AI Sandbox

12/10/2026

Ever wondered what all the fuss about AI is really about?

Join us for Wake Up to AI: A Call to Arms for Nelson, a free talk with tech investor Serge van Dam.

In about three years, AI has gone from novelty to everywhere. Serge will give a straight look at what that means for Nelson: where AI is genuinely useful right now, the risks worth knowing about, and how to get started without being technical. He’ll even build a working website live on stage in about two minutes!
Serge started out as an organisational psychologist, so he comes to AI through people rather than code. He’s now an investor in several NZ AI companies, co-founder of AI Supercharge, and an adviser to MBIE and NZTE.

You don’t need any AI experience to come along, and if you already use it every day, there’ll be plenty here for you too.

📅 Thursday 29 October, 7-9pm
📍 Nelson Function Centre, Nelson Golf Course, 38 Bolt Road, Tāhunanui
🎟️ Free, but please book your seat: https://events.humanitix.com/wake-up-to-ai-a-call-to-arms-for-nelson
🍷 Cash bar available

Everyone’s welcome. Bring a friend! 😊

A free evening talk with tech investor Serge van Dam: why now is the time to get to grips with AI, where it is actually useful, and how to start.

09/10/2026

Tickets are live for The VIBE-ATHON 2026.

Book your free place: https://aisandbox.org.nz/vibe-athon/

Join us at NMIT in Nelson from 5 pm Friday 13 November to 7 pm Sunday 15 November for a free weekend of exploring real-world challenges and building ideas with AI tools.

Bring your curiosity and your experience. You can come with friends or meet people to work with at the event.

FAQ's and more information is available on our website:
https://aisandbox.org.nz/vibe-athon/

06/10/2026

Vibe-A-Thon is coming back

Last year about 30 Nelsonians spent a day building games with AI, many of them for the very first time. This November we're doing it again, and we're going bigger. A full weekend, real problems from real Nelson organisations, and teams made up of everyone from complete beginners to seasoned builders.

Dates, venue and details are landing soon. If you work in business or a not for profit and have a problem worth solving, or you just want to see what you can build in 48 hours, keep an eye on this space.

An event this size takes a good crew behind it, so we're also looking for helpers: mentors to sit alongside teams, people to help with setup and logistics, and anyone who can lend a hand over the weekend. If that sounds like you, email Jack at [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

06/10/2026

Have you got your ticket yet? 🎟️

Serge van Dam is coming to Nelson, and we'd love to see you there.

📅 Free public talk: Wake Up to AI, A Call to Arms for Nelson
Thursday 29 October, 7pm to 8.30pm, Nelson Golf Course
A plain-talk look at where AI is useful right now, the risks worth knowing about, and how to get started without being technical. Serge will even build a working website live on stage in about two minutes. No experience needed, and everyone is welcome. Cash bar available.
Grab your free ticket: https://events.humanitix.com/wake-up-to-ai-a-call-to-arms-for-nelson

💻 Hands-on workshop: Designing your first AI powered service (agent)
Friday 30 October, 9am to 12:15pm, Trafalgar Park
Bring a service or process you already run and build a working AI agent for it in one morning. Tickets are $195 (incl. GST) and places are limited. Bring a charged laptop and some experience with an AI chatbot. Credits are provided on the day.
Book here: https://events.humanitix.com/designing-your-first-ai-powered-service

Tag a friend or colleague who should be in the room! 👇

A free evening talk with tech investor Serge van Dam: why now is the time to get to grips with AI, where it is actually useful, and how to start.

30/09/2026

Save the date: calling businesses and not for profits - bring your team to Vibe-athon, 13–15 November 2026

Give your team a weekend to explore what AI could make possible.

Vibe-athon brings people together to tackle real challenges from the Nelson Tasman region using AI, technology and creative thinking. It’s a chance for your staff to build practical skills, meet people with different perspectives and explore ideas together.

Your business can bring its own challenge, or something you want to create, and register a team, or have individual staff members attend and join other teams.

Everyone is welcome, including people new to AI.

Registrations open on Friday 9 October.

Save the date and start a conversation with your team about who might like to take part. Registration details will follow when bookings open.

30/09/2026

Save the date: Vibe-athon, 13–15 November 2026

Curious about what you could build with AI?

Join Nelson AI Sandbox for a weekend of ideas, collaboration and practical problem solving. Work with others on real challenges from the Nelson Tasman region, explore AI tools and put your skills and creativity to use. And create real solutions to make our region an even better place to live!

Everyone is welcome. You don’t need to be a coder or an AI expert. Bring your curiosity and a willingness to give things a go.

Registrations open on Friday 9 October.

Put the weekend in your calendar and share this with someone you’d like to take part with. Registration details will follow when bookings open.

Questions? Contact Jack at [email protected].

29/09/2026

Free AI Community Talk - get your tickets!

Join us for a free community talk on AI with Serge van Dam on Thursday 29 October, hosted by the Nelson AI Sandbox. AI has gone from novelty to everywhere in about three years, and it is changing how work gets done faster than most of us have kept up with. This free evening talk is a straight look at what that means for Nelson, and why now is the time to start paying attention.

Serge has worked with AI from almost every angle: investing in New Zealand AI companies, helping organisations adopt it, training complete beginners, and advising government agencies including MBIE and NZTE. He is an Operating Partner at venture capital firm Movac and co-founder of AI Supercharge.

He will cover where AI is useful right now, the risks worth paying attention to, and how to get started without being technical. At one point he will build a working website live on stage in about two minutes and leave it running, so you can see for yourself how far the tools have come.

You do not need any experience with AI to come along. If you already use it every day, there will be plenty here for you too. You will leave with a clearer view of what is real and a sensible place to start.

Free to attend and everyone is welcome, but please register as numbers are capped.

When: Thursday 29 October 2026, 7:00pm (about 90 minutes including questions)
Where: Nelson Golf Club
Cost: Free, everyone welcome. Cash bar available.

Want to go further? Serge is also running a hands-on workshop the next morning, Friday 30 October, for business owners who want to design an AI-powered service of their own.

Get your tickets to the community talk here: https://events.humanitix.com/wake-up-to-ai-a-call-to-arms-for-nelson/tickets

24/09/2026

Free Public Talk on AI

Save the date: Thursday 29 October, Nelson Golf Club, 7.00pm. Refreshments available through the golf club bar.

The Nelson AI Sandbox is delighted to welcome Serge van Dam to Nelson for a free public lecture on AI, Wake Up to AI: A Call to Arms for Nelson. Serge is a software investor (Tapi, Re-Leased), an investor in AI-native companies including Autohive and LawCyborg, an Operating Partner at Movac, and co-founder of AI Supercharge, New Zealand's original in-person AI training company.

Drawing on three years "in the trenches" working with AI, Serge will share what he's learned about the technology and what it means for a town like Nelson, viewed through his experience working as an AI investor, AI change manager, AI trainer, AI governance thinker, and AI advisor to corporates and government.

There will be plenty of time for your questions following his talk.

Tickets will be available soon. Save the date 📅.

23/09/2026

Something exciting is coming this November.

The Vibe-athon is a hackathon-style weekend bringing people together to solve real problems from across the Nelson Tasman region.

Over three days, from Friday to Sunday on the second weekend of November (Nov 13-15), teams will take genuine challenges faced by local businesses and organisations, and build practical solutions using AI, technology and creative problem solving.

You do not need to be a coder or an AI expert to take part. We are looking for curious people who want to collaborate, build something useful and make a difference in the region.

More details coming soon.