New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland will welcome the 30th Scientific Symposium of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) in November 2028, the first time the event is held in Oceania.
Expected to attract around 1,300 international delegates, WPATH 2028 will take place at the New Zealand International Convention Centre, delivering an estimated NZD 3.1 million in economic impact and more than 7,000 visitor nights.
“It creates a vital space to share evidence, lived experience and best practice,” said Jennifer Shields, President of the Professional Association of Transgender Health Aotearoa, “supporting access to gender-affirming care grounded in the rights of trans people to bodily autonomy and self-determination.”
The bid, led by Dr Elizabeth McElrea and Jennifer Shields, was backed by the Auckland Convention Bureau and Tourism New Zealand Business Events.
Leo Lewis, WPATH Executive Director, called the event “a defining moment for the field,” promising a global platform for advancing transgender health through science, innovation and collaboration.