Wellington will host the Asian-Australasian Congress of Neurological Surgeons

The conference bid was led by the Wellington members of Aotearoa Neurosurgeons New Zealand, with support from Business Events Wellington and Tourism New Zealand Business Events.

New Zealand’s strong history in neurosurgery, and state-of-the-art venue Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre were important factors in winning the bid against competition from Perth and Singapore. New Zealand’s excellent strategic funding support and the potential for positive outcomes from hosting this event in Wellington were also instrumental in the decision.

Kelvin Woon and Agadha Wickremesekera, the two co-conveners of the conference, said: “It’s an honour and privilege to host such a prestigious meeting, the AACNS 2028, here in Wellington, New Zealand. This event presents a valuable opportunity to share knowledge, foster collaboration, and address common challenges in the global neurosurgical community.”

Members of the organising committee say the congress will showcase New Zealand’s neuroscience capability and provide a platform to attract neurosurgeons and other health workers in the neurosciences to New Zealand.

New Zealand has 0.49 neurosurgeons per 100,000 population, compared to approximately 1 neurosurgeon per 100,000 people in countries such as the US or Australia.

Additionally, the congress will address the lack of neurosurgery services in the Pacific Islands and explore solutions to the region’s current infrastructure limitations.

Business Events Wellington manager Irette Ferreira said: “Attracting this congress to New Zealand’s capital city, where there is the potential to engage with policymakers and key decisionmakers to address some of the challenges facing this sector, was a huge motivator in making this bid. We’re very proud we successfully secured this event for Wellington.”

The congress is expected to attract up to 1,000 delegates to Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre and deliver more than $3.39m in delegate spending to the city and beyond.

Tourism New Zealand Global Manager Business Events Penelope Ryan added: “This is a great win for Wellington and New Zealand, enabled by the recent funding boost for business events. Hosting this congress will increase international visitors, while leaving a longer-term legacy for the benefit of New Zealanders and our Pacific neighbours.”

Date published: 16 May 2025