Pacific Trade Invest New Zealand will host its own new special business hub at Auckland’s Pasifika Festival 2018.
It’s an exciting new development for PTI NZ which has hosted delegations from the Pacific’s small to medium businesses at Pasifika Festival in the past two years.
PTI NZ is working in association with Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) to create the hub for Auckland’s annual festival on 24-25 March 2018.
“We are absolutely delighted that the management and control of Pasifika has been taken back by ATEED,” PTI NZ Trade Commissioner Michael Greenslade said.
“Already the proactive and innovative stance undertaken by their major events team is showing dividends. PTI is delighted to be talking about having our own village at 2018 Pasifika and we have planning under way already,” he said.
The hub will have individual stalls for each of the companies, a small stage and a chill out area.
PTI NZ plans to host more than 30 Pacific Island based small to medium businesses (exact numbers will be confirmed once the expressions of interest have been received) in a new location next to the Samoa Village in front of the Western Springs stadium. It is the third year that PTI NZ has hosted Pacific island businesses and each year it has grown after the first contingent in 2016.
Leisa Siteine, ATEED Events Production Manager was very positive about the new development.
“The Pasifika Festival is a celebration of all things Pacific and trade or business among the Pacific nations and Auckland is part of our strong and vibrant relationship,” Ms Siteine said.
“The festival is always evolving and having Pacific Islands businesses at the festival is the latest new feature to this wonderful event. Just last week I attended the launch of Hatch, the Pacific Business Trust’s programme for Pasifika youth entrepreneurs. Having the hub at the festival is an opportunity to showcase the wide range of businesses – from youth entrepreneurs to traditional trading companies all working to increase jobs and connections among the Pasifika and wider Auckland community.”
The purpose of the Pacific Business Hub is to engage Pacific Island based businesses with local communities. Having the businesses gathered in one area allows the businesses to test their products to a wide target audience.
This year should be easier with the Melanesian country delegations located at the Pacific Business Hub.
Last year, PTI NZ’s 25 businesses were scattered amongst the various Pacific Island villages. Participants from the Northern Pacific including Tarita Holm of Palaun Made, a small candy and sweet treats company and coconut oil manufacturer from the Marshall Islands, Tobolar Copra Processing Limited were located at a mixed location whilst the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu joined in with the Tonga village as they don’t have their own Pasifika Villages.
The PTI NZ Path to Market programme is a multi-step programme to help introduce Pacific Island based businesses to the New Zealand market. PTI NZ works with the Economic Development Agencies such at the Chambers of Commerce in each Pacific country to organise Path to Market programmes and identify potential exporters who are ready to move to the next stage.
The programme includes a Gap Analysis, workshop, site visits and one on one business meetings in the days after Pasifika Festival.
The drawings for the new village were presented to Trade Commissioner Greenslade in December. The venue will have a small 6×6 stage, a sound system and a chill out area.
Mr Greenslade said the stage could also be used for cooking demonstrations or allow the different companies an opportunity to promote their products.
Expressions of interest have been distributed by the local EDA’s to confirm the numbers of companies attending.