Entries for the inaugural ExportNZ ASB Wellington Export Awards close this Friday, May 19.
Entrants must have a minimum of $100,000 in export revenue and be based in the Wellington region, which includes Horowhenua, Manawatu, Tararua, and Wairarapa down to Wellington.
Companies can enter any of four categories: Marsh Innovation in Export Award, MFAT Most Sustainable in Export Award, Wellington Airport Emerging Exporter Award, CentrePort Excellence in Export Services Award. Entrants will be required to describe their company and its achievements in export.
The judges will visit shortlisted companies during the week of 29 May – 2 June, at which time their submissions will be discussed. The finalists will be announced on 6 June, and the winners of each category will contest the supreme award, the ASB Exporter of the Year, which will be announced at a gala dinner on the waterfront at Te Wharewaka on 21 June.
The judges are three experts in the area of trade: Mike Atkins, Head of Trade Finance at ASB; Charles Finny, Government Relations Consultant, Saunders Unsworth; Rachel Baxter, customer managers team leader, NZ Trade and Enterprise.
Chamber Chief Executive John Milford says the purpose of the awards is to celebrate businesses making it in the export market.
"Exporters are the lifeblood of our country and we need to acknowledge their contribution.
"ExportNZ awards are held throughout the country and the time is right for Wellington to celebrate those companies that contribute so much in the form of export receipts and jobs to both the national and local economy by way of their skill and innovation.
"We're not just talking about physical exports such as manufactured and agriculture goods that go through CentrePort and the airport, but also those from our booming service and IT sectors.
"These awards are a great chance for export businesses to expand their business horizons and get inspired."
Entry forms, criteria details, and registration forms are available on the Chamber of Commerce website: www.wecc.org.nz
ExportNZ Wellington is overseen by Wellington Chamber of Commerce.
About the judges:
Mike Atkins is Head of Trade Finance at ASB and has more than 30 years' experience in the field of International Trade.
Charles Finny is a Government Relations Consultant at Saunders Unsworth. His areas of expertise include China, US politics and trade policy, Australia, Asia and international trade.
Rachel Baxter leads a team of customer managers at NZTE, working to grow companies internationally - bigger, better, faster - for the benefit of New Zealand. The team works with 130 exporting companies based in the upper South Island (Nelson/Marlborough) and lower North Island. Rachel's background is in strategy, economics and policy.
| A WECC release || May 17, 2017 |||
On 1 November, The Langham Auckland, one of New Zealand’s leading hotels will be rebranded as Cordis, Auckland. Cordis Hotels and Resorts is a new generation of selected upper upscale modern hotels by Langham Hospitality Group that is devoted to the guests’ needs and well-being, catering to both business and leisure travelers.
“Our hotel in Auckland fits the Cordis brand perfectly,” says Robert Warman, chief executive officer of Langham Hospitality Group. “It is well located in the vibrant part of the city, a top-of-mind venue for meetings and events, a favourite for special occasions amongst the locals, and we have experienced colleagues who provide warm and friendly service from the heart.”
“The addition of Cordis, Auckland to our portfolio is a significant milestone for the group as it will be the first Cordis hotel in the Pacific. Our plan is to introduce and grow the Cordis brand in this region, which is seeing increasing numbers of leisure and corporate travellers year on year. Each Cordis is individual in style, architecture and design, all of which will be reflective of its location, local culture and is tailored to the requirements of our guests, from corporate travelers, honeymooners and families,” adds Warman.
Franz Mascarenhas, managing director of The Langham, Auckland says “I am confident Cordis, Auckland will succeed and continue to be the social centre of Auckland, hosting major events, conferences, international delegations and the city’s most glamourous weddings. We look forward to the continued support of the local community.
” Cordis derives its name from the Latin term meaning “heart”. The brand’s concept focuses on the core pillars of innovation in hospitality, genuine service, elegance in design and captivation of the senses.
Following the recent renovation of the banquet venues and the hotel’s Eight restaurant, The Langham Auckland will undergo refurbishment from 11 July for all 411 rooms and suites, lobby lounge and the exclusive Club Lounge. The refurbishment will ensure the hotel continues to provide the best facilities for guests in the market. The facelift is scheduled to be completed by Feb 2018.
To ensure there will be minimal disruption, the room renovations will be carried out in phases where guest floors will be closed off entirely and refurbishment works will be isolated to the designated areas only. Guests staying in the rooms or attending events at The Langham, Auckland will not be inconvenienced at any time during the refurbishment period.
In terms of design, guests may expect contemporary rooms and spaces that are reflective of the Cordis brand and local culture. The award-winning New Zealand based design firm, Space Studio, is the appointed interior designer for this refurbishment project.
In addition, to Cordis, Auckland, other Cordis properties in the brand’s portfolio are in Hong Kong, Shanghai (Hongqiao), Ningbo, Dongqian Lake (2018), Shanghai, East Bund (2019), Hangzhou (2019) and Bali (2018). Read more at http://www.etbtravelnews.global
| An ETB Travel Update || May 17,, 2017 |||
Given Air NZ’s CEO Christopher Luxon thinks the airline is the best in the world, it probably doesn’t hurt to listen when he says travel agents are important.
Speaking to Travel Weekly at the 2017 TRENZ conference in Auckland recently, Luxon said travel agents are an absolutely essential part of the travel industry.
“For us the channels haven’t changed tremendously. Yes, over the last 15 years there’s been a drive to more direct channels through our own direct services or through OTAs, but the reality is, there’s always going to be a need for travel agents,” he said.
“And for a business like ours that want to understand customer needs better, the high-touch people like travel agents are fantastic.
“It’s just about education, I think travel agents can better serve their customers with more knowledge, and with that ‘high-touch’ that many customers are prepared to pay for; to be able to have that anxiety removed and to have the expertise of a travel agent to help them.”
Travel agents are a key focus area for their educational campaigns, which also hope to inform Aussies of the routes Air NZ flies beyond the Tasman.
“It’s really about educating Australians, because while they think we’re that really cool airline that flies between the Tasman and maybe domestically in NZ, seven out of 10 have no idea we fly beyond NZ into North America, South America, China, Southeast Asia, and all across the place,” Luxon explained.
“So if you want to get to America and you live in Adelaide, why not come through Auckland and it’s very easy to transfer onto services going to Houston, Buenos Aires?
“In fact 40 per cent of our traffic going into Buenos Aires is Australian now.”
Aussies recently voted Air NZ the number one for Corporate Reputation in Australia, beating out the homegrown carriers of Qantas and Virgin Australia.
On this honour, Luxon told TW, “It’s just awesome that Australians think so highly of us.
“We’ve been flying to Australia for 77 years, that’s how our company started, flying from Auckland into Rose Bay, and really it’s been a continuation of that journey.”
Air New Zealand is giving travellers a sneak peek into what the future of inflight service could look like.
The airline has been working with information technology service provider Dimension Data on unique software for Microsoft’s augmented reality (AR) viewer HoloLens that could support cabin crew as they carry out their inflight duties by aggregating and displaying key customer information directly in front of them.
Data such as a customer’s preferred meal and drinks choice, onward travel and loyalty membership details could be displayed. The programme is even sophisticated enough to detect the emotion of the customer by picking up on visual and audio cues.
Air New Zealand Chief Digital Officer Avi Golan says the airline has fostered a strong culture of experimentation with new and emerging technologies such as the HoloLens.
“This software is a great example of us collaborating with other partners and exploring how technology could enhance the way our people work as well as the experience they deliver to our customers through greater personalisation,” says Mr Golan.
The technology could also allow the airline’s cabin crew to move to a paperless inflight system presenting added environmental benefits.
Air New Zealand has developed a global reputation for innovation having worked with a range of technology partners and introduced a number of customer innovations to enhance the customer experience in recent times. These include auto bag drops to speed up the check-in process with face-to-passport recognition and Airband™, a wristband for children travelling unaccompanied embedded with technology that allows parents and guardians to track each step of their young ones’ journey. Airband™ was named Innovation of the Year at the 2016 CAPA Asia Pacific Aviation Awards.
Click here or on the image below to download video of Air New Zealand trialling the Microsoft HoloLens.
New Zealand was on display to crowds of nearly 9,000 buyers at IMEX, Europe's leading business and incentives trade show this week.
'New Zealand is trending as a business events destination because of our integrated approach and how easy we make it for international events to be held here. Our unique manaakitanga - which translates in to our unique hospitality of delegates, alongside new convention centre facilities being built in Auckland and Christchurch is gaining increasing international attention,' says Lisa Gardiner, Manager Business Events and Premium, Tourism New Zealand.
New Zealand took the stage in front of global media to showcase the ease of holding an event in Aotearoa and to reveal the latest images of the convention centres taking shape in Christchurch and Auckland.
'International event organisers who have held major conferences in New Zealand are spreading the word that our industry is unique in our collaborative way to deliver memorable events. This is an extremely valuable point of difference and really sets us apart as an attractive destination.'
New Zealand's joined up approach was demonstrated first hand with Tourism New Zealand, Christchurch Convention Centre and the New Zealand International Convention Centre jointly presenting at the press conference. A number of New Zealand partners also exhibited on the New Zealand stand.
'In a time when many countries around the world are building new business events facilities you've got to get people's attention and highlight the differentiating ways that make hosting a conference in New Zealand original and the smart choice for associations and conference organisers. The design of the two new centres really impressed and will be strong additions to our convention centre family network.'
Christchurch Convention Centre General Manager Rob McIntyre says the Centre will be a dream space for international event organisers, designed with a distinctive South Island flavour.
'The Convention Centre is surrounded by green spaces, parks and gardens fronting onto the river. Stories of the local Māori people and their land, trade and craft are interwoven through every aspect of the design.'
Callum Mallett, General Manager NZICC, says 'The NZICC has been designed by industry experts, delegates and architects to ensure that every detail meets the needs of our clients. With the capacity to hold events for up to 4,000 people, the NZICC will have built in world class technology and AV supported by a dedicated team to ensure we exceed expectations. The NIZCC is already seeing international demand, with 5 bookings for conferences that have never before been hosted in New Zealand. We are excited to be bringing these opportunities and being New Zealand's meeting place for the world.'
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242