Brought to you by Barfoot & Thompson
Thursday, 3 September 2026 | 5.30pm | Fairview Golf & Country Club, Katikati
The Katikati & Waihī Beach Excellence Awards are back for 2026, celebrating the incredible people, businesses and organisations that make the communities thrive.
With 121 nominations across 11 categories, this year’s awards showcase the innovation, dedication, resilience and community spirit that make the region such a great place to live, work and do business.
The evening will be a celebration of local excellence, connection and inspiration, featuring an outstanding line-up of guest speakers.
Nadia Lim, celebrated New Zealand entrepreneur, chef, television personality and co-founder of My Food Bag, will headline the evening with an exclusive live Q&A, sharing her journey through entrepreneurship, resilience and building a successful New Zealand business.
Brodie Davis, General Manager of Project Parore, will share his passion for bringing people together around a shared purpose and the incredible work being done from the hills to the harbour.
Jason Topp, founder of SMYD Accounting / Advisory, will bring his experience of building an award-winning business from the ground up, while championing connection, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking.
And Chris Simpson, major events specialist and former professional Tall Black, will share his philosophy on being part of a team and managing chaos with clarity, drawing on an extraordinary career delivering some of New Zealand’s biggest events.
The evening promises to be a fantastic celebration of local excellence, the people behind it and the community they are proud to call home.
Celebrating local excellence. Celebrating our people. Celebrating our community.
Find out more about the awards and guest speakers at Katikati & Waihī Beach Excellence Awards 2026.
The event is hosted by Katch Katikati and Waihi Beach Events and Promotions.
