The Combined Community Trusts Conference
2022 - Rotorua
2020 - The Dunedin Centre, Dunedin (postponed)
2018 - Claudelands, Hamilton
2016 - Rydges Latimer, Christchurch
The Combined Community Trusts’ biennial conference has been hosted by the Rata Foundation (formally The Canterbury Community Trust) and Trust Waikato. The conference was attended by over 200 staff, board trustees, chief executives and fund managers from throughout New Zealand.
The 12 combined community trusts of New Zealand are the custodians of over $2 billion of investments and collectively grant over $100 million to thousands of community organisations throughout New Zealand each year.
Strong sustainability and cultural elements drove 2022’s Combined Community Trusts Conference which took place at Rotorua’s Energy Events Centre, November 22- 24 2022.
Themed Working together to “Accelerate bold meaningful change” across Aotearoa – Tātau Tātau, the event brought together 200 delegates representing New Zealand’s 12 independent community Trusts, from very small organisations to the extremely large.
Following pre-conference meetings, the programme kicked off with a fantastic pōhiri Māori cultural welcome at Te Puia, followed by a tour of the Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley and delicious hāngī buffet dinner, with Deputy Mayor Sandra Kai Fong officially opening proceedings.
During the conference component, sessions touched on climate change, sustainable investment and healthy affordable housing. Delegates were also invited to contribute to the Bead & Proceed project set up at the event, looking at how the Trusts could weave the UN Sustainable Development Goals into their work.
This sustainable ethos was carried into the conference organisation, with a focus on reducing waste including the use of twiice edible coffee cups at the events centre.
There was a strong emphasis on workshops to facilitate the Trusts to think collaboratively and collectively to set goals in line with the conference theme. These sessions were set up cabaret-style with a pre-arranged seating plan ensuring a mix of trusts, regions and roles at each table. Each was named after a native bird, with a beautiful themed centrepiece by Event Impressions, for ease of grouping throughout the conference programme.
The first afternoon then incorporated networking and social activities aimed at supporting Rotorua’s tourism industry post-COVID and giving back to the community. Delegates enjoyed some local fun, with the group split between Rotorua Duck Tours, Rotorua Ziplines, and Whakarewarewa – The Living Māori Village.
This was followed by a magnificent conference dinner at Skyline Rotorua. Themed Recycle, Reuse, Reduce, guests were encouraged to dress using preloved materials, resulting in outfits made from bottle caps to coffee sacks! MCs Laura Daniels and Joseph Moore kept things fun and went above and beyond judging the prizes, ranging from best dressed to most original.
The final day welcomed keynotes from Rt Hon Sir Bill English and Rotorua List MP
Tamati Coffey, plus an invigorating speech from endurance athlete and Trans-Atlantic Rowing Race competitor Kevin Biggar on Fearlessly facing challenges.
Throughout the event, the League of Live Illustrators took key elements of conference content and ‘harvested’ the information into imagery that the Trusts can take back to their offices to refer to.
The conference concluded with reflections and poroporoaki, ensuring delegates went home inspired and motivated.
Following on from the 2016 conference theme ‘Today’s seed is tomorrow’s forest’, the 2018 conference theme was Hikitia ki te wero, which translates to ‘Rising to the challenge’. The Community Trusts explored how they collectively need to identify these challenges, engage with our communities, strategically plan to grow and rise to meet these challenges head on.
Delegates were welcomed onto Tūrangawaewae Marae, located in the town of Ngāruawāhia in the Waikato. This is a very significant marae, being the headquarters for the Māori King Movement (Te Kīngitanga) and the official residence and reception centre of the Māori King, Tūheitia Paki. The powhiri was followed by the history of the Kīngitanga, with dinner and a cultural performance.
The venue for The Combined Community Trusts Conference was the Claudelands. Claudelands is set amongst 34 hectares of beautiful parkland and is a short walk from Hamilton’s CBD.
The conference supported suppliers that have socially focused outcomes, this included sourcing food from Eat My Lunch, a social enterprise, which for every lunch purchased buys a schoolchild lunch. Hazel Hayes is a registered organisation with Conscious Consumers and provided the conference dinner catering. Conscious Consumers gives accreditation to businesses that meet minimum ethical and sustainable accreditation standards.
In order to minimise waste, satchel / bags were eliminated. The conference app, which people could download to their devices, provided ample direction and information as to the programme, speakers and venue information.
As 2018 marked 30 years since Community Trusts were established in New Zealand, Trusts from around New Zealand were asked to contribute photos and footage of the positive impact Community Trusts have had, and their hopes for the next 30 years. This was compiled into a 30-year celebration video and footage and images were used throughout the conference.
The Community Trusts were celebrating 30 years since their formation in 1988. At the conference dinner, we decided to dust off the leg warmers, dig out the Rubik’s cube, and relive the decade when it first began!
Watch a highlight video from The Combined Community Trusts 2018 Conference
In 2016 the theme of conference was “Seed”, drawing inspiration from the beautiful whakatouki (Maori proverb) that “Today’s Seeds are Tomorrow’s Forests”. We wanted to create an experience for delegates that embraced the ideas of renewal, innovation, growth and hope – elements reflected in the conference setting of Christchurch; a city rising again after the earthquakes.
Day one featured a pōwhiri at the spectacular Rehua Marae. Delegates were later led on a double-decker bus tour of the inner city to visit some of the key rebuild projects, before arriving at their final destination, the recently re-opened Christchurch Art Gallery, for their Welcome Reception.
The three days offered trustees and staff to get together, with the support of speakers and sponsors to network and discuss mutual and contemporary philanthropic issues. The programme was split into three core themes, philanthropy, governance and investment. There were 38 impressive speakers ranging from international keynotes speakers, to local leaders, such as Judge Andrew Becroft, Hana O’Regan, Nigel Latta, Arihia Bennet, Marcus Akuhata-Brown.
Amongst the conference, the social media was going wild, with discussions on Twitter, Facebook, and the conference app, all part of the live dialogue.
Amongst the busy conference programme of speakers and concurrent sessions, the Dr Seuss themed conference dinner at the Transitional "Cardboard" Cathedral, provided an opportunity to wear wacky costumes and indulge in some silliness!