QUEENSTOWN New Zealand has won the rights to host a new international conference on landslide risk and geo-education.
The First International Joint Workshop of JTC1 & JTC3 on Landslide Risk Assessment, Communication and Geo-education is scheduled to take place at the Millennium Hotel Queenstown in April 2026.
New Zealand Geotechnical Society (NZGS), with support from Tourism New Zealand Business Events and Queenstown Convention Bureau, led the conference bid.
More… NZ welcomes 10,000 Amway China incentive qualifiers
Two international bodies – JTC1, Natural Slopes and Landslides, and JTC3, Education and Training – will be brought together for the first time to address the full lifecycle of landslide risk management. The conference is themed “Landslide Geo-Education and Risk”.
Ross Roberts, NZGS representative, said Queenstown’s renowned natural beauty and appeal to international visitors, and the surrounding area’s susceptibility to landslides helped to secure the event.
“Landslides are one of New Zealand’s most significant natural hazards. More than 50 per cent of the alpine land around Queenstown is mapped as known landslides, with the underlying rock very susceptible to deep seated failures,” Roberts said.
This event encompasses the need to educate the next generation of landslide risk managers, the need to robustly understand landslide risk, and the need to communicate that risk to the public and decision-makers so that real change is implemented.”
– Ross Roberts, New Zealand Geotechnical Society
“New Zealand’s vibrant and high-quality landslide research sector is well integrated with practitioners and government agencies responding to emergency events, which makes this event particularly attractive to international experts.”
The conference is expected to attract up to 350 delegates to Queenstown and deliver more than NZ$900,000 (about US$534,775) in economic benefit to the resort town in its off-peak season.
Destination Queenstown Chief Executive, Mat Woods, said business events were vital to the region’s tourism industry and a conference focused on landslides was especially relevant to Queenstown with its unique landscapes and alpine terrain.
Natural Reactions… More on Queenstown and NZ
“We look forward to welcoming international experts in this field to Queenstown to share knowledge on adapting to climate change and preparing both our tourism industry, and the wider community, for the increasing risk of natural disasters.”
Tourism New Zealand Global Manager Business Events Penelope Ryan added: “This conference is an important profile platform for New Zealand’s leading earth science sector, as well as a compelling opportunity to attract international visitation to Queenstown and beyond during one of our off-peak seasons.”
Main picture… A view of Bob’s Peak in Queenstown. The city’s alpine scenery makes it a hotspot for recreation, but geologists need to study the terrain’s landslide risks
