Conferences & Seminars

A Sense of Place.

14-15 October 2026

Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand

Hosted By:

Travel Fellowships available for members

Networking events to build our community

Optional site visits and gallery exploration

2 days of presentations and workshops

Exploring ways to make STEM feel local, tangible and relevant to different audiences

Share and learn how our sector is creating meaningful, place-based experiences

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MOTAT

We are thrilled to announce the 2026 ASTEN Conference will be hosted at the Museum of Transport & Technology (MOTAT). MOTAT is the science and technology playground of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Home to interactive exhibitions, working heritage collections and immersive experiences, MOTAT celebrates the stories of innovation, creativity and human ingenuity that have shaped New Zealand's past while inspiring its future.

As the host venue for the ASTEN Conference, MOTAT provides the perfect setting to explore this year's theme, a sense of place.Throughout the conference, delegates will have the opportunity to experience a venue where science, history, technology and community come together, offering countless opportunities to connect with colleagues, discover inspiring spaces and explore the unique stories of Aotearoa.

We look forward to welcoming you to MOTAT for an engaging couple of days of learning, conversation and connection.

Conference Fellowships

ASTEN offers Travel Fellowships to support members to attend the conference. Fellowships provide financial support to go towards travel and accommodation costs.

This year, we will offer a range of travel fellowships, from $500 up to $2000 AUD. Priority will be given to applicants who are early career, have the furthest to travel, and who will present at the conference.

For fellows travelling internationally will receive an upfront payment to support the cost of international flights. For those travelling shorter distances, it will be 50% upfront, and the remain amount spent up to the maximum amount granted once receipts have been received.

We are welcoming applications for fellowships in two rounds.

Round 1 submissions close 16 August 11:59pm AEST

Round 2 submissions close 6 September 11:59pm AEST

Apply here

ASTEN is committed to supporting attendance from across the Pacific. This year, we are offering a reduced registration rate to delegates travelling to New Zealand from Pacific Island countries and territories to help address the higher costs of travel and participation.

Delegates using this registration type remain eligible for a Travel Fellowship in addition to the reduce price for conference registration.

Supporting Pacific Island attendance

Call for conference sessions

Fom practical case studies and behind-the-scenes insights to thought-provoking conversations and bold ideas for the future, we need you to make this conference the best it can be.

You don't need to have all the answers to deliver a great session. Some of the most valuable conference sessions are filled with honest reflections, thoughtful questions and lessons learned. We want to hear about how you navigated challenges and uncovered valuable lessons along the way.

Every perspective helps strengthen our community of practice.

We encourage submissions from professionals at every career stage and from organisations of every size. If your work has sparked curiosity, inspired change, solved a problem, or simply taught you something worth sharing, we encourage you to submit a proposal.

Partner and Sponsorships

ASTEN 2026 is an opportunity to connect with the people and organisations shaping the future of science engagement across Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and the wider Pacific.

Hosted at MOTAT in Auckland, this year's conference, A Sense of Place, will bring together museum professionals, science communicators, educators, exhibition developers, researchers, community engagement practitioners and sector leaders to explore how we create meaningful connections between people, science and the places they call home.

By partnering with ASTEN for the conference, you can contribute to a vibrant, collaborative and innovative science engagement sector.

Your support helps us keep the conference accessible, create opportunities for regional and emerging professionals to attend, and deliver a high-quality program that inspires learning, collaboration and lasting impact.

Whether you're looking to showcase products and services, build relationships with decision-makers, launch new initiatives or simply support the sector you work alongside, ASTEN is open to meaningful sponsorship opportunities designed to create genuine engagement before, during and after the conference.

We recognise that every organisation has different goals. If you'd like to support ASTEN 2026, we'd love to work with you to create a tailored partnership that delivers value for both your organisation and our delegates.

Together, we can create an event that celebrates ideas, strengthens connections and helps our sector thrive.

Get in touch

This years theme...

Exhibitions and programs have the power to shape how people understand their place in the world—and are, in turn, shaped by the voices, stories, and knowledge of the communities they engage with.

With this years theme, we want to explore the role museums and science centres play in building 'A Sense of Place' through exhibitions, programs, collections, and partnerships.

To guide our exploration of the topic, we want to dive into the following 6 subthemes.

Sub-themes

Inclusive Place-Making

Who gets to shape our sense place? Who gets to access place? How are we increasing access, reducing barriers and decolonising our spaces.

Participation Beyond Outreach

What happens when audiences become co-creators? Share projects that move beyond outreach toward co-design, citizen science, and community-led inquiry — where museums act as conveners, facilitators, and trusted civic spaces.

Curiosity in Context

Connecting universal discovery with local meaning-making, from global challenges to community stories.

Redefining Spaces

From galleries and pop-ups to outdoor trails and digital platforms, where does science engagement thrive? Explore innovative models that reimagine engagement spaces — physical or virtual — as dynamic environments for curiosity, participation and discovery.

Imagining Future Places

Museums are storytellers of both past, present and possibility. Share approaches that use data, collections, community knowledge, and creative engagement to help communities envision resilient, hopeful, evidence-informed futures.

Belonging to Place

Are we fostering spaces where STEM is not only understood, but felt profoundly? Explore how exhibits and programs can centre multiple ways of knowing, meaningful narratives, and emotional resonance to build identity and connection to create a sense of belonging.

Download our

Delegate Travel Guide