Port Industry Association
Conferences
The Port Industry Association’s 2025 Conference
Our well-attended 2025 PIA Conference on Sept 16-18 was held at Rydges Wellington and proudly hosted by CentrePort Wellington. Speakers included Associate Transport Minister James Meager, KiwiRail Executive GM Sales & Commercial Alan Piper, economist Cameron Bagrie and a panel of our members’ GMs Commercial, with journalist Paddy Gower speaking at the conference dinner. For the first time attendees included port industry representatives from Fiji, Niue, Tonga, Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands.
2025 Conference Sponsors
2025 Grant Wilson Memorial Award Announced
The 2025 Grant Wilson Memorial Award was awarded to Ruth Parris, which was announced during the conference dinner. More information here
2024 winner – Troy Evans (posthumously)
2023 winner - Adam Harvey
Photos from the 2025 Conference
The panel of GMs Commercial assembled from our members, discussing our industry's future. Left to right: Blair Hamill, Justin Williams, Simon Munt, Andrew Locke and Justin Scholes.
Grant Wilson Memorial Award winner Ruth Parris with her trophy, with PIA EO Jacqui Ramsay (left) and outgoing chair Pat Kirk (right).
Outgoing Chair Pat Kirk opening our 2026 conference.
A significant cohort from the Pacific Islands attended.
Associate Transport Minister James Meagher addresses the group.
Outgoing PIA Chair Pat Kirk (left), new PIA Chair Dave Wakelin (right) and PIA EO Jacqui Ramsay (middle).
CentrePort’s Trevor Melind
Conference 2026 attendees.
Sponsor James Bowman, Co-founder & CEO of Bothworlds speaking about Rasp Software.
Tracey Bates and Scott Bernie of Maritime New Zealand.
Jonny Cook of Maritime New Zealand
Port of Tauranga’s GM Commercial, Blair Hamill.
Award winner Ruth Parris after outgoing PIA Chair Pat Kirk announced her win.
Conference Dinner speaker journalist Paddy Gower
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