In a bold crossover between elite sport and world-class business, the first-of-its-kind All Blacks Conference in Chicago, USA will unlock the winning mindset, performance frameworks, and strategies behind one of the most successful sports organisations on the planet
Taking place on Friday October 31, 2025, ahead of the highly anticipated All Blacks v Ireland Test Match at Soldier Field, the conference will bring business leaders from across New Zealand, the United States and the world together to explore tools and insights used by the All Blacks to drive sustained excellence, resilience under pressure, and winning results.
Hosted at the iconic Northern Trust building in downtown Chicago, the event will feature a behind-the-scenes view of the All Blacks, featuring All Blacks Rugby World Cup winning coach and Black Ferns Women’s Rugby World Cup winning Head Coach Sir Wayne Smith.
Attendees will also hear from All Blacks Head Coach Scott Robertson, All Blacks Head of Leadership and Mental Performance Dr Ceri Evans, and hear strategic insights from Dr Anita Sands, a distinguished board-director, investor, advisor, speaker and former Fulbright Scholar. The event will be led by All Blacks Performance Labs executive coach Simon Curran, with additional speakers from across elite sports and business to be announced in the coming weeks.
Yarnie Guthrie, General Manager Commercial at New Zealand Rugby said “the organisation is proud to be delivering this event for the first time in a growing rugby market like the USA”.
“We’re excited to open the playbook for business leaders who want to understand how to create sustainable success and learn more about the All Blacks high-performance approach. We know participants will find the day transformative, including the chance to then attend what promises to be a historic game of rugby between the All Blacks and Ireland the following day.”
Drawing parallels between the pressure of test matches and boardroom decisions, this conference promises to deliver practical, transferable strategies that drive transformation, growth, and performance in fast-moving commercial environments.
Guy Gibson, Global Head of Banking and Markets at Northern Trust, said, “It’s a privilege to partner with New Zealand Rugby and host the inaugural All Blacks Conference at our Chicago headquarters. We are excited to welcome the All Black’s Conference team and gain valuable insights from their high performing culture”.
The conference features a half day of senior leadership development with powerful insights, proven high-performance mindset principles, and tools on how to effectively apply these strategies to lead and thrive in the workplace.
Attendees will then experience the All Blacks final training session, known as a Captains Run at Soldier Field, the perfect setting for networking with other conference leaders and delegates.
Registration is now open at www.allblacksconferences.com, with limited in-places available. This conference is tailored to executive coaches and senior business professionals.