ENTECH 2026 Heads To New Zealand Following Strong Visitor Growth Across Australia

ENTECH, the long-running AV trade roadshow covering Australia and New Zealand, is heading to its final 2026 shows across New Zealand after a five-city Australian tour that delivered a 27 per cent increase in visitor registrations.

The roadshow, which is the only event for AV and entertainment technology professionals to visit every major population centre in both countries, runs a one-day program of seminars, hands-on demonstrations and its new Tech Train format at each stop.

New Zealand Leg

The New Zealand shows open at the Auckland International Convention Centre on Tuesday 28 July before moving to Lower Hutt Events Centre in Wellington on Thursday 30 July. The tour then crosses to Te Pae in Christchurch for Tuesday 4 August. Attendance remains free for trade guests.

Each New Zealand event is staged fresh rather than as a repeat of the Australian show floor, with the roadshow rebuilt at each venue.

Registration Growth Across Australia

All five Australian cities posted year-on-year growth in visitor registrations. Sydney led with a 37 per cent increase, followed by Melbourne at 32 per cent, Adelaide at 28 per cent and Brisbane continuing what the organisers describe as a sustained upward trajectory at 20 per cent. Perth added 3 per cent.

ENTECH CEO Kate McKenzie pointed to the breadth of the national operation.

“After rolling through Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide the ENTECH Roadshow has packed up its trucks and called 2026 a wrap in Australia, with the numbers making for good reading as we head to New Zealand,” McKenzie explained.

Buyer Quality And Purchasing Intent

Registration figures alone do not capture the full picture, according to the organisers. ENTECH reported that 85 per cent of registered visitors across all Australian cities held some form of purchasing role, whether as final decision-maker, specifier or influencer.

Of those visitors, 82 per cent indicated active or near-term purchasing intent, either making purchases at the show or identifying projects in the pipeline over the next 12 months.

“Registration counts only tell part of the story,” McKenzie added. “What exhibitors care about is the quality of visitors and who walks through the door, and on that measure 2026 delivered.”

Product Categories

Audio and sound remained the dominant interest category, selected by 74 per cent of all Australian visitors. Lighting followed at 60 per cent and video and broadcast at 49 per cent. All 68 exhibitor stands were occupied throughout each show in each city.

Logistics Behind The Roadshow

The logistics involved in staging a national roadshow at this scale are considerable. The touring crew covered 10,563 kilometres across Australia, handling bump-in, floor operations and bump-out at every venue.

Four Live Event Logistics trucks carried exhibitor equipment between cities, with up to 30 local crew and 30 venue staff supporting operations at each stop.

2027 Restructure

From 2027, ENTECH will restructure its Australian roadshow as a three-city event covering Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The organising team has described the change as a sharpening of focus rather than a reduction in ambition.

If the 2026 attendance figures are any indication, the shift to fewer cities may reflect where the industry’s strongest demand is concentrated.

Industry Context

The AV and entertainment technology sector has entered what industry observers are calling a “post-converged” phase. Unified communications, IT, AV, lighting, video, audio, signage, staging and control have moved beyond the transition period of becoming networked and software-controlled into a new phase where different business models, products and markets are emerging.

Manufacturers that were once focused on a single aspect of live performance or recording are now building products for corporate meeting rooms. Companies that built platforms for digital signage are offering room control and corporate communications. Lighting companies that power stadium concerts are creating networked architectural products, and their audio counterparts are doing the same.

At the centre of this shift, installers, production firms and consultants find themselves increasingly functioning as IT managers, concerned with the integration of systems as a whole. Events such as ENTECH serve as a key touchpoint for professionals navigating these converging disciplines.

For more information and to register for the New Zealand shows, visit www.entech-roadshow.com.

Last Updated on July 21, 2026 by Nick Ross