26 May 2026
Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre
58 Waipuna Road, Mount Wellington, Auckland
Hui Fono is a unique professional learning space – designed by and for Māori and Pacific educators, community leaders and change-makers working in Adult and Community Education across Aotearoa.
This is not a general sector event. It is a dedicated, culturally grounded space where Māori and Pacific voices are centred, where the kōrero goes deeper, and where the learning is shaped by the communities it serves.
Beyond the Hype: Applying Artificial and Ancestral Intelligences for Transformative Learning
Hui Fono 2026 sits within the shared conference theme, Beyond the Hype: Applying Artificial and Ancestral Intelligences for Transformative Learning, but explores it through a distinctly Māori and Pacific lens.
As AI reshapes how people learn and access knowledge, ancestral intelligence – mātauranga Māori, Pacific knowledge systems, cultural values and relational practice – offers something AI cannot: the grounding that makes learning truly transformative. Hui Fono 2026 explores what it means to hold both.
The programme centres practical, community-led learning through wānanga, case studies and shared kōrero.
Running alongside ACE Conference
Following the successful 2025 model, Hui Fono and the ACE Conference will once again be held back-to-back in 2026. Taking place in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, the two events will share a common theme while retaining their distinct kaupapa and audiences. The bringing together of our signature events will be premised on the whakatauki, he waka eke noa – we are all in this together
Running consecutively at the same venue, Hui Fono (26 May) and the ACE Conference (27–28 May) will create space for deeper connection, continuity of kōrero and cross-sector learning. Together, they bring Māori and Pacific perspectives and wider ACE sector practice into purposeful dialogue — strengthening learning, relationships and collective impact across adult and community education.
IMPORTANT: These are two separate events that require two separate tickets, so please ensure you are registered for both events if you wish to attend both. Hui Fono participants will be receiving an ACE Conference discount – more details at the bottom.
Click here to register for Hui Fono.
If you need any assistance with regisrations, please email admin@aceaotearoa.org.nz.