About Us
What’s On Aotearoa acknowledges Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa and respects the enduring connections of whānau, hapū and iwi to their whenua.
We draw inspiration from the values, enterprise and innovation that have shaped Māori business throughout history and continue to guide it today. We hope to honour that example through care for people, lasting relationships and a commitment to sharing the benefits of our work.
Bringing communities closer together
Technology is changing the way we live, work and connect. We see this as an opportunity to create something that brings people and communities closer together.
What’s On Aotearoa is growing into a place where people can discover what’s happening locally, support businesses, find things to do and take part in community life. Over time, we hope it will become a place to discover, shop, share, connect and participate—all in one place.
At the heart of it is a simple idea: the value created within our communities should help those communities thrive. By keeping participation accessible and directing a meaningful share of profits back into Aotearoa, we hope to create more opportunities for the people, places and initiatives that call it home.
How it started
What’s On Aotearoa began with a simple question: where do people go to discover everything a community has to offer?
While planning a local activity in Ōamaru, I began looking at where it could be listed online. What I found surprised me.
I knew of around 18 activities and attractions in and around our town, yet searching online made it feel as though there were only six. The experiences I could find were scattered across different websites.
It made me wonder: if I lived here and knew what was available, how would a visitor passing through discover everything else?
The same was true of events. Some appeared in newspapers, others on social media or websites, and many were shared in the windows of local businesses. Our community had so much to offer, but it was easy to miss what was happening.
I wanted to bring it together.
As I explored the options available to local businesses, I began to wonder whether there was a more accessible and affordable way to help them be seen. That question became part of the thinking behind What’s On Aotearoa.
During our pilot phase, we explored different ways to help events and businesses reach their communities. We listened, learned and refined our approach, building the foundations for something with the potential to grow across Aotearoa.
What began as a local idea has grown into a much bigger vision: a place that makes it easier to discover what’s nearby, support local and participate in community life.
Growing together
Communities are at the heart of this business. That’s why community events can be listed for free, and why we offer free business and club listings for a limited time as each town gets established.
As What’s On Aotearoa grows, we want that growth to create opportunities for the people and places around us, too. Our intention is to give a meaningful share of profits back to communities across Aotearoa.
We look forward to celebrating your successes, sharing what makes each place special and helping communities connect, grow and inspire one another.