero” explored caring for the natural environment and sparked discussion on how to collectively shape resilient, integrated, and equitable outcomes for both the environment and communities.
Outstanding in the field
The annual fieldshops are always a feature of the RMLA conference. Coined as a term combining workshops and fieldtrips, these special and varied trips and experiences allow attendees to get out and explore the local region. In 2025, the fieldshops included everything from cultural history, hiking and cycling to saltworks, trains and vintage planes, bringing the conference theme to life in tangible, memorable ways.
Connecting at conference
There is no better way to effectively communicate and collaborate than in person, and for many, attending a conference is the perfect conduit for connection. In 2025, a highlight was the very exclusive (pre-public opening!) and immersive new Wine and Food Experience along with the popular Conference and RMLA Annual Awards Dinner, held at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre. Highlights such as these provide a chance for guests to connect, reflect and celebrate outstanding contributions - the very purpose of in-person events and the reason we love doing what we do.
Feedback
“To the Conference Innovators team - we are in awe of your sustained organisational skills. You are all truly amazing and we thank you for your guidance over the last year, your never wavering calm and control that have kept everything running smoothly and your care for all our delegates was boundless.”
Sarah Pearson, Conference Co-convenor
