College Ceremony

College Ceremony Orator

Professor
Simon Mitchell

Simon works as an anaesthetist at Auckland City Hospital and as a diving physician at North Shore Hospital (Auckland), and is Professor of Anaesthesiology at the University of Auckland. He is widely published, particularly in the field of diving and hyperbaric medicine. From 2022 to 2025 (ongoing) he has been ranked the world’s leading authority on decompression sickness. Simon has a long career in sport, scientific, commercial, and military diving. He has participated in extreme shipwreck and cave diving expeditions – in 2002 he performed the deepest ever dive to a shipwreck at that time, and in February 2023 he was a member of an expedition to the Pearse Resurgence cave in New Zealand where a 230-metre dive was conducted, using hydrogen as a breathing gas for a deep rebreather dive for the first time. He was conferred fellowship of the Explorers’ Club of New York in 2006 and was the Rolex Diver of the Year in 2015.

Information for new fellows

On behalf of the ASM organising committee, congratulations on receiving your fellowship!

What’s next? It’s time to celebrate, get dressed up in an ANZCA or FPM gown, and make your family and friends proud of your tremendous achievements! In 2026 we will again be offering 300 places for ANZCA and FPM new fellows. Registration is on a first come, first served basis, so we strongly encourage new fellows to register early to secure a place!

The College Ceremony will be held on Saturday 2 May 2026 in Theatre A, Level 5 at the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC). The ceremony will commence at 6pm NZST and be followed by the Welcome Reception onsite at the convention centre.

Fellows admitted within the past two years who wish to be formally presented at this year’s ceremony are offered a discounted registration to attend the ASM. We recognise this is an important time, so we have prepared some information to help you plan for your big day here.

College Ceremony details

Location: New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC).
Start time: 6pm NZST. New fellows must be seated in their allocated seat by 5.30pm NZST. If you aren’t seated by this time, you may not be able to present.
Finish time: The College Ceremony is expected to finish at approximately 8pm NZST.

Eligibility to present at the College Ceremony

Fellows who have received their fellowship within the past two years are eligible to present at the College Ceremony. However, if it is a little more than two years, get in contact with the ASM team as we would still love to see you present in Auckland. We encourage you to register early to ensure we can accommodate you and to avoid disappointment.

As a new fellow you are entitled to reduced registration at the ASM for the year that you present at the College Ceremony. Please note that attendance at workshops, small group discussions, optional activities and other social functions will be an additional expense on top of your discounted registration fee. Further information on how to register is below.

Registration is now open and new fellows can register online. Registration is on a first come, first served basis, so we strongly encourage new fellows to register early to secure a place!

Please ensure you are registered by Tuesday 10 March 2026. This will ensure your name is included in the College Ceremony handbook.

All new fellows who wish to present at the College Ceremony must register to attend the ASM. As a new fellow presenting at the College Ceremony, you are offered a discounted rate for your ASM registration.

New fellows wishing to present at the ceremony MUST register through the ASM new fellow registration portal and indicate if they will be presenting at the College Ceremony as an ANZCA new fellow, FPM new fellow, or both (an ANZCA and FPM new fellow). At this time, you can also select tickets for your family or friends to attend the College Ceremony.

FPM new fellows will need to register separately for the FPM Symposium if they wish to attend both the ASM, including the College Ceremony, and the FPM Symposium.

College Ceremony attire

Dress:

New fellows – Formal/lounge suit or formal attire and college/faculty gown.
Stage party – Formal/lounge suit or formal attire and college/faculty gown or academic dress.
Guests – Formal/lounge suit or formal attire.

Gown hire: There is a limited number of gowns available to hire upon registration; please register early to ensure you secure a gown. Please select the option to hire a gown at the time of registration. New fellows are unable to present unless they are wearing the relevant ANZCA or FPM gown.

Gown hire cost: $NZ108 per gown.

Gown hire collection: Gowns can be collected at the ANZCA information desk on Saturday 2 May (timings will be confirmed closer to the day).

Gown hire return: Gowns are to be returned to the ANZCA information desk (dates/timings will be confirmed closer to the day).

Alternatively, you may be able to borrow a gown from a fellow within your region or purchase your own gown online through our gown supplier.

Please note you will not be able to present at the College Ceremony without the correct gown.

Photography

The official photographer will be available to capture formal portraits before and after the ceremony. The studios will be open before the ceremony from 3-5pm NZST. To avoid delays, we strongly encourage new fellows to have their photos taken before the ceremony. The photographer will be available until 8.30pm NZST. More information about photography services will be available closer to the date.

Facilities for delegates with young children

An ANZCA parent/carer room will be available for parents to use during the College Ceremony. A livestream of the ceremony will be available to view in this room.

There will also be a separate dedicated room at the convention centre with a live feed of the ceremony available for attendees who have children needing a break during the ceremony.

Welcome Reception

This is your chance to celebrate this momentous occasion in-person with your family, friends and peers, and to be welcomed as a new fellow of your college/faculty. Catch up with friends and colleagues at the Wellesley Gallery, Level 3, NZICC.

Live streaming of the College Ceremony

We understand it isn’t possible for everyone to attend so we will be live streaming the College Ceremony via Facebook and YouTube so your family and friends can share in your special moment from wherever they are in the world. They will need to follow the ANZCA Facebook page and keep an eye out for the live feed from 6pm NZST. The recording will also be available after the ASM.

Contact

If you have any questions regarding the College Ceremony or eligibility, please contact the ASM team on +61 3 9510 6299 or by email.

College CeremonyCollege Ceremony Orator

Professor Simon Mitchell

Information for new fellows

College Ceremony

College Ceremony Orator

Professor
Simon Mitchell