Great Lake Taupō Tourism Awards & Industry Celebration 2026

We are delighted to invite you to the Great Lake Taupō Tourism Awards & Industry Celebration 2026 — an evening bringing together our tourism and hospitality community to recognise the people, businesses and partnerships that make our visitor industry what it is.

It is an opportunity for our wider tourism and hospitality sector to come together, reconnect, celebrate the year, recognise the people behind our visitor experiences, and acknowledge the contribution our industry makes to the Great Lake Taupō region.

Great Lake Taupō Tourism Awards & Industry Celebration 2026

• Date: Thursday, 19 November 2026
• Time: 16:00-20:00
• Venue: Two Mile Bay Sailing Club (331 Lake Terrace, Two Mile Bay, Taupō)
• Dress code: Casual Chic, Taupō Summer Style
• MCs: Steve Giles (Events Manager, Taupō District Council) and Katie Taylor (General Manager,  Backpacker Youth and Adventure Tourism Association)

Whether you enter an award or simply come along to support your industry colleagues, we would love to have you there.

To enable as many businesses as possible to participate, attendance is limited to two people per organisation. Businesses or brands operating under common ownership or management will be considered one organisation for attendance purposes, with a maximum of two attendees in total.

Be part of the Awards

We encourage you to consider submitting an application or nominating someone within our industry who deserves recognition. Applications should tell an authentic story, provide clear examples of impact and address the assessment criteria for the relevant category.

The Awards celebrate achievement across four categories:

• Outstanding New Talent Award – recognising emerging talent making an early impact
• Evolution Award – celebrating innovation, growth and business transformation
• Collaboration Award – recognising what can be achieved when we work together
• Legacy in Action Award – honouring sustained contribution, leadership and dedication to our industry

We look forward to celebrating the exceptional people, businesses and partnerships that continue to strengthen tourism and hospitality in the Great Lake Taupō region.

Tūrangi – Taupō Free Shuttle

For Tūrangi whānau, a free shuttle service will operate between Tūrangi and Taupō for the event on Thursday 19 November.

Inbound:

• 14:35 Check into your shuttle 
• 14:50 Depart Tūrangi Customer Service Centre, 1 Ngawaka Place. 
• 15:45 Arrive at 2 Mile Bay Sailing Club, ahead of the 16:00 event start.

Outbound:

• 20:00 Depart 2 Mile Bay Sailing Club
• 20:45 Arrive at Tūrangi Customer Service Centre.

If you would like to use the shuttle, please register your interest via the registration form. We will confirm the final arrangements closer to the event date.

Event Key Dates

• 21 September 2026 – Registrations open
• 15 November 2026 – Registrations close
• 19 November 2026 – Event date

Awards Application Key Dates

• 21 September 2026 – Applications open
• 15 October 2026 – Applications close
• 6 November 2026 – Nominations announced
• 19 November 2026 – Winner announced during the event

Contact

• Taka Nakazawa - Project Lead - taka@lovetaupo.com