Highlights from the ASM26AKL: Day 1

Held this year at the brand new New Zealand International Centre (NZICC), the ANZCA Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) will run from 2-6 May. The theme “Herenga waka, herenga tāngata: From home to home” was chosen by the 2026 National Organising Committee (NOC) to represent the journey of anaesthesia – from the decision to undergo surgery through to recovery and the patient returning home – as well as the parallel of the anaesthetists’ journey and their professional wellbeing.

Pōwhiri and opening plenary

The day began with a pōwhiri, a traditional Māori ceremony where representatives of the tangata whenua (hosts), Ngāti Whātua, welcomed the manuhiri (visitors) and presented a koha (gift) in the form of a specially woven whāriki takapau (ceremonial mat), which will remain on the main stage throughout the ASM, providing a symbolic ceremonial space that fosters the flow of knowledge. 

Following the pōwhiri, ASM Convenor Dr Kerry Benson-Cooper FANZCA officially launched the upcoming program of talks, workshops, fast take sessions and meetings.

Opening plenary

The Ellis Gillespie Lecture is always the first plenary session of the ASM. This year, we were honoured to hear from University of Oxford vice-chancellor Professor Irene Tracey, discussing “The science of consciousness.” We spoke to her afterwards, where she expanded on her presentation in a video interview with Dr Jane Leadbeater FANZCA.

Interviews with keynote speakers and convenors

In addition to the interview with Professor Tracey, we also spoke with:

• Professor Lesley Colvin, who presented at the FPM Symposium yesterday on adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and chronic pain. In this video, she talks to Dr Supriya Chowdhury FFPMANZCA about navigating and embedding ACE in clinical consultation and assessment.
• Dr Saana Taylor FANZCA and Dr Vik Singh FANZCA, this year's Emerging Leaders Conference (ELC) co-convenors about the theme “Te Herenga Matua – the pursuit of consciousness” and their ELC highlights.

We'll be adding all interviews to our 2026 ASM playlist throughout the next five days. 

Today's TopMed Talks

TopMedTalk is giving you live coverage of the ASM again this year – find out what they’ve been up to so far:

Professor Kate Leslie AO FANZCA and Dr Andy Cumpstey interviewed incoming ANZCA President, Dr Tanya Selak and incoming FPM Dean, Professor Michael Veltman about their goals and aspirations over the next two years.

Media coverage

• Media release: Future doctors learn to get hands-on at bring your kids to work day.

2026 College Ceremony

Tonight we'll be celebrating our new ANZCA and FPM fellows at our College Ceremony. Those of you not here in Auckland can tune in live at 6pm NZT via our Facebook page or YouTube Channel. The recordings will be available on these platforms for the following two weeks.

Acknowledgements

We’re indebted to the New Zealand National Organising Committee, who have worked hard to develop a stimulating and creative ASM program. We’re also grateful for the outstanding support of the healthcare industry. Their contributions help make this a successful and high-quality meeting and provide us with the opportunity to experience the latest technology and medicines in several fields.

onDemand available soon

Couldn't make it to Auckland? We've got you covered! ANZCA ASM and FPM Symposium onDemand packages will be available from 13 May, enabling you to view content from the scientific programs at a time that suits you.