Celebrating Our Success: Reflecting on the 2026 Apparelmaster Conference
What a weekend! From 13 to 17 May, the Apparelmaster family came together at the stunning Park Hyatt in Auckland's Wynyard Quarter for our 2026 Annual Conference, and the theme of "Celebrating Our Success" couldn't have felt more fitting.
With the Apparelmaster Group now approaching almost 50 years of supporting New Zealand businesses, this year was about pausing to recognise how far we've come. The past 12 months have been some of the most challenging in recent memory thanks to the ongoing economic climate, but they've also been some of the most rewarding. Conference was our chance to celebrate the hard work every one of you puts in, and the successes we've shared along the way.
A programme packed end to end
The weekend kicked off on Wednesday with the Apparelmaster Masters Golf Tournament out at the magnificent Muriwai Links, where we once again battled for the coveted Green Jacket which was won by our good friend Brendan Hodgson of Ritex.
Thursday saw the Apparelmaster and Linenmaster AGMs hosted at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Westhaven, before an evening exploring Auckland's restaurant scene.
Friday was our big business day. We were treated to a fantastic line-up of speakers and sessions covering the issues that matter most to our industry. Ray Hayes spoke on energy security and conservation, Dr Aisha Rehman and Dr Hafeezullah Memon broke down the science behind our textiles, and James Flannery of Contact Energy and Rick Wellington of Preens Apparelmaster gave a frank look at the future of gas and decarbonisation in New Zealand. A real highlight was keynote speaker Cameron Bagrie of Bagrie Economics, who dissected the state of the economy and the global headwinds ahead.
Saturday rounded things out with supplier presentations, sessions on RFID in commercial laundries and cyber security, and a choice of group activities. These ranged from the Auckland Harbour Bridge Climb and Wētā Workshop Unleashed to the All Blacks Experience, an Urbanaut brewery tour, and a shopping run to the new IKEA Sylvia Park megastore.
Raising the bar for a great cause
One of the proudest moments of the weekend wasn't on the agenda at all. Across the conference, our silent auction in support of the Life Education Trust saw all of you dig deep, and together we raised an incredible $22,610.00. Every dollar goes directly towards making a difference in the lives of hundreds of young children, through important education around drug and alcohol awareness and other vital life skills. To everyone who bid, donated, and got behind it, thank you. That generosity says everything about the kind of group we are.
The 2026 Gala Awards Dinner
Saturday evening brought the weekend to its close in the Park Hyatt's Harbour Room. In our smart Cocktail Lounge attire, we came together to celebrate the very best of our network at the 2026 Apparelmaster Group Awards, followed by the legendary gala dinner and live music.
Congratulations to all of our 2026 award winners. Every award was thoroughly deserved.
Supreme Apparelmaster Franchisee 2026 Joint Winners – Preens Apparelmaster & Pryors Apparelmaster
Apparelmaster Runner Up Business of the Year - La Nuova Apparelmaster, Taranaki
Apparelmaster Branch with Biggest Growth by % over 12 Months – Apparelmaster Kaipara
Apparelmaster Supplier of The Year - Patrick Girvan of BOWE New Zealand Limited
Customer Service Representative of the Year - Keith Jordan from La Nuova Apparelmaster
Apparelmaster Managing Directors Award – Adam Jones
Local Legend Award - Glen Fisher, Apparelmaster Christchurch
Apparelmaster’s Rising Star Winner 2026 - Tara Thomas from Preens Apparelmaster
Apparelmaster Masters Golf Tournament Winner - Brendan Hodgson, Ritex International, Nelson
And for those who missed out this year, good luck for next year.
Thank You Everyone
A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to attend the 2026 Apparelmaster Conference. Thank you also to all of our suppliers, whose generous sponsorship helped make the whole weekend possible.
Most importantly, thank you all for being such an important part of the Apparelmaster family. Every one of you plays a massive role in what makes our group so special, and that is what we were really celebrating.