Concrete NZ Conference Awards
The annual Concrete NZ Conference Awards celebrate excellence, innovation and leadership across New Zealand’s cement and concrete industry. Presented during the Conference Formal Dinner on Thursday 22 October 2026 at the Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre, the awards recognise outstanding achievements from across Concrete NZ’s Sector Groups and the Learned Society.

Entries are invited across five categories: Producer – Extra Distance, Producer – Technical Excellence, Diversity & Inclusion, Health, Safety & Wellbeing, and Carbon Reduction. Together, these awards showcase the industry’s commitment to technical excellence, workplace culture, sustainability, innovation and continuous improvement.

Distinct from the biennial Concrete Construction Awards, the Conference Awards have a strong internal industry focus and highlight the people, organisations and initiatives helping shape the future of concrete in New Zealand. Recent winners have included projects and programmes spanning low-carbon innovation, major infrastructure delivery, workforce wellbeing, and diversity initiatives.

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The awards evening will also acknowledge Honorary Life Members, Outstanding Contributors, Plant Audit Scheme Gold Status recipients, the Concrete Industry Apprentice of the Year, and winners of the Concrete Cricket Bat Competition.

Entries for the 2026 Conference Awards close on Friday 14 August 2026.

Concrete NZ Conference Awards Entry Leaflet

Sandy Cormack
Best Paper Award

Established in 1998, the Sandy Cormack Best Paper Award recognises the most outstanding technical paper presented at the annual Concrete NZ Conference. Judged on the quality of both the written paper and conference presentation, the award acknowledges excellence in research, innovation, technical knowledge and communication relevant to the development of New Zealand’s concrete industry. The winning author(s) receive a $1,000 cash prize and industry recognition.
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The award honours H.W. “Sandy” Cormack, one of the most influential figures in New Zealand’s concrete industry. An engineer and industry leader, Sandy played a pivotal role in establishing key industry organisations, quality assurance systems, and New Zealand’s first ready mixed concrete plants in Wellington and Auckland. His leadership helped shape the modern concrete sector and advanced standards, research and technical excellence nationwide.
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J. Xu and A. Dickson (Beca), along with A. O’Donnell and E. Caudwell (HEB Construction) won the 2025 Sandy Cormack Best Paper Award for Te Whau Pathway Project: Modular Precast Design for Low- Impact Construction in an Ecologically Sensitive Marine Environment.

Concrete NZ Chief Executive’s Award – Best Lightning Talk 

Introduced in 2025, the Concrete NZ Chief Executive’s Award for Best Lightning Talk recognises the most engaging and impactful short presentation delivered during the conference Lightning Talks session. Voted for by delegates using the conference app, the award celebrates presenters who communicate innovative ideas, research and industry insights in a concise, informative and entertaining format.
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Concrete Cricket Bat Competition

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The Concrete Cricket Bat Competition celebrates creativity, innovation and the versatility of concrete. Open to university students and people involved in the concrete industry, the competition challenges teams to design and build a functional cricket bat made from concrete.

Now a popular feature of the Concrete NZ Conference, the competition encourages participants to push the boundaries of material performance, engineering and practical design while embracing a fun and highly competitive format.

Entries are assessed by judges across a range of criteria, including a practical performance component featuring “throw-downs” with a soft ball using the indoor cricket net. In 2025, the University of Canterbury team claimed the competition title with an innovative and high-performing entry.

Full competition details and entry information are available below:

Learn More about the Cricket Bat Competition

Register for the Concrete NZ Conference 2026 Below

Click Here to Register

This event is organised by  Conferences & Events Ltd
We are a New Zealand business.

Conference Manager:
Beatrice Giorgi
+64 4 384 1511
concrete@confer.co.nz
www.confer.co.nz