Queenstown · New Zealand

Ski
Commerce
2026

Where the people building the future of commerce swap the boardroom for the bottom of a chairlift.

Wed
26
Thu
27
Fri
28
August2026
Get tickets Limited spots
Mountaineering●Social Engineering●Commerce Engineering● Mountaineering●Social Engineering●Commerce Engineering●
01 — The Event

Ski by day.
Scheme by night.

Ski Commerce brings ambitious commerce businesses, and the partners that power them, to Queenstown for three days. It's our chance to get the people we work with out of the office and onto the mountain. Ski the best snow of the season by day. Trade the ideas shaping the next decade of commerce by night. No trade-show carpet. No death by slides. Just good people, a mountain, and the conversations you actually came for.

01

Innovation

The next wave of commerce and AI, unpacked by the people actually building it.

02

Fun

Powder runs, après drinks and a mountain full of good company. Work hard, ski harder.

03

Forward-thinking

Three days pointed at what's coming, not a recap of what already happened.

04

Unique

There is nothing else like it. A boardroom at the bottom of a chairlift.

Why here

Queenstown

New Zealand · 45° South

There's no thrill like this back home. Queenstown in late August is the best snow of the season and the quietest the town gets all year. The adventure capital of the world, with a mountain, a lake and a runway all within arm's reach.

★

Best Snow

Late August is peak season on the Southern Alps. Bluebird days, deep base.

↓

Smallest Crowds

No school holidays. The lowest-visited month of the year. The mountain to yourselves.

▲

Adventure Capital

Bungy, jet boats, alpine everything. The most beautiful office on earth.

45'

Easy To Reach

Direct from most AU east-coast cities. Runway to first run in under an hour.

02 — The Programme

The Agenda

Mountain in the morning, Conversational Commerce in the afternoon, drinks after. Here is the full programme.

Wednesday
26 August · Arrive
Connect
5:00–7:00pm
Welcome DrinksHosted lakeside at the Hilton, Kawarau Falls. Food, drinks, a short welcome and scene-setter from Ben & Simon about Conversational Commerce in 2026. Chance to meet and make friends. Everyone will get a prompt to think about ahead of the Conversational Commerce workshop on Thursday afternoon.
Thursday
27 August · Conversational Commerce
Conversational Commerce
From 7am
Mountain Morning7am Skinning to the Summit, or 8am First Tracks at Coronet. Make the most of the morning, ski, ride and hunt for the powder. Doors open at 1pm and we start at 1:15pm, so an early start is best.*
Not skiing?The spa and sauna at Base Camp open from 10am, a few steps from the Hilton pontoon and the 9° water of Lake Whakatipu. Do that instead, or après ski when you come down the mountain.
Either way, the morning is your chance to kick around the Conversational Commerce prompt you were handed at the welcome drinks, ahead of the afternoon workshop.
1:00pm
Registration & ArrivalDoors open at the Hilton, Kawarau Falls. Grab a coffee, find a seat and say hello before we start at 1:15pm.
1:15pm
Conversational Commerce: State of Play, August 2026Simon and Ben on where AI search and agentic engineering have got to, and what has changed in the last twelve months. 15 minutes.
1:30pm
Why ChatGPT Recommends Some Brands, And Not OthersBen on how ChatGPT picks the brands it names, what it takes to be one of them, and the revenue that follows. Includes a Kia Ora Digital case study. 30 minutes.
2:00pm
Everything To Know About Google Ads, From An Ex GooglerJackson spent his career inside Google. He'll walk through how the ad platform works now, where the spend goes, and what to change in your account. 30 minutes.
2:30pm
Break30 minutes. Refresh and connect with others.
3:00pm
Agentic AI Product Management: Lessons From Meta And LovableHow product gets built when agents do the work, drawn from the way teams at Meta and Lovable ship. 45 minutes.
3:45pm
Conversational Commerce WorkshopAn hour on the prompt you were handed at the welcome drinks. Everyone in the room contributes, and we work through what came out of it together.
4:45pm
Recap & Q&AYour questions answered, and the day pulled back down to what to do on Monday.
5:00pm
DrinksWe finish on the drinks and keep the conversations going. The evening is yours after that.
Friday
28 August · Coronet Peak
Coronet Peak
Daytime
Everyone Up The MountainTo cap off the event, there's a ski day at Coronet Peak.*
Not a skier?Come up anyway. The chairlift and the base building are worth the trip on their own.
Post-ski
Post-Ski Farewell — Coronet Peak Base BuildingWe gather at the base building once everyone is off the mountain. Boots off, a drink in hand, and the last of the conversations before you head for the airport.

Session times are confirmed. Any changes will be sent to ticket holders by email.

*Lift passes, ski/snowboard hire and transport aren't included — please sort your own. There's a hire shop right by the Hilton.

03 — Where To Stay

Base Camp

The Hilton at Kawarau Falls is our home for the week. It's where the sessions happen, where the welcome drinks kick off, and where Kia Ora Basecamp sits right on-site. Stay here to be in the middle of everything.

Base Camp · Preferred Stay · Sessions Here

Hilton Queenstown
Resort & Spa

Kawarau Falls · Kia Ora Basecamp

Right on the lake and the heart of the whole event. All our content sessions run here, the welcome drinks kick off here, and Kia Ora Basecamp is right on-site. Stay at the Hilton to be in the middle of everything.

  • Kia Ora Basecamp on-site
  • All content sessions held here
  • Private Spa & Sauna On-Site
  • Lakeside, with a water-taxi to downtown Queenstown
Book the Hilton
04 — Get In

Tickets

One ticket covers the sessions, the workshop and both social nights. Small room on purpose — 30 to 60 people, so you actually meet everyone in it.

Everything Included
The Ticket

Three days in Queenstown with the people building the next decade of commerce.

  • Wednesday — Welcome Drinks
  • Thursday — Ski, Sauna, Sessions & Workshop
  • Friday — Chairlift Challenges & Post-Ski Farewell at Coronet Peak
Ski / Lift Passes, Transport, and Gear Hire are NOT included.
Per person $150
Get a Ticket
Wed 26 – Fri 28 August 2026
All prices in NZD.
05 — Good To Know

FAQ

The things people usually ask. Can't find your answer? Get in touch and we'll sort you out.

Who is Ski Commerce for? +
Founders, operators and leaders from ambitious commerce businesses, plus the partners and tech companies that power them. If you're building something in commerce and want to be in a room of people doing the same, this is for you.
Do I need to be good at skiing? +
Not at all. We'll have all levels, from first-timers to seasoned riders, and the mountain is entirely optional. There's a spa, the town and plenty of non-skiing ways to spend the day if powder isn't your thing.
What's included in my ticket? +
The Thursday sessions and Conversational Commerce Workshop, plus welcome drinks on Wednesday and the post-ski farewell at Coronet Peak on Friday. Accommodation, flights, lift passes and ski hire are all on you, and we'll point you to preferred hotel rates.
What's not included? +
Flights, accommodation, lift passes and ski or snowboard hire — you'll need your own. We've lined up preferred hotel rates, and there's a hire shop right by the Hilton, so it's all easy to sort once you're here.
I've been given a discount code. Where do I use it? +
Enter it in the promo box on the checkout page, next to your order summary, and hit Apply. The total updates before you pay.
Where should I stay? +
The Hilton at Kawarau Falls is our Base Camp — the sessions run there and Kia Ora Basecamp is on-site, so staying there puts you in the middle of it. There's plenty of other accommodation a few minutes away in Frankton if you'd rather sort your own.
How do I get to Queenstown? +
Fly straight into Queenstown Airport (ZQN), with direct flights from most AU east-coast cities. From the airport you're minutes from Frankton and a short trip to Kawarau Falls.
What's the snow like in late August? +
August is peak season in the Southern Alps. Expect a deep base, bluebird days, and the smallest crowds of the year since there are no school holidays.
How many people will be there? +
Small on purpose. We're capping it at 25 to 50 people so the room stays genuinely useful and everyone actually meets each other.
Can I bring my team or a plus-one? +
Yes. Plenty of brands bring two or three people. Get in touch about group tickets and we'll look after you.
My company would love to sponsor or speak. Can we? +
Absolutely, that's a big part of the event. Reach out about partnership and speaking opportunities and we'll send through the details.
What's your refund or transfer policy? +
Tickets are transferable to a colleague if your plans change. Full terms are shared at checkout.
Next Stop

Switzerland.

Wed
27
Thu
28
Fri
29
January2027

Same format, the Alps, the quiet season. The Queenstown crew gets first dibs on the package.

Join the waitlist