Christchurch Search Marketing Social - June 2026
A few regulars couldn't make it last night, so expectations were modest going in. What actually happened was one of the more energising evenings we have had.
Craft Embassy had moved us from the greenhouse into a warmer booth in the main venue, which turned out to be a good call. Two hours, no agenda, no slides – just conversation.
A lot of new faces, which was the real highlight. Several attendees have recently moved to Christchurch, and it was good to hear their perspectives alongside the people who have been coming along for a while. The city is growing, and you can feel it in a gathering like this.
AI came up early and stayed in the conversation throughout. Not in an abstract way – people are actively working through where it fits and where it doesn't. Does everyone have an AI agent yet? Not quite, but most people are somewhere on that journey. The counterpoint was just as present: healthy skepticism about how much AI we want embedded in everyday work, and real concern about security when it comes to putting business data into these tools.
On the platforms front, two attendees have recently moved to SE Ranking after stepping away from Ahrefs and SEMrush. Always useful to hear how people are rethinking their stacks in practice rather than in theory.
Working from home came up too – the particular chaos of a home office shared with children or a new puppy. Less a complaint, more a shared acknowledgment that this is just the reality for a lot of people working in this industry right now.
We also touched on Christchurch specifically – the appeal of the city, and the challenge of buying in the neighbourhoods people actually want to be in. Not strictly search marketing, but these events have never been strictly search marketing.
Thank you to everyone who came along and contributed. And to Craft Embassy for keeping us warm.
Details
We're excited to announce our next social event!
- Date: Tuesday, 9 June 2026
- Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM (arrive anytime)
- Location: Craft Embassy, The Greenhouse
- Address: Level One, The Terrace, 126 Oxford Tce, Christchurch. Google Map here.
This casual meetup is a great opportunity to connect with fellow search marketers, paid search specialists, and SEO professionals in Christchurch.
We warmly welcome freelance or in-house marketers, the search curious, and anyone with questions about AI search (AIO / GEO / whichever acronym is flavour of the day!).
Visit one of our event pages below to RSVP. We look forward to seeing you at Craft Embassy!
Why You Should Join Us
Our events are refreshingly informal. No presentations, no agendas, just genuine conversation over drinks. Past attendees have explored everything from how AI is changing the way we work (without needing to be a programmer) to the challenges of building professional networks in Christchurch.
You'll find yourself discussing the practicalities of freelancing one moment, then debating whether AI-generated music deserves chart success the next.
We've covered local topics too! Memories of pre-earthquake Christchurch, thoughts on the new stadium, and what it's really like working from home in our city. You can read about our past events here.
It's the kind of evening where work insights and life perspectives blend naturally, and you'll leave with new connections and probably a few ideas you hadn't considered before.