What to expect at Sunrise Aotearoa

We’re so stoked to be bringing Sunrise back to Aotearoa. With only four weeks to go, I wanted to share a little more about what you can expect, what the experience is like for an attendee, and what we hope you’ll get out of it.

The first thing you need to know is that Sunrise is all about exploration. It’s a celebration of the unknown and what might be. We hope to ignite a spark in you to build something special, join a startup or begin your journey to something new. Come with an open mind, be ready to be challenged, and be open to meeting new people and having fun.

To be super blunt about it, if you come along to Sunrise Aotearoa you’re going to experience the following things:

‍Learn something new and be inspired by one of our speakers. 

We have divided the day into three key provocations: 

1. Can Kiwis be the ones to solve the world's biggest problems? 
2. Aotearoa has great storytellers, but it's time to tell our story
3. Is NZ ready to produce the next generation of innovators, creatives and inventors? 

We want to set the scene and show you want we think Kiwis are remarkable at, talk about some of the opportunities in front of us, and then tackle some of the challenges we face. We’ve put a lot of thought into the story and brought together some of the most thoughtful, brilliant people we could find. It’s going to be fun.

Meet someone new: 

We put a lot of effort into ensuring our audience can meet new people. You might need advice on your startup idea. You might want to raise money. Maybe you just came back from the US, and have some lessons to share. We facilitate this through a mobile app that uses AI to help you find new people. The last time we ran Sunrise in Auckland, we facilitated over 400 meetings and had 4000+ messages sent between attendees. This app is fully optional, but if you’re down to meet new people, we’ve got you covered.

We’re showcasing some of the best storytellers in a demonstration of great Kiwi talent.

‍You’ll see poetry, video games, metaverse, films and more inlcuding live previews from Soul Aether, a medical doctor with a love of poetry, a video game based on the bombing of the rainbow warrior by french spies and a glimpse into the Futureverse.

Coffee, food and other lovely things

This should come as no surprise, but all food and drink catering is provided throughout the day, and after the show, we have an afterparty which you’re all invited to.

Who should come to Sunrise?

The curious.

There will be many founders and people working at Startups in the audience, but you don’t have to be in tech to come along. If you’re curious about the world and you think you might want to do something epic, Sunrise is for you. If you want to work at a startup, Sunrise is for you. If you want to invest in startups, Sunrise is for you. If you just want to learn from interesting and creative people, Sunrise is for you.

How do I make the most of Sunrise?

We start the day with a Haka ​​Pōwhiri (formal welcome) from The Haka Experience, so make sure you arrive good and early at 8am.

Come ready to participate in whatever feels right for you. Come with an open mind and be prepared to learn.

Invite some friends! Things like this are always more fun when you’re with co-curious people.

A week or two out from the event, we’ll invite you to download Brella, our event app, which includes the event program, information on speakers and more. Download the app, fill in your profile, and if you’re up for meeting some new and interesting people, start setting up meetings.

Alright, hopefully, I’ve convinced you. Sunrise is an epic journey, and a meaningful experience for people who come along. Bring your whole self, be ready to learn, and most importantly, have a bunch of fun.

It might be the start of your next chapter. 

Joel

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