IWNZ Conference 2023

Inner Wheel New Zealand and District NZ294  are excited to be welcoming you to Wellington for the  IWNZ Conference 4th - 7th May 2023.

Be prepared to be "blown away" with a weekend of Inner Wheel inspiration, fellowship and adventures as you indulge in the sights and sounds of New Zealand's Capital City, Wellington.

Wellington has been described as "the coolest little capital in the world" by Lonely Planet. It's a capital city filled with shopping, culture, coffee and so much more. All there for you to discover.  

RegistER Now!

Registration Costs

Members $290

Partners $190

Registration Includes:

Members 

• Friday opening ceremony
• Saturday conference sessions including lunch
• Gala dinner at The Beehive
• Sunday conference sessions and morning tea

Partners

• Friday opening ceremony
• Gala dinner at the Beehive
• Sunday conference sessions and morning tea

Please make your own bookings through the Rydges Wellington booking website: Book Accommodation.

You will need to:

• Input the dates of stay
• click "I have a code"
• Use code - WHEEL

The promo code, WHEEL, will give you 20% off the best available rate for stay between the 4th and 7th May 2023

Parking

There is very limited parking in the area and first come first served at the Hotel.

You can drive into the main entrance on Featherston Street, you will be able to park temporarily to unload anything you need before checking in.

You are encouraged to use public transport:

From the airport

It's about 25mins from the Airport to the Hotel.

• Super Shuttle 
• Take an Uber
• Airport Express Bus 
• Airport taxis

From the Wellington Railway Station

A 2 minute walk down Featherston St from the Station to the Hotel.

Pinky Agnew

Pinky was born and raised in Port Chalmers, Otago.  In her years since leaving school, she has carved out a joyously varied career, enjoying working as a clerical worker, union organiser and educator, singing telegram girl, and self-employed actor, writer, and as a wedding and funeral celebrant.

From the late 1990s through to the early 2000s,she starred as Jenny Shipley in television’s McPhail & Gadsby.   Lorae Parry also starred as Helen Clark, and together they created a stage show with our characters – Leading Ladies – which toured extensively for several years.

She has both written and starred in plays, including her one-woman show Pinky Pops In, as well as Grumpy Old Women and Party Girls.  With Lorae Parry, she co-wrote Circa Theatre hits The Truth About Love, The Candidates, Sex Drive, and the sell-out political comedies Destination Beehive  2014 and 2017, as well as 2017’s pantomime Peter Pan. 

Over the years she has been a core member of the women’s comedy group Hens’ Teeth.

She is a stalwart of RNZ National with Te Radar and Kathryn Ryan. 

A very busy wedding and funeral  celebrant since 1996, she has also published two collections of readings for ceremonies – Heartsongs and Lifesongs (Random House), with her next book, This is Farewell, about to be published.  She has also self-published a collection of her own comic poems, Pinky’s Poems. 

In 2004 Pinky was invested as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for her services to entertainment.  

Elisha Watson

Elisha is a litigation lawyer turned underwear entrepreneur. In 2017, she founded Nisa, an ethical underwear, swimwear and activewear label employing former refugees and migrants in their Wellington workshop.

The idea for Nisa came to Elisha when she was volunteering with the Community Law Centre and Red Cross in the refugee resettlement space.  She shared a love of sewing with many of the women in the refugee community, and the idea of setting up a clothing business to provide employment opportunities took form. 

Elisha quit her job as a lawyer to get Nisa off the ground, and 5 years later is now the CEO of a bustling and lively company that makes organic cotton underwear and bras, and eco-friendly activewear and swimwear. She has a diverse and talented team of 16 women from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Myanmar, New Zealand, Somalia and Sri Lanka at her side.

   Nisa is an underwear label and social enterprise, employing women from refugee and migrant backgrounds in their Wellington workshop. For the Nisa team, a job is about so much more than a pay cheque - it's about making friends, practising English and feeling like a valued member of a team.

Nisa was founded in 2017, and started out making organic cotton women's briefs. Their range has grown to include men's briefs, bralettes, swimwear and activewear. They have a cult following, and have shipped out over 30,000 garments to customers all over the world through their online store www.nisa.co.nz

Elisha and her work with Nisa are in line with NZ294's District Project 2022/23, supporting Refugees.

Conference Charity

Wellington Hospitals Foundation

Wellington Hospitals Foundation is the official charity for the hospitals served by Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley district. This includes Wellington Regional Hospital, Kenepuru and Hutt Hospitals, Te Wao Nui Child Health Service, Kapiti Health Centre and the Mental Health, Addictions and Intellectual Disability Service.

Community support enables the Foundation to assist our hospitals to keep pace with the latest technology and treatments, and to provide resources, care and comfort items that help thousands of people in the Greater Wellington Region receive better healthcare.

Foundation volunteers are also an integral part of healthcare in the Greater Wellington Region and our hospitals rely on their assistance. We proudly manage over 450 volunteers across a range of areas.

Our Conference donation will support Wellington Children's Hospital Te Wao Nui Child Health Services.

Sponsors