Upcoming events:  

Over the coming weeks, GIB® will be supporting events that celebrate architecture, design, and the people shaping our built environment.

From Open Christchurch to the Fast Forward lecture series, these events offer opportunities to explore inspiring spaces, hear new perspectives, and engage with the ideas influencing our cities. 

Open Christchurch – 1st - 3rd of May 

With 52 open buildings, 6 guided walks and cycle tours, and a range of special activities (from expert talks and tours to workshops), Open Christchurch 2026 is a celebration of our architecture. Discover new spaces or get up close to buildings you love, for free. Delve deeper into select spaces through a range of activities. 33 buildings do not require bookings - you can just turn up at their timetabled open hours. 

GIB® are a principal sponsor of Open Christchurch and we’re proud to support an event that celebrates the city’s built environment and the people behind it. Christchurch’s recovery and reinvention have placed architecture, design, and construction at the heart of its identity, and Open Christchurch provides a unique opportunity to engage the community in those stories.  

Fast Forward lecture series 5 - Chelsea Winstanley, 'Visual Sovereignty' - Thursday 23rd of April:  

Throughout the first semester of University, GIB® has sponsored the 'Fast Forward lecture series' Te Pare School of Architecture and Planning's annual talk series comprising of a wide variety of exceptional speakers and lecturers. 

Focusing on the topic of 'Transcolonisation' and how this process reframes architecture as an evolving dialogue in which Māori worldviews increasingly steer form, narrative, and purpose. We ask the speakers how their creative practice might influence architecture and the built environment.  

A well-known and respected event in the community, Fast Forward is sponsored by GIB®.

Chelsea Winstanley (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi) is one of Aotearoa’s most influential Māori filmmakers, celebrated for advancing visual sovereignty and championing Indigenous authorship on screen. Awarded the Officer of New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) and an Academy Award-nominated producer, she has emerged as a leading creative force with her feature documentary TOITŪ: Visual Sovereignty, which goes behind the scenes of Toi Tū Toi Ora, the largest exhibition of Contemporary Māori Art ever staged in Aotearoa.

By reclaiming authorship, her work influences Māori architecture by affirming who holds the pen, who frames the space, and whose worldview structures the visual field. Her leadership continues through te reo film translation, arts governance, and sustained advocacy for Māori creative autonomy. 

Proudly Supporting Global Design Thinking: GIB® at CMS Design Experience & CONZTRUCT

At GIB®, we’re excited to be sponsoring two standout CMS event series running across Aotearoa in 2026, CMS Design Experience and CMS CONZTRUCT. Together, these events reflect what matters most to us: supporting great design thinking, practical construction knowledge, and the people who bring buildings to life.

CMS Design Experience

Featuring International Guest Speaker Florian Idenburg

We’re particularly proud to be sponsoring the international guest speaker for the CMS Design Experience series in May — Florian Idenburg, a globally recognised architect whose work thoughtfully challenges the way we think about housing and urban living.

With more than 20 years of experience, Florian has built an international career spanning Amsterdam, Tokyo, and New York. In 2008, he co-founded Solid Objectives Idenburg Liu (SO–IL) with Jing Liu, and together they have delivered a body of work that is admired for being bold, experimental, and deeply considered.

Much of Florian’s work focuses on multifamily housing, particularly in Brooklyn, where his projects have helped redefine traditional residential typologies. Working across both market-rate and affordable housing, he brings a rare combination of creativity and realism, demonstrating how strong design can thrive within genuine economic and social constraints.

At GIB®, we believe exposure to global perspectives like Florian’s is vital for strengthening local practice. The CMS Design Experience offers architects and designers the chance to be inspired, challenged, and equipped with ideas that can be applied right here at home.

CMS Design Experience Dates

Queenstown: 25 May

Dunedin: 26 May

Christchurch: 27 May

Auckland: 28 May

Register here: Register – Design Experience

CMS CONZTRUCT

Supporting Practical Learning Across the Industry

GIB® is also proud to sponsor the CMS CONZTRUCT series, an event designed to support everyone working within the construction industry, no matter your role or experience level.

CONZTRUCT is practical, inclusive, and industry focused. It’s a chance to earn licence points, stay up to date with what’s happening across construction, and reconnect with colleagues and mates along the way.

CMS CONZTRUCT Dates

Auckland South & Upper North Island

Hamilton – 16 June

Auckland South – 17 June

Whangārei – 18 June

Wellington & Lower North Island

Wellington – 4 August

Palmerston North – 5 August

New Plymouth – 6 August

Christchurch & Lower South Island

Christchurch – 12 October

Dunedin – 13 October

Invercargill – 14 October

Queenstown – 15 October

Auckland North & East Coast

Auckland North – 10 November

Tauranga – 11 November

Napier – 12 November

Register here: Register | CONZTRUCT