NZSEE conference update
After a lot of discussion, reaching out to speakers, delegates, and society members, NZSEE has decided we will hold the conference on the original dates 27 – 29 April 2022 but we will move the conference to an online format. We considered delaying the conference with the hope of an in-person event (of course we all would have preferred this!), but decided against this given all the uncertainties involved, and as we prioritise the health and safety of our members, ensure compliance with government rules and follow best practice to minimise the spread of covid. We hope that you all understand this decision and appreciate that covid has our hands tied!
We are working hard to ensure that the conference in this new format will be both enjoyable and manageable for delegates. We know that three days of eight hours online would result in far too many coffees being consumed to stay engaged! We have replanned the conference for an online format with shorter sessions over the three days.
Since the beginning of our planning, the conference agenda been filled with timely, important information which we believe needs to be presented to the industry this year. Notwithstanding the shorter online format, we are keeping this focus with both plenary and presented paper sessions. These updates include results from the National Seismic Hazard Model Update (Matt Gerstenberger) followed by what these results mean for practitioners and academics in day-to-day design and research (Alistair Cattanach). We will also hear about the results of the Resilient Buildings Project, as well as a plenary titled “From Ductility to Repairability” from Ken Elwood, the new MBIE/EQC Chief Engineer. We will also have dedicated sessions for the presentation of the papers authors have submitted. Check out the programme for the full details. I am sure you are going to enjoy this exciting lineup.
We are also currently investigating the possibility of holding some local events (covid permitting) in support of the conference. These include site visits, social events, and possibly smaller gatherings for those who may want to participate in person. If you may be interested in one of these potential small in-person events, please indicate when you register, and let us know the city you will be located in to assist planning.
We have updated the conference website with the programme and the revised fee structure for the conference so you can register. We have also extended the early bird registration period to 25 March given the changes we have had to make to the conference.
For all those who have registered already, we will reach out to you shortly individually about your options for transferring to the new format or cancelling your registration with the appropriate partial/full refunds for each option.
Unfortunately and sadly we have made the difficult decision to not hold the design competition this year given the online conference format. We are planning for the design competition to be back bigger and better then before next year. Watch this space!
Finally, I would like to thank the many sponsors for their ongoing commitment to support this year’s NZSEE conference in a revised online format. Our sponsor’s support is invaluable to NZSEE and very much appreciated!
Hope to see you all virtually in April. 😊
