Thank you for coming: Two Events. One Powerful Kaupapa.
Hui Fono and the ACE Conference 2026 have wrapped – and what a three days it was.
On 26 May, Hui Fono brought together Māori and Pacific educators, leaders and change-makers for a day of wānanga, talanoa and deep kōrero. The day after, the ACE Conference opened to the wider sector for two days of keynotes, ako sessions, a timely political panel, and the ACE Aotearoa Awards Dinner. Back-to-back, at the same venue, under the theme Beyond the Hype: Applying Artificial and Ancestral Intelligences for Transformative Learning – it was an important time for connection, collaboration and learning for the sector.
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. Thank you to every speaker, facilitator, panellist and participant who made it what it was.
Highlights, video, and post-event resources will continue to be shared via our social channels and newsletter in the coming weeks.
The event information on this page will remain live until ACE Conference + Hui Fono 2027 is announced. Sign up to the ACE Aotearoa newsletter to be the first to hear about next year's events.
Beyond the Hype: Applying Artificial and Ancestral Intelligences for Transformative Learning
In 2025, the sector had the AI conversation. This year, we put it into practice.
The 2025 theme sparked important kōrero about AI, ethics and the relationship between artificial and ancestral intelligence. But practitioners told us clearly: they were ready to move from theory to action. Beyond the Hype is the sector's direct response, by providing a programme built around practical application, real tools and the confidence to use them well.
Across both events, the programme centred hands-on learning: case studies, demonstrations and workshops that show how artificial intelligence can support learning design, systems and capacity – while remaining grounded in the cultural knowledge, values and relational practice that have always guided Adult and Community Education in Aotearoa.
Better together
Running Hui Fono and the ACE Conference back-to-back, at the same venue, was deliberate. It created continuity: the kōrero that starts in one space carries into the next. Māori and Pacific voices, centred in Hui Fono, brought depth and grounding to the wider sector conversations that follow.
Hui Fono is a dedicated, culturally grounded space for Māori and Pacific educators, leaders and change-makers – by and for the communities it serves.
The ACE Conference opens that kaupapa to the wider Adult and Community Education sector, with shared themes, new perspectives and collective momentum.
Learn more
Explore Hui Fono 2026
A unique space for Māori and Pacific educators, community leaders, and change-makers.
Explore ACE Conference 2026
Open to all across the adult and community education sector.