Welcome to our Showcase Spot! This is your chance to exercise your talents, present your latest innovations, projects, or research to an engaged audience.

Showcases – limited opportunities are available so get in quick! For example, but not limited to: 

• Stands – want to promote your staff network, community of practice, staff club?  
• Showcases – do you have an inspiring individual or team project you would like to share?
• Talents and services – are you an aspiring photographer, musician, entertainer?  

ASPIRE 2025 Showcase submissions are now open!  

2025 theme: HIKITIA | ELEVATE 

Are you ready to take the next step, to challenge yourself, to elevate yourself and others?  

Hikitia | Elevate signifies growth, innovation and the pursuit of excellence. It encourages us to rise to new challenges, improve our skills, and to think beyond our current roles, envisioning new possibilities for ourselves and for Waipapa Taumata Rau. It is all about taking what you’ve built, what you’ve learned, what you know, and what you do, and taking it to the next level! It is about driving your own development by using the resources around you and drawing on the strengths of your peers and teams.  

Whāia te iti kahurangi ki te tūohu koe, me he maunga teitei   

Seek the treasure which you value dearly. If you should bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain.  

This whakataukī challenges us to pursue our dreams and goals, to persevere through adversity and only slow down if the obstacle is truly great. It sets a wero (challenge) to think about goals, barriers, desires and aspirations. It encourages us to step up and to elevate those around us. 

Hikitia | Elevate has 3 streams: 

Elevate your…Career 

Do you have insights to share about skills development, career planning or crafting, identifying and building on strengths, growth, adapting to career change – planned or unexpected, how to have meaningful career conversations, or making network-boosting connections? This is your stream! 

Elevate your…Storytelling 

If you love weaving a yarn or two and think you have something others would find useful, this stream is for you! Think creativity in the workplace, communication skills, influencing skills, success stories (how did you, your team, or a team you admire do it?), how to find your own story, narratives surrounding our communities and how to ensure the great ones get airtime, tips on how we can better share stories across Waipapa Taumata Rau. 

Elevate your…Wellbeing 

Could you show others how you’ve elevated YOUR wellbeing? Perhaps you have found that elusive work-life balance, survived change, worked on your EQ or made successful healthy lifestyle changes. Are you knowledgeable about accessibility in the workplace, digital wellbeing, staying safe online, using AI to make the most of your time, supporting others facing challenges, or promoting resilience? 

If you are submitting a showcase, please think about the following: 

How does your showcase idea align to the event’s theme?
How will attendees interact with, view, or experience your showcase?
How will your showcase connect to ASPIRE’s purpose as a professional development event?
What sort of space, surroundings, equipment or supervision does your showcase require?

If you have any questions you’d like answered before you submit, please email aspireconference@auckland.ac.nz.  

Submissions close: Thursday, 24 April 2025

Submission Results Notified: Friday, 9 May 2025

Conference date: Tuesday, 1 July 2025