Most people who want to come to the Festival need a yes from someone else first. We have put together a one-page summary you can forward, covering what the day delivers, the professional development credit, and the cost.

The short version:

5.25 hours of structured content, supporting up to 5.25 CDUs towards CBAP, CCBA, AAC and CBDA maintenance, and towards the 35 PD hours needed to apply for CBAP
One day, in the city, so no travel or accommodation cost and no travel days
NZ$275 excluding GST for members

If you hold AAC or CBDA, one day covers over a quarter of your annual CDU requirement.

Bringing five or more people from your organisation? Come as a group - five or more people from one organisation qualify for a group rate. Contact eventsupport@newzealand.iiba.org for more information.

Case for Attendance

Wellington	Monday 19 October 2026, Te Wharewaka o Pōneke Function Centre, 2 Taranaki Street. Registrations close 19 October.
Auckland	Tuesday 20 October 2026, Spark Conference Centre, 50 Albert Street. Registrations close 20 October.
Hours	Registration from 8.30am. Sessions 9.00am to 5.00pm. Networking to 7.00pm.
Cost	IIBA member NZ$316.25. Non-member NZ$373.75. Student NZ$143.75. All GST inclusive, no booking fee.
Development	5.25 hours of structured content, supporting up to 5.25 CDUs.

What the day covers

Theme	What the attendee takes back
Adapt	Framing complex problems with insight and data before jumping to solutions
Align	Influencing priorities so effort lands on what creates value
Accelerate	Decision making and working methods that build momentum

Programme highlights

Wellington. Jared Gorai on judgement in a data saturated environment and Stu Van Rij on the confidence shift. Workshops on governance driven delivery, storytelling and context in the age of AI. Closing panel on the BA skillset alongside Copilot, with Shane Hastie.

Auckland. Jared Gorai on judgement in a data saturated environment and Stu Van Rij on influence when logic does not land. Workshops on elicitation and on owning the context, the story and the ask. Panels on AI hype versus measurable value, and the digital capability gap across New Zealand businesses.

Both days close with the 2026 IIBA Australia and New Zealand Business Analysis Awards finalist announcement.

Professional development credit

Structured content	5.25 hours across plenaries, workshops and two panels
CDUs	Up to 5.25, under Category 2, Professional Development
Counts towards	CBAP and CCBA maintenance (60 CDUs per three years), AAC and CBDA maintenance (20 CDUs per year), and the 35 PD hours needed to apply for CBAP
Evidence	Attendees self report CDUs. A certificate of attendance is issued after the event

For anyone holding AAC or CBDA, one day covers over a quarter of the annual requirement.

Cost in context

	IIBA member	Non-member
Cost excluding GST	NZ$275	NZ$325
Per hour of structured content	NZ$52	NZ$62

No travel or accommodation cost for staff based in either city, and no travel days lost. The non-member premium is NZ$57.50, so if IIBA membership is under consideration it is worth joining first.

What the attendee commits to in return

A 20 minute share back at the next team or practice meeting.
One page of notes filed where the team can find it.
One specific change to propose, with a named piece of work to try it on.

Approval email to adapt

Replace the text in square brackets. Keep it short. A manager reading it should be able to say yes without opening anything else.

Subject: Approval request: Festival of Business Analysis, [19 / 20] October

Hi [manager],

I would like to attend the IIBA Festival of Business Analysis in [Wellington / Auckland] on [19 / 20] October. It is one day, in the city, so there is no travel or accommodation cost and no travel time.

The cost is [NZ$316.25 member / NZ$373.75 non-member], including GST, which is [NZ$275 / NZ$325] excluding GST. The day carries 5.25 hours of structured content and up to 5.25 CDUs towards my certification.

The programme is practitioner-led rather than vendor-led. [Wellington: sessions on governance-driven delivery, storytelling for BAs, and a panel on the BA skillset alongside Copilot.] [Auckland: sessions on elicitation, a panel on moving from AI hype to measurable value, and a panel on the digital capability gap across New Zealand businesses.] [Add one line naming a current piece of work this applies to.]

In return, I will run a 20-minute share-back for the team, file my notes where everyone can reach them, and bring back one specific change to try on [named piece of work].

Registrations close on [19 / 20] October. Happy to discuss if that helps.

[Your name]

Three ways to make the yes easier

Name the work. A manager approves training that lands on something already on their plate. One specific sentence does more than the whole programme.
Ask early. Approval and a purchase order can take a fortnight. Registrations close on the day of the event, but budget holders rarely move that fast.

Book your place now - Wellington | Auckland

FOBA 2026 Case for Attendance