The Wao Summit 2025 is a week-long festival of kōrero, films, walking tours, practical workshops, and community events across Wānaka and Queenstown. The programme is designed to educate communities, ignite climate action, drive system change, and build stronger, more resilient Aotearoa. Grounded in the question, what kind of ancestors do we want to be?, this year’s summit takes the long view, looking 100 years ahead to reimagine how we live, lead, and thrive in 2125. The programme features some of New Zealand’s most renowned experts alongside grassroots leaders, indigenous voices, and international changemakers, offering insight, connection, and real-world solutions. From the opening Journey to 2125 panel to action-driven sessions on regenerative business, low-carbon building, food resilience and nature-based systems, the summit empowers attendees to turn knowledge into action.
Highlights include the Better Building Day for construction resilience, Better Business Day for driving systems change, Food Resilience Day showcasing local models, and the Better Communities weekend with neighbourhood-scale approaches to energy, water and housing.
Wao Aotearoa has multiple roles available for volunteers who are keen to help them in these efforts.
Whether you can help in one or many areas, they would love to hear from you. Not only is it an opportunity to apply and develop customer service, food and beverage, hosting and practical skills like eftpos sales and ticket scanning, volunteers will have the opportunity to enjoy the week long festival, and get an understanding of how festival events are run.
Roles include:
Ticketing
- Scan customer tickets using Humanitix (easy to use app that can be downloaded to your phone). Training and info around this will be provided.
- Process EFTPOS sales of single and multi-session festival passes to the public.
- You may be asked to assist with other roles once ticketing is no longer needed.
- General customer service experience is a plus, but not required.
General Volunteer
- Help where needed, as needed.
- You may be asked to help with ticketing, scanning, and/or food and beverage sales.
Food and Beverage Service
- Assist with putting out and cleaning up food and beverage needs such as cups, coffee, nibbles, etc.
- Make up food platters to direction and hand out food and drinks to consumers.
- Help clean venue of food and drink dishes, this may include washing dishes/glasses.
- In some instances you may be required to process food and beverage (tea, coffee, soft drinks) cash and EFTPOS transactions
- General customer service experience is a plus, but not required.
Host
- Hosts are expected to welcome guests and point them in the right direction, help scan tickets and usher guests to seats if necessary.
- The host would work across multiple roles, taking initiative to fill any gaps during busy times.
- Help with any of the other roles above as and where needed.
- Would suit someone with natural leadership skills.
Set Up / Pack Down
- In some cases they will require assistance with setting up or packing down a venue.
- This may include putting out or taking in chairs and tables and possibly assist with transporting such items.
- Assisting with setting out our taking in food and beverage materials such as cups.
- Any other assistance from the direction from the Event Manager.
For all the above roles, you will receive training during an induction where you will get to meet other volunteers and be welcomed to the WAO team!
Why volunteer with WAO?
- Enjoy festival perks and increase your knowledge of sustainability
- Learn about festival operations via the training you receive and over the course of your shifts
- Enjoy working in a team of motivated volunteers
- Meet others in the community who are passionate about sustainability
- Do your part to raise awareness of sustainable practice in the local community
Please specify below in 'other information' which of the above roles you would be interested in, and why.
Requirements
- No prior experience is required as training will be provided for all roles
- You are someone who enjoys working in a team in an energetic festival environment
- As you will be a representative of Wao, you will be asked to dress appropriately, and speak and maintain respectful behaviour.
Time commitment
- Volunteer roles available from 7:30am-8pm from October 28 to November 2.
- Shifts may vary between 2-4 hours.
- Ideally, you would sign up for a minimum of 2 shifts, but all expressions of interest are welcome
- Full festival pass offered to those who volunteer for a minimum of 2 shifts.
Getting started
The first step is to express your interest by filling out the form below.
We will then put you in touch directly with the organisation for more information on the role and how to proceed.
Enquire about this role: