About Beacon
Theme: Sustainable Evolution
BEACON is a one-day gathering for tech leaders who want to talk about building resilient, future-ready organisations - together. Join us in Auckland on 13th of October 2025 for a morning of candid talks from some of New Zealand's best speakers and guided discussions, followed by an afternoon unconference where you set the agenda.
No fluff. No hype. No paid sponsors pitches. Just thoughtful conversation, practical tools, and peers who balance technical depth with human nuance.
Burning the candle at both ends isn't sustainable. We believe there's a smarter approach—where effort is applied thoughtfully. By working intelligently and focusing on genuine innovation, you achieve far more impact.
We want to provide space to learn from each other about what works, how change can be evolution with continuous improvement at its heart.
Speaker Line up
-
Anna Cupples
Talk: Leading from Within: Empathy, Diversity, and the Courage to Be Yourself
-
Joshua Arnold
Chief Product & Technology Officer
Talk: Five False Friends — Things that seem right, but lead you astray
-
Panel hosted by Jakub Jurkiewicz
A conversation between Josh, Anna and Jakub
-
Judy Marcelo
Head of Technology - Architecture & Capability @ Woolworths New Zealand
Talk: Do more with less, without burning out or blending in.
-
Daniel Walters
Talk: What is possible?
-
Panel with Andrea Magnorsky
A conversation between Judy, Daniel and Andrea.
-
Sarah Clearwater
Talk: From Stacks to Stories: Making Technology Human-Centered
-
Anthony Marter
Chief of Staff @ Auror & Chair of Product Aotearoa
Talk: Are we really customer focused?
-
Panel with Jakub and Andrea
A panel with Joshua, Anna, Jakub and Andrea, with questions from the audience
Schedule
08:30am - 09:00am Registration 09:00am - 09:10am Welcome & Introductions
Morning Speaker Sessions
09:10am - 09:30am From Stacks to Stories: Making Technology Human-Centered - Sarah Clearwater
09:30am - 09:50am Are we really customer focused? - Anthony Marter
9:50am - 9:55am - Questions generation
9:55am - 10:15am Panel Discussion hosted by Jakub Jurkiewicz
10:15am - 10:45am Break - Morning tea
10:45am - 11:05am Do more with less, without burning out or blending in - Judy Marcelo
11:05am - 11:25am What is possible? - Daniel Walters
11:25am - 11:30am Questions generation
11:30am - 11:50am Panel Discussion hosted by Andrea Magnorsky
11:50am - 11:55am Technical Break
11:55am - 12:15pm Leading from Within: Empathy, Diversity, and the Courage to Be Yourself - Anna Couples
12:15pm - 12:35 Five False Friends — Things that seem right, but lead you astray - Joshua Arnold
12:35pm - 12:40pm Questions generation
12:40pm - 13:00pm Panel Discussion hosted by Jakub Jurkiewicz and Andrea Magnorsky
Lunch
13:00pm - 1:45pm Lunch, a time to recharge.
Afternoon Unconference Sessions
1:45pm - 2:15pm Unconference Introduction and Session Pitching
2:15pm - 2:55pm Unconference Session 1
2:55pm - 3:15pm Afternoon Break
3:15pm - 4:00pm Unconference Session 2
4:00pm - 4:45pm Unconference Session 3
4:45pm - 5:00pm Closing Remarks
FAQs
What is BEACON?
An invitation-first 1 day gathering for tech leaders who want to build what’s next—together. Morning talks from New Zealand’s best speakers; afternoon unconference for peer-led problem-solving.
Who is it for?
Leaders across engineering, product, design, architecture, data, and people practices—anyone shaping how technology organisations evolve.
When is it?
Monday, 13 October 2025
Where is it?
GridAKL - John Lysaght Startup Coworking space
101 Pakenham Street West, Auckland Central, Auckland 1010 - Map
How many people can we expect?
We would like to keep the conversations small and flowing. We have a maximum capacity of 30 guests, plus speakers and organisers.
What is an unconference?
An unconference is a meeting with no set speakers or predetermined agenda. Instead, people come together, suggest topics based on their interests and expertise, and participate in open sessions. Anyone can lead a discussion or join one that interests them. Wikipedia definition Some FAQs about un-conferences
Who’s speaking?
A curated line-up of top New Zealand speakers known for practical, candid insights. You can find the names and details of their talks above. We are still finalising a few last speakers.
Will sessions be recorded or streamed?
The event will benefit from open communication so we will follow Chatham House Rule to encourage it. Photos and learnings can be freely shared as long as due care has been taken to not share particulars. For that reason, we are also not going to be recording any of the proceedings.
How do I attend if it’s invitation-first?
If you have been invited, you should have received an email or a LinkedIn message with the link where you can purchase your ticket. Tickets will be released later.
What’s included in the ticket?
Your ticket includes access to all talks, panel discussions, and unconference sessions. We'll provide morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, plus coffee, tea, and water throughout the day to keep you energised.
Are refunds available?
At this stage, we cannot accept refunds.
Do you cater for dietary needs?
Yes—please note vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free or allergies during registration. All items will be clearly labelled.
Do you have a code of conduct?
Yes: the gist is that you should be kind and respectful, no harassment, no sales pitches in sessions. For the longer version please see Code of Conduct.
Breaches may result in removal without refund.
Privacy & photography
We will be taking photos. If you prefer not to be photographed, request an opt-out badge when you register on the day. Your data is used only for event communications unless you explicitly opt in to updates.
Can my company sponsor?
We are not looking for sponsors at this moment, but if you are interested in getting involved, please contact us.