Past Events
FUTURE PROOFING YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN - 5/12/2024
We had a full house with over 100 attendees at this event for which we partnered with the ASEAN NZ Business Council and the Latin America NZ Business Council. We were fortunate to have a set of amazing speakers to give their insights on the future of global supply chain - Jeremy Couchman, Senior Economist from the Economic Division at MFAT, Santiago Aon Ratto, Director, Global Supply Chain, Fonterra, Chris Edwards, Owner, Go Logistics (NZ) Limited, Richard Marshall, General Manager, Supply Chain, Air New Zealand, Aiden Heke, Advisor, Argon & Co / IRIS by Argon & Co. As markets evolve and technology advances, staying ahead in supply chain management is crucial and this event explored how artificial intelligence, digital trade innovations, and sustainable practices are reshaping supply chains worldwide. Our thanks also to CBAFF and MFAT for their support and to Fonterra for hosting this event.
HAA Ki ROTO, HAA KI WAHO - COMING UP FOR FRESH AIR - 21/11/2024
Our UK member Charlie Langhorne is the Co-Founder of Wild in Art in the UK who have created over 150 international public art trails including 5 in New Zealand and in the process has raised a substantial amount for many well known charities as well as created significant social and economic benefit for the locations of the trails. Charlie was visiting New Zealand so we took the opportunity to have him feature in an event hosted by our members Mott MacDonald on regenerative placemaking which also featured Sara Zwart of Eke Panuku and Māori urban artist Janine Williams. This resulted in an engaging panel discussion on the role of art and design in activating a community and enabling people to interact with their surroundings to create a more positive urban environment. Our thanks to Mott MacDonald for hosting this event.
WHAT'S NEXT IN FOOD AND DRINK IN THE UK AND NEW ZEALAND? - 7/11/2024
At this event our members enjoyed a panel discussion with Hamish Renton from HRA Global FMCG Consulting & Market Research, Rebecca Caughey from Good Sh*t Soda, and Jenni Rutter of Dentons with facilitation by Dr Victoria Hatton of FoodHQ. Topics covered included that the three big trends in the UK and EU have been health, premium, and convenience and that the brands that are now winning are those that combine two or more of these. Another key point made was that Category buyers are more time-poor than ever before so exporters need to do the work for them too including pointing out which brands they'll replace, why they are under-performing ("nominate your victim"), and why they will perform better, bringing the data to prove it. Lots of very valuable content was provided for exporters considering the UK market. We thank Dentons for their support of this event.
ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES FOR SUCCESSFUL URBAN REGENERATION - 24/10/2024
Urgan regeneration is a hot topic in Auckland and many other cities so we were delighted to eb able top assemble a distinguished panel to address the challenges for successful regeneration to take place. Our panel featured Gosha Haley (Grimshaw), Richard McLellan (Tuner & Townsend) and Lucy Tukua (Mott MacDonald) and our facilitator was Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room. Using experience gained on projects such as City Rail Link in Auckland, the Greenwich regeneration and the London Olympics in the UK the panel were able to highlight some of the potential solutions. A key one is good communication to bring the community into the project and understand how it will benefit them. Also there is a need to understand the wider benefits that occur over the long term outside of the immediate delivery of new housing and better transport. Our thanks to Anthony Harper for hosting this event.
A WORKSHOP FOR EXPORTERS - 4/9/2024
With the support of NZTE this workshop featured:
- Logistics with Richard Davies, Director, HGL New Zealand - see here
- Trade Credit Insurance with Zara Mends, Managing Director - New Zealand, NCI - see here
- Export Credit Solutions with Rob Downie, Head of Business Origination, New Zealand Export Credit - see here
- Trade Finance with Dean Harris, International Trade Specialist, BNZ - see here
- Foreign Exchange with Geraldine Collett, Strategic Partnerships Manager, Halo Financial - see here
- Marketing your business with Danny Parker, General Manager, Web Antler - see here
- Understanding your UK VAT Tax Obligations with Paul Beare, Director, Paul Beare Ltd - see here
- Opening a UK Bank Account with Paul Beare, Director, Paul Beare Ltd - see here
TODD MC.CLAY, MINISTER FOR TRADE - 20/8/2024
Minister Todd Mc.Clay was the main speaker at an event hosted by the BNZBA on New Zealand's trade strategy. The Minister spoke about the government’s approach to doubling export value, making mention of how this has created a response from sectors to work together to boost productivity, as well as seeking ways it can improve value, and collaborate further. There has been a focus on trade missions, emphasizing ongoing free trade negotiations with the UAE and efforts to fortify relations with India. The Minister noted a 16% increase in goods trade with the UK in the past year due to the FTA, elevating the UK to be New Zealand's fastest-growing trade relationship. Additionally, we heard from Ian Proudfoot, Global Head of Agribusiness at KPMG, and Amber Taylor, Co-Founder and CEO of ARA Journeys, who shared insights on international growth opportunities in the agribusiness and tech sectors. Our thanks to KPMG for their support of this event.
VALUE CREATION THROUGH INVESTMENT IN NEW ZEALAND'S TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE - 16/8/2024
Together with Arup the BNZBA hosted a panel session on this ongoing challenge. Our panel of Richard Jefferies, CFO of Tainui Group Holdings, Nick Leggett, CEO of Infrastructure New Zealand, and Martin Kent, His Majesty's Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific, discussed the need for a long term strategy and vision for New Zealand's transport infrastructure. Between them they were able to bring learnings from overseas including the UK and Europe while Richard Jefferies set out the story of the Ruakura Inland Port which has proven to be a success through taking a long term view.
THE UK AND TRADE IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION - 13/8/2024
The BNZBA hosted an event with Martin Kent, His Majesty's Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific, when he was in Auckland. Martin is responsible for developing the UK's trade business across North Asia, South East Asia and Australasia so was able to provide an excellent summary of how the new UK Government is approaching this region and also how it has increased its focus on using international trade to create greater prosperity in the UK. He also highlighted how increasing importance is attached to trade being with like minded nations with whom the UK shares the same values and approach to free trade which underlines the importance of the FTA with New Zealand. Martin's address was followed by one by ANZ economist Henry Russell who spoke about their concerns that the economic slowdown will continue into 2025 and that a meaningful pick up may not be seen until 2026. We thank ANZ for their support of this event.
MAKING CPTPP WORK FOR AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND BUSINESSES - 4/7/2024
The BNZBA was delighted to partner with the ASEAN NZ Business Council, the Japan NZ Business Council and the LATAM NZ Business Council to bring together an expert panel to discuss how we can make the CPTPP trade agreement work better for New Zealand businesses. The panel comprised Vangelis Vitalis, Deputy Secretary Trade & Economic MFAT, Danielle Adsett, Market Access Manager NZ Apples and Pears Industry Association, Stephanie Honey, APEC Business Advisory Member, and Brigit Winter, Regional Operations Manager Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and our moderator was Justine Arroll, GM Trade Strategy Fonterra. Key messages that were delivered by the speakers included the effectiveness of CPTPP in creating a rules based framework for trade amongst members, the removal of the major barriers to trade, and the emphasis on digital trade. It was highlighted how the current review is well timed as the agreement needs to be updated and there was also an update on those countries looking to join CPTPP and the need to speed up that process. You can view the full event here.
DR. JANE GOODALL - REASONS FOR HOPE - 13/6/2024
The BNZBA was privileged to support an event in the Grand Hall at the Parliament Buildings which featured an address and then conversation with British iconic conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall, hosted by Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General of New Zealand, and attended by Tama Potaka, Minister of Conservation. During a fascinating session Jane highlighted the importance of everyone making a contribution to conserving our planet and in particular to enabling young people to take the action needed to create a far more sustainable world. Her own Roots and Shoots programme is in schools worldwide including New Zealand and it is the creativity and passion that these programmes generate that gives Jane hope for the future. It was uplifting to have the audience Q&A led by a number of the young people who were able to attend. We worked with a great group of partners British Council Tonkin + Taylor DLA Piper Forest & Bird and Royal Society Te Apārangi and we were delighted to be able to share such an inspiring event with some of our members and guests. As Jane Goodall says “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. The greatest danger to our future is apathy.” You can watch the full event here.
FROM ELITE ATHLETES TO ELITE ORGANISATIONS - 29/5/2024
Craig Steel founder of Vantaset™ present his insights to our members and guests on how to create a high achieving organisation based on his own very successful career coaching in the sports and business worlds. Highlighting the similarities between the sports and business worlds, Craig took the audience through how an athlete or an employee's mindset is the critical factor in their performance. Craig provided the audience with much to think about at a time when improving the level of productivity in New Zealand is a priority for both the private and public sectors. Our thanks HSBC New Zealand for their support of this event.
TRADING WITH THE UK - RECOGNIZING AND DEVELOPING THE OPPORTUNITY - 12/4/2024
The BNZBA was delighted to host a presentation by Joe Nelson, New Zealand's Trade Commissioner to the UK and Ireland for NZTE while he was back visiting New Zealand. Joe was joined on the panel by two Kiwi business leaders whose businesses are performing very well in the UK, Emma Hulse, CEO of Steens Honey, and Mark Kidd, Founder and Director of Safe365. Much ground was covered and key takeaways included sharing success stories emphasizes the power of collaboration and leveraging networks, the importance of resilience and adaptability cannot be overstated in navigating the challenges and having to 'kiss a lot of frogs!' before getting those key deals, turning clients into rock stars isn't just a motto; it's a strategy as empowering clients with exceptional service and turning them into advocates can open doors to new opportunities. Our thanks to HSBC for hosting this event.
SUSTAINABLE LEADERSHIP - CREATING AN IMPACT (CHRISTCHURCH) - 8/4/2024
Following the success of our Sustainable Leadership event in Auckland we replicated the event in Christchurch where members and guests were able to hear from Peri Drysdale (CEO and Founder of Untouched World), Bridget Williams (Founder of Bead and Proceed) and Katherine Forward (Partner at Duncan Cotterill). The panel provided some great insights into how business leaders need to approach the sustainability journey and not be overwhelmed by it. In particular they highlighted the need for good communication to get staff buy in and also the need for businesses to commit to making progress even if initially it is only through small actions. Our thanks to Duncan Cotterill for hosting this event.
SUSTAINABLE LEADERSHIP - HAVING AN IMPACT - 18/3/2024
Business leaders influence the culture of their organization through their own actions and the way they collaborate with other people, especially in New Zealand where businesses are often smaller than in many other countries. The leaders need to facilitate a collaborative environment for their employees, clients, suppliers, and other stakeholders to shape a sustainable future for their business. This event identified how leaders can do this, what skills they need, and how they ensure their own role and themselves personally are sustainable. The panel that covered these critical topics was Brett Ogilvie (Executive Director Sustainability at Tonkin + Taylor), Dr. Paul Aitken (author and leadership consultant), Daniel Street (Partner at DLA Piper), and Jacqui Macalister (Director Sustainable Finance at BNZ) and the event was facilitated by Dr. Victoria Hatton (CEO of FoodHQ). Our thanks to DLA Piper for hosting this event.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY - 7/3/2024
We were delighted to hold an event celebrating International Women's Day 2024 in the auditorium of our members St.Cuthbert's College in Epsom. Our panellists were Tania Te Whenua (of Te Whenua Law & Consulting), Dr.Keri-Michele Cox (former Football Fern) and Katarzyna Jurkiewicz (Grimshaw Architects), who were expertly moderated by Maureen Benson-Rea (University of Auckland Business School). BNZBA members as well as a group of Year 12 and 13 students from the school were able to hear our speakers talk about their career and life journeys highlighting the challenges they had faced and how they had overcome them. As a former football fern, Dr Keri-Michele Cox gave us an insight into her journey of being the only girl playing football with 500 boys, to leading several delegations as a consultant for FIFA, UEFA and AFC and their members in over 70 countries. Katarzyna Jurkiewicz shared how her journey from Poland, to London to Sydney and now Auckland, has shaped her outlook to life, her architecture career and her leadership style as one of the two female leads of the architecture firm Grimshaw. From Opotiki to a global stage as Deputy Chair of Te Taumata - the Māori International Trade Board, Tania Te Whenua spoke about how the foundations of her value system were shaped by the shared journeys of the women who went before her. Our thanks to St.Cuthbert's for their hospitality.
WHAT CREATES SUCCESSFUL INNOVATION? - 14/2/2024
BNZBA was delighted to host thinker and restless innovator Mike Hutcheson, who delved into the intricacies of successful innovation. With his trademark wit and wisdom, Mike captivated the audience as he shared his journey and expertise on what drove innovation and what New Zealand needed to propel itself onto the global stage. Drawing from his extensive experience, Mike emphasized the importance of understanding human thinking processes in fostering innovation. He introduced two groundbreaking frameworks – the 'Periodic Table of Innovation' and 'Mikopedia' – designed to provide a systematic approach to cultivating innovation and nurturing ideas. In his characteristic entertaining style, Mike highlighted the critical role of government investment in innovation, to prevent a talent drain from New Zealand. He spoke about the need for bold initiatives to support and encourage innovation, ensuring that New Zealand remains competitive in the global arena. Moreover, Mike shed light on his collaborative efforts with BNZBA partners AUT, where he taught young minds to think differently, by finding ideas themselves. In closing, Mike emphasized on the essential ingredients for any successful innovation - the need for a supportive ecosystem that fosters creativity and resilience. The event was not only informative but also served as a reminder of the immense potential within New Zealand to lead the way in innovation on the global stage.
LEARN WHAT CPTPP MEANS FOR YOUR BUSINESS (CHRISTCHURCH) - 26/10/2023
We repeated our recent Auckland event for our Christchurch based members and other guests with a panel event featuring Greg Andrews (MFAT), Phil Gregan (NZ Winegrowers), Rachel Lynch (Zespri), David Kirk (BNZ) with moderation by Robb Stevens (Fonterra). We were also joined by the Peruvian Ambassador to New Zealand who brought along a number of his country's food and drink delicacies. A key message from the event was the opportunities available with CPTPP now being a global agreement with the inclusion of the UK and with 3000 Kiwi exporters already trading with the member countries. Also highlighted was the importance of these agreements for a smaller country such as New Zealand which relies on these type of trade agreements to create a level playing field for trade. Our thanks to the LATAM and ASEAN NZ Business Councils for partnering with us and to BNZ for hosting the event.
THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE OF FOOD PRODUCTION AND INNOVATION IN NEW ZEALAND - 19/10/2023
Members were able to hear our panel of Craig Armstrong (NZTE), Lee-Ann Marsh (AGMARDT), Grant Verry (FoodBowl) and Prem Maan (Southern Pastures) provide with an informative and insightful coverage of this critical topic for New Zealand with facilitation by Victoria Hatton (FoodHQ) The key message was that there are lots of opportunities for our food export sector but there are also many challenges which we are not necessarily well prepared for, or in a number of cases even having a conversation about - collaboration, understanding the consumer, telling our sustainability story better, being much more focused on what we produce and why, access to capital were just a few of the areas raised. An overarching message was about our exposure to the global marketplace and the need to better understand that marketplace and its direction. The challenge of doing this was highlighted by the rapid round the world economic tour provided at the start of the event by Paul Bloxham Chief Economist for Australia and New Zealand for HSBC who addressed the challenges that each of New Zealand’s major overseas markets are currently facing. Our thanks to HSBC New Zealand for supporting this event.
QATAR AIRWAYS HOLE IN ONE CHALLENGE - 15/9/2023
A group of members and guests spent an afternoon trying to hit ball from the South Stand balcony into a children's paddling pool on the far side of the pitch. There were a few successes and a lot of near misses during what was a fun event. Our thanks to the team at Eden Park for inviting us and to Qatar Airways for sponsoring the event.
THE ELECTRIFICATION OF NEW ZEALAND - THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE CHALLENGES 12/9/2023
The critical issue of the electrification of New Zealand using renewable energy sources was addressed by an expert panel comprising Mike Casey (CEO Rewiring Aotearoa), Paul Currie (Energy Leader Asia Pacific Mott MacDonald), Pete Grogan (Director Harmony Energy), Tamara Linnhoff (Manager Electricity Generation, Infrastructure and Markets Policy, MBIE) who were moderated by Dr.Victoria Hatton (CEO FoodHQ). The key conclusion was that we need to transition our energy sector now to achieve net zero emissions and, while it will be costly, with the right incentives for farmers, growers and energy consumers we can use existing technologies to meet our goals. Thanks to Mott MacDonald for hosting us in their magnificent 6 green star rated building.
WHAT DOES CPTPP MEAN FOR YOUR BUSINESS? 22/8/2023
In partnership with the LATAM NZ Business Council and the ASEAN NZ Business Council we were delighted to provide members and their guests with the opportunity to hear from an expert panel on how CPTPP can benefit New Zealand exporters. The event featured Vangelis Vitalis (MFAT), Ashlin Chand (the Meat Industry Association), Phil Gregan (NZ Winegrowers), Jason Reeves (BNZ), and Darrell Jones (Gallagher Animal Management) and was moderated by Justine Arroll (Fonterra). The panel conveyed the benefits they had seen already as well as some of the challenges, but the key message was that CPTPP along with other FTA's are critical to the success of New Zealand exporters in terms of opening up markets and creating a rules based trading environment. Our thanks to AUT for hosting this event and to BNZ for sponsoring it.
IS THE FUTURE FLEXIBLE? - 20/6/2023
This event acknowledged that the approach to employee wellbeing is critical for all businesses in optimising their productivity and performance and in attracting and retaining a skilled workforce and that flexible working arrangements have become a key element in focusing on employee wellbeing, especially since the global pandemic. Members heard from our panel the results from the pilot programs in the UK and Australasia run by the 4 Day Week Global Foundation and how New Zealand company Decent Packaging has implemented a flexible working environment across their business in New Zealand and the UK. Commercial property specialists JLL addressed the implications for office space as businesses manage a workforce that spends less time in the office and Duncan Cotterill considered some of the legal impacts of implementing a flexible work structure in a business.
SUCCEEDING IN THE WORLD'S 6th LARGEST ECONOMY - 29/3/2023
BNZBA members and guests in Christchurch were able to hear from Iona Thomas, British High Commissioner, on the current relationship between the UK and New Zealand, in particular the progress that had been made towards the Free Trade Agreement going live by the start of June 2023. Iona was followed by our panel of local business leaders who all see the UK as an important market for their business. Ben Reed from Hamilton Jet spoke about how they use the UK as their EMEA distribution centre and Ojas Mahapatra of Fabrum talked about their collaboration with a UK engineering business in the development of hydrogen fuel for the aviation sector. Peri Drysdale of Untouched World was focused on the benefits from tariff reductions under the FTA which will make the UK a more attractive market and allow them to build on their existing sales there. Finally Tom Harrow addressed the opportunities to start up a business in the UK and the access to expertise and capital that made it possible for him to launch two companies there.
AN UPDATE ON THE UK-NEW ZEALAND RELATIONSHIP - 27/02/2023
Members and guests heard from British High Commissioner Iona Thomas and MFAT representative Andrea Beadle about the latest developments in the UK - New Zealand relationship. This included an update on progress on the Free Trade Agreement which Iona Thomas expected to come into force some time in May this year. In addition there was discussion of the UK's accession to CPTPP and the expected changes in the visa arrangements for young Kiwis and Brits. Andrea emphasized the New Zealand government's strong desire for New Zealand businesses to take full advantage of what is a very favourable agreement for many Kiwi business sectors and highlighted the tariff calculator as an example of the tools available to help businesses.