EINZ Conference 2026
What is EINZ,
and why A New Hope?
EINZ started in Queenstown in 2022 with a simple idea: what if a conference about critical care was actually enjoyable? Not just the evenings — the whole thing. Talks you want to stay awake for, speakers who stick around to argue at the bar, and a crowd of people who genuinely care about the same problems you do.
Through its early conferences, EINZ contributed to the development of a national collaborative network that has enabled on-site ECMO capability across all cardiac centers in New Zealand — a tangible, concrete outcome that came directly from the kind of conversations this conference makes possible.
Despite rapid global expansion of MCS, patient outcomes have changed little over the past decade. EINZ exists to challenge that trajectory — through innovative, unconventional, evidence-informed approaches to research, governance, and training, and by actively reducing bias in decision-making by bringing together expertise from genuinely diverse high-performance fields. Not just medicine.
"A New Hope" reflects exactly this ambition: redefining what success looks like, exploring technologies and systems of care that most conferences would not yet touch, and building the kind of global collaborations that outlast any single event. This edition will include the international showcase of a technology that we believe will fundamentally change what is possible in cardiac transplantation. We are not ready to say more just yet. But you will want to be in the room.
Three days in Queenstown. World-class faculty. Real conversations. And yes — a lakeside dinner, some memorable social events, and the kind of connections that keep showing up in your working life for years.
"This is consistently the coolest conference I go to and every year it gets cooler and you raise the bar."
"This has been the absolute best experience. The friendships, the collaboration, the professional fulfillment have been beyond outstanding."
"Love it — thanks so much for organizing another awesome event!!!"
"Thank you Suraj and Stefan for such an amazing conference and for allowing me to be part of it."
"The talks and the openness of presenters to answer questions and chat to attendees was awesome."
EINZ 2026 at a Glance
Including High Fidelity Simulation, Team Exercises, Live Presentations of Yet To Be Published Innovation and TTTs (Think Tank Teaching)
Speakers drawn from government, academia, NGOs and the private sector across Aotearoa and beyond.
A deliberately intimate scale — large enough for breadth, small enough for real conversation.
Faculty coming from Cardiac Centers, including Mayo Clinic, Duke University, Helios, Alfred Health, Hospital San Juan de Dios and more.
Think Tank Teaching Sessions — practice oriented, open discussions, concrete solutions you can apply the week you return to work.
Because some of the best ideas come from seeing how others act when facing similar challenges.
Informal settings designed to spark conversations, strengthen relationships, and inspire new collaborations.
Better systems. Better decisions. Better outcomes.
Who Should Attend
Intensivists, cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, emergency physicians, anesthesiologists — and trainees in all of the above. EINZ is built around real clinical problems. Speakers stay to argue, questions get honest answers, and the program does not waste your time.
Bedside nurses managing MCS patients are central to what EINZ does — not an add-on. Previous nurse attendees have called it the most clinically relevant and practically useful CPD they have experienced. You will be treated as the decision-maker you are.
Physiotherapists, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, social workers, dietitians: critical care is a team sport and EINZ reflects that. AHPs who have attended previous editions consistently describe it as unlike anything else they have been to.
If you run ECMO circuits, you belong in this room. Perfusionists are not an afterthought at EINZ — they are faculty, they present, and the sessions speak directly to the technical and clinical realities of the role.
Some of our most memorable contributions have come from outside medicine entirely. EINZ 2026 will include perspectives from high-performance fields far beyond the ICU. If that resonates, you are welcome here.
Three Days,
One Conversation
Program Under Development
The three-day program for EINZ 2026 is currently in development. Speaker sessions, keynotes, workshops, and TTTs will be announced as they become available. Register your interest to stay updated and secure your place once registration opens.
RegisterSpeaker Spotlight
Further speakers to be announced.
Secure Your Place
at EINZ 2026
Early bird pricing closes 31 July 2026 — register before then to lock in your savings. All prices exclude GST.
Register before 31 July 2026 and save up to NZD 400. Consultants save NZD 400, trainees save NZD 200, and AHPs/nurses save NZD 100 compared to the full rate. Places are limited and previous editions sold out. Group discounts available for 3+ registrations from the same organization — contact us to enquire.
Support EINZ 2026
EINZ 2026 brings together over 100 international clinicians, researchers, and decision-makers at the forefront of advanced critical care. Sponsorship packages offer direct visibility with this audience across three days of intensive programming.
Follow us for
Conference Updates
Speaker announcements, program drops, sponsorship opportunities and behind-the-scenes coverage — all on our channels.