Wellbeing programme

brought to you by Waugh Infrastructure Management and Beca.

Make the Āpōpō Congress your catalyst to wellbeing and career advancement in 2025.

With a bumper technical programme including five technical streams, we are integrating Wellbeing activities into Congress itself.

Thanks to Waugh and Beca for supporting our wellbeing initiatives at Congress this year.

We want to ensure that those who attend the 2025 Āpōpō Congress not only take back to work new technical knowledge and learning, but to also come away inspired, invigorated and refreshed. The Congress Wellbeing Programme has been curated to support attendees to make the most of all the opportunities to learn and develop available by helping you to clear your head, stay focused and to be ‘present’ throughout the event.

As those tasked with providing your communities with essential infrastructure which impacts their lives and livelihoods, your job can be stressful. To look after you at Congress and reduce those pressures you can look forward to the wellbeing programme: 

Highlights include:

  • Wellness programme introduction: featuring Ross Waugh

  • Mental Skills Keynote: Performance Under Pressure – Gilbert Enoka

  • Nutrition Skills Keynote: How to be intelligently lazy in the kitchen – Two Raw Sisters

  • Waugh Reset Room

  • Waugh Work Zones 

  • Beca Energising Relaxation Zone

  • Breathing & Movement Breaks – Led by Soul Works

  • Massage Chairs 

  • Healthy Food Options including the Waugh Juice Bar

  • Social Connection Tools 

  • Helpful Resources to get the most out of Congress!

Wellbeing Keynotes

Gilbert Enoka: Main stage address at 3.40pm on Thursday 15 May

Performance and Pressure - Managing the moments

Gilbert is philosophical in his approach to his own life and thrives on working with people who are in pursuit of excellence, consistency, and sustained performance over time.

Read more here. 

Two Raw Sisters: Main stage address at 11.20am on Friday 16 May

How to be Intelligently lazy in the kitchen

Their commitment to promoting sustainable, affordable, and practical wellness solutions continues to inspire people to take charge of their health and live better, more balanced lives.

Read more here. 

We're continuing to build momentum...

“How [Congress 2024] was unexpectedly emotional (in a good way!), full of heart and aroha, and with a focus on wellness, which is not something you usually get in this professional type of event."

Waugh Reset Room

Meditate and reset with Waugh. This is a quiet reflection and recharge space complete with couches, chairs, soft furnishings and plants to encourage you to process newly gained knowledge, connections and consider how you might leverage these in your professional life.

Waugh Work Zone

Taking time out from keeping your organisation running while you invest in your own learning and networking can raise your stress levels – the Waugh work zones located throughout Te Pae are where you can check on emails, make that call, meet that deadline and ensure your return to work the next week is pressure free.

Beca Energising Relaxation Zone

Keen to be part of the exhibition buzz but also take a moment to relax? 

Book your energising massage time, take five and get comfy right next to the Beca neck, head and shoulder massage — the perfect spot to sit, kōrero, and relax.

Let the massage chairs magically take the weight of the world off your shoulder!

Plus, 

Participate in regular breathing and movement breaks with Soulworks to help settle your mind and prepare you for fully absorbing all the session to come has to offer.

Enjoy healthy food options at the catering buffet including fresh seasonal fruit – helping to fuel the mind with the nutritious and delicious

And, we've developed some helpful tools!

Maximise social connection with other attendees easily through the Congress app at Congress, and after the event (app links to Linked In) so your Congress experience continues well into the year.

Make the most of our structures and guidance to get the most out of congress:

    • Professional development worksheet – what gets written down gets done, at least its more likely and definitely makes it easier to share with colleagues not as fortunate to be at Congress
    • Talking points for networking – not everyone is a natural networker, so take some tips from experts to see if they work for you and give you confidence to step outside your comfort zone
    • Take a break: Mindfulness – guidance for checking out and checking in purposefully, to keep yourself fresh and engaged in your own timeframe.