Wellington Search Marketing Social - October 2026
Our first Search Marketing Network social in Wellington was a very interesting night indeed. Thank you to everyone who joined us at The Southern Cross. Some of the topics we got into on the fly felt like they belonged on a conference stage.
Two hours, no agenda, no slides, and the conversation still went in some unexpected directions.
The big one came up early: will AI remove the need for SEO? Nobody was ready to write the industry’s obituary, but it led nicely into a more practical discussion about building high-quality processes and refining AI workflows so the tools actually help rather than create more work.
Tech stacks got a proper going-over too, with people comparing which tools are genuinely earning their keep and which are just quietly renewing every year. And yes, the Data Studio to Looker Studio and back again renaming got its share of eye-rolls.
Reddit came up as a source of frustration. As more bots talk to other bots, it’s getting harder to tell what’s a real recommendation and what isn’t. That fed into a bigger question: are we heading back to personal, face-to-face recommendations? There was some appetite for going analogue, and MeasureCamp got a mention as a good example of what in-person knowledge-sharing can look like.
The thread running through most of it was trust: how to trust the data, the recommendation, the system and the person on the other side of the screen.
Thank you again to everyone who came along, and to The Southern Cross for having us. We’re looking forward to much more of this.
Details
We're excited to announce our first social event in Wellington!
- Date: Tuesday, 6 October 2026
- Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM (arrive anytime)
- Location: The Southern Cross
- Address: 39 Abel Smith Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011 Google Map here.
This casual meetup is a great opportunity to connect with fellow search marketers, paid search specialists, and SEO professionals in Wellington.
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 The Cross!
Why You Should Join Us
Our events are refreshingly informal. No presentations, no agendas, just genuine conversation over drinks. This is the debut of the Search Marketing Network in Wellington, and we're bringing the same format that's worked in Christchurch for three and a half years — where conversations range from how AI is changing the way we work (without needing to be a programmer) to the realities of freelancing in search marketing.
You'll find yourself discussing the practicalities of client work one moment, then debating some completely unrelated industry hot take the next.
Expect local flavour too — Wellington's take on the same challenges every search marketer deals with: staying ahead of algorithm changes, building a network in a big, spread-out city, and figuring out what actually works when everyone's opinion on "best practice" seems to differ.
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. You can read about our past events here