In November Wanganui will be the venue for a national think tank about environment, economy, innovation and the good life.
The conference is called A Place To Live. It's being held in Wanganui because former resident and prominent scientist the late Sir Paul Callaghan was brought up here, and because it is a small provincial city.
The conference runs from November 16 to 19, at the Wanganui War Memorial Centre.
Physicist Sir Paul Callaghan was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2008 and died in March 2012. During his later years he focused much of his considerable energy on New Zealand's economy and how science could help. He wanted the country to be about more than dairying and tourism, and to be "a place where talent wants to live".
He travelled the country to talk about it, and was the inspiration for the Transit of Venus Forum at Gisborne in June 2012.
At the forum 270 people merged ideas about science, prosperity, history, the environment and the emerging Maori economy. Some followed them up with actions. Gisborne was chosen because it was a small place and had a connection with Captain Cook's trip to observe the transit of Venus.
"People were amazed at how great Gisborne was," Glenda Lewis said.
A science facilitator, she worked closely with Sir Paul, was at the forum and is one of the main organisers of the Wanganui conference. It will be focused on ways to make good lives in the regions.
Dame Anne Salmond is one of the speakers, and the keynote one is Richard Louv, a United States author and the coiner of the term Nature-Deficit Disorder, immortalised in the title of one of his books Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder.
On November 15 and 16 there's a tourism programme. On November 17 they experience the Whanganui River and Koriniti and Jerusalem marae.
After that there are panel discussions chaired by broadcaster Kim Hill and speakers who have led movements or started businesses in the regions. Some of the names will be familiar - Mayor Annette Main, Dr Rod Oram, Ken Mair, Sir Bob Harvey, David Trubridge and Mavis Mullins. The final address is from Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia.
The hope is that people attending will go forth and do things, Ms Lewis said.
There are 100 registrations so far, often from people with education, health, environment and local government backgrounds.
The debate on November 17 is open to the public, for a gold coin donation, and the whole conference costs $990. Organisers tried to keep the price down, but had 40 speakers to pay for.
Ms Main will be able to choose some local people to attend for free. She welcomed the conference and said the theme was relevant.
"This is a time when we are focusing on a solid and sustainable economic future for our district, and having the calibre of speakers and participants who have been organised for this event will be extremely beneficial."
The organisations behind the conference are Victoria University and The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, which was founded by Sir Paul.
For more information see www.aplacetolive.org.nz