DayBreak – Festival of Innovation is back!
Ready to Make Shift Happen in 2026? Lock 25 Feb in your diary and grab your tickets NOW!
DayBreak is your 2026 playbook – a one-day shot of skills, ideas and connections to propel you into the new year, giving you momentum to Make Shift Happen.
DayBreak is about innovation. That is, the knowledge, connections and skills you need to make meaningful change. Whether you are thinking about projects, communications, policies, strategies, systems or businesses, DayBreak will give you insights and tools you can put in play now and into the future. On the day, you'll have options to deep dive into specific interests or explore new areas, while also creating connections and sparking fresh thinking.
This will be the best-value, most inspiring personal development you’ll get in 2026. The event was a sell out last year, so get in quick. Earlybird tickets are 100% transferable and strictly limited, and they will sell out! See below for programme highlights.
If you want to level up your DayBreak experience, consider becoming a Patron.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Wednesday 25 February 2026
Time: 8am-7pm
Location: The University of Waikato, Tauranga Campus
Earlybird Tickets: $155 +GST and booking fees
Available until December 19, 2025 or until sold out
Tickets are 100% transferrable
Full price Tickets: $215 +GST and booking fees
From December 20, 2025
Introducing our keynote speaker:
Melissa Clark-Reynolds
Melissa Clark-Reynolds is a street-smart futurist and tech entrepreneur who helps leaders cut through noise, tackle change head-on, and build clear pathways to tomorrow.
Trained by the Institute for the Future and appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the technology industry, she’s worked with everyone from Spark and IAG to NASA and Australian Pork, tackling everything from company strategy to digital disruption. Melissa brings principled insight and practical tools that help teams turn uncertainty into direction
The 2026 DayBreak programme
Learn how to navigate change, grow your success and expand horizons. It’s all on offer at DayBreak. With the theme Make Shift Happen, all sessions are designed to give you actionable ideas. The full programme will be revealed soon, but here’s a taste of what’s on offer:
Keynote: Turning Signals into Strategy with Futurist, Melissa Clark-Reynolds
- Ever wish your team had a crystal ball? While the future may be uncertain, it’s not unknowable. In this keynote, Melissa will bring sharp analysis and grounded insight to help you see what’s coming – and what to do about it. Melissa doesn't just predict trends; she decodes the 10 most important signals from the future. Expect an energising session that leaves you thinking differently – and ready to act
Key Speaker Sessions:
- How to grow a globally competitive business. Hear from leading exporters on what it takes to build a successful organisation.
- Start-up secrets from the founders of four exciting local start-ups, all at different stages of their journey from the Bay to off-shore success.
Workshop Sessions:
- Smaller scale, practical sessions covering topics including: How to turn an idea into a scalable business; exploring mindset and tools to become open to possibility; learning to lead and manage change; and developing leadership skills.
Come on board as a DayBreak Patron
Are you looking for a way to get more involved in DayBreak? Consider becoming a Patron. You'll get exclusive access to tickets at a super-early bird rate NOW, have the chance to contribute to the programme design, and attend Patron events.
Why you should attend DayBreak 2026
Ideas and inspiration that sticks
No fluff, just useful tools and takeaways you can start using straight away to re-energise and be future ready. Investigate areas of interest, or challenge yourself with new perspectives, technologies and skills. Expect world-class professional development, with insight into local and global innovation success stories, strategies and opportunities.
Connections and cross-pollination
DayBreak is your chance to connect in a genuine way with people, companies, stories and ideas across the innovation ecosystem. Meet local experts: the doers, thinkers and potential collaborators. It’s all about bringing together a diverse group of people and cross-pollinating ideas.
Not your usual Conference...
No expensive, cookie-cutter conference here! DayBreak celebrates the region’s creativity and innovation, and key elements of the DayBreak experience include: DayBreak Downtown Lunch (where you can connect with fellow attendees at your chosen eatery), The Sundowner – festival finale, Encore Sessions, and a diverse mix of people, from CEOs to students.
DayBreak is for you if...
- You’re ready for 2026 to be your best year
- You're ready to level up in your role or your business
- You’re done with expensive, cookie-cutter conferences
- You want to walk away with ideas you can use tomorrow and into the future
DayBreak 2025
We had such a great time at DayBreak 2025, making connections, revitalising the city centre, and embracing regional knowledge and insights. Here are some highlights...
