Queenstown, New Zealand, will host the inaugural First International Joint Workshop of JTC1 & JTC3 on Landslide Risk Assessment, Communication and Geo-education at the Millennium Hotel Queenstown in April 2026.
The bid was led by the New Zealand Geotechnical Society (NZGS), with support from Tourism New Zealand Business Events and Queenstown Convention Bureau.
Themed Landslide Geo-Education and Risk, it will bring together two international bodies – JTC1, Natural Slopes and Landslides, and JTC3, Education and Training – for the first time to address the full lifecycle of landslide risk management.
The event will incorporate a range of workshops, presentations, training courses, and high-quality field trips, offering an opportunity to connect with the local community and environment.
The conference will also focus on geo-education development, aligning with the re-launch of the University of Canterbury’s Professional Master of Engineering Geology qualification.
The event is expected to attract up to 350 delegates to Queenstown and deliver more than NZ$900,000 (US$540,000) in economic benefit to the resort town in its off-peak season.
Ross Roberts, NZGS representative, indicated that the surrounding area’s susceptibility to landslides helped to secure the event.
“Landslides are one of New Zealand’s most significant natural hazards. More than 50 per cent of the alpine land around Queenstown is mapped as known landslides, with the underlying rock very susceptible to deep seated failures.
“This event encompasses the need to educate the next generation of landslide risk managers, the need to robustly understand landslide risk, and the need to communicate that risk to the public and decision-makers so that real change is implemented.”
