Poutama Newsletter
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November 2010
- New Trustees Appointed to the Poutama Board
- Kiwibank-Poutama Cooperation Accord
- The Costume Shop
- Borrowed Earth – Richard Butterworth & Adele Robinson
- Bushworks South Island Ltd – Richard and Fiona Scadden
- Update from pureORAwalks – We don’t talk Sustainability, We walk it!!
- Salasai-Hi End Fashion – Kirsha Whitcher
- Sth Island Maori Tourism Operators Hui
- E-Tourism Conference
- Focus on China
- Shanghai Food & Beverage Promotion
- Visit to Global Hort, Xian www.globalhort.co.nz
- Tourism New Zealand China Semi-FIT Programme
- Chinese & New Zealand Business Council (CANZBC)
- Wharewaka Rugby World Cup 2011 project
- NZBusiness magazine subscription offer
- Contacts
New Trustees Appointed to the Poutama Board
Three new Trustees were recently appointed to the Poutama board. They replace long serving trustees, Rangimarie Parata-Takurua, John Kahukiwa and Matene Love.
Although still a youngster Rangimarie gained Kuia status for being the longest serving Poutama Trustee ‘ever’ having been on the board since 1993. John added left-field thinking to the board and a passion for Maori self-determination. Matene bought hands on business experience tempered with his role as a university lecturer. The Poutama team wishes Rangimarie, John and Matene all the best for the future and thank them for their efforts. Nga mihi nui ki a koutou mo to mahi mo nga iwi I mahi ana I roto I te ao kaipakihi, he mihi hoki mo to mahi nunui I roto i Te Roopu Whakatau o Poutama, Mauri Ora!
The new Trustees join current Trustee and Poutama Chair, Mavis Mullins. The Trustees bring a mixture of skills, networks and relationships that will help strengthen the activities of Poutama in areas such as primary sector development, investment and banking, small business development and tourism.
Trustee profiles are as follows:
 Mavis Mullins |
Mavis Mullins
(Rangitane/ Atihau nui a Paparangi/Te Arawa)
Mavis has been a Poutama Trustee since 2003 and took up the position of Poutama Chair in 2006. She comes from an agricultural background and is the third generation to be involved in a whanau shearing business in the Hawkes Bay.
Armed with an MBA from Massey University, she was on the board of LandCorp and has been involved in the Maori Spectrum Trust with their shareholding in NZ’s third mobile operator 2 Degrees.
Mavis brings a wealth of Governance experience to the position and has strong institutional knowledge of Poutama
 Craig Ellison |
Craig Ellison
(Ngai Tahu)
Craig hails from Dunedin and has an MSc in zoology from Otago University. He has been involved for many years in the seafood industry through his whanau fishing business.
Craig is a board member of NZ Trade & Enterprise and NIWA, and is the Chair of the NZ Seafood Council.
Craig has a strong interest in improving NZ business management capability, Maori governance structures, and resource management.
 Arihia Tuoro |
Arihia Tuoro
(Whakatohea, Nga Tai, Tainui)
Arihia lives in Opotiki and has worked in travel and tourism for both the private and public sectors. This includes working for the Inbound Tour Operators Council, Maori Arts & Crafts Institute and United Travel.
Arihia has also worked for a number of Maori development organisations including; Waipareira Trust, Manukau Urban Maori Authority and Whakatohea Maori Trust Board.
Nowadays she works as a private contractor in areas such as HR, Economic Development, health and social services. She is a member of the Human Resource Institute of NZ and NZ Institute of Directors.
 Brian Tunui |
Brian Tunui
(Ngati Awa/Ngati Pukeko/Te Arawa/Ngati Hamoa)
Brian is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Compliance Professional who has worked for two of the big four Australian banks here in Aotearoa in the areas of Business Banking and Risk Management.
His work experience also spans the military when he served as a Commissioned Officer in the Royal New Zealand Navy and Chartered Accounting when he worked at Ernst & Young in the Corporate Advisory area specialising in corporate and personal insolvency work.
Brian has been involved in off-shore banking working for Standard Chartered Bank in Rarotonga and Funds Management when he worked for HSBC Bank in Singapore. He is also involved with his own iwi as a business advisor.
Kiwibank-Poutama Cooperation Accord
Finally after almost two years of working with Kiwibank including travelling nationwide to meet with local managers, Poutama has been able to sign a cooperation Accord with Kiwibank.
The Accord in simple terms is a commitment by Kiwibank and Poutama to strategically co-operate and work together to assist in Maori Business Development. The Accord symbolises co-operation in three important areas;
Symbol
The symbols of this Accord are:
- Partnering – symbolises a commitment to joint participation in assisting Maori Business Development.
- Commercial Development - symbolises the commitment to work together to create business opportunities for both Poutama and Kiwibank.
- Accord – symbolises unity of purpose and shared vision between Poutama and Kiwibank.
The Accord is founded on the following agreed value statements, principles and strategic intent.
Values |
Principles |
Strategic intent |
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With the signing of the Accord, Poutama will be working with Kiwibank to understand their business banking systems and processes. By doing this Poutama believes it will be in a better position to assist Maori businesses to access Kiwbank’s business banking services including loans, bridging finance and foreign exchange services.
Poutama Chair, Mavis Mullins & Kiwibank Senior Manager, Gavin Law
The Costume Shop
Iwi - Ngapuhi
The Costume Shop (www.thecostumeshop.co.nz) is Aotearoa’s own online store where kiwis go to buy costumes. The business is owned and operated by Angela Floyed. Angela identified a niche in the market where customers could purchase good quality licensed and unlicensed costumes and accessories at low prices. The mission driving her company is about providing leading range, affordable fun - Why rent when you can buy new?
Angela admits that there are a number of hire costume stores and online retailers in New Zealand. Whilst the traditional business model of hiring garments seems cheaper and more affordable, factor in aspects such as insurance, damage and freight (depending on location) and so other options do become viable – particularly when customers hiring garments online do often receive items that are not exactly what was promised, being either slightly worn, damaged or sometimes the wrong size.
In contrast, The Costume Shop is not limited to these same constraints and is able to provide its customers with a wide range and choice, with an ability to order singularly or in bulk. The Costume Shop guarantees its products and if not satisfied, customers are able to return the item for a full refund. Those that purchase from The Costume Shop are identified as broad and diverse, ranging from every-day blue and white collar professionals, parents, couples, party goers, school drama clubs, promo companies, corporate to special interest such as dedicated pulp culture and sci-fi fantasy types.
This year has been all about branding for The Costume Shop and getting a broader range of clients to think of buying, as opposed to hiring when it comes to costumes. The company also invested in attendance at the national sci-fi fantasy and gaming Expo Armageddon over this recent labour weekend held in Auckland which is a perfect place for it to promote the range and affordability it has on offer.
While Angela first started this business so she could be a stay at home mum, it hasn’t quite worked out that way as she now works more hours than ever. The difference is she is now able to attend sporting events, or calf days that her children are involved in. “I do feel privileged for that and being in business has allowed me choices and getting to see my children grow up the way they are” says Angela.
For more information visit www.thecostumeshop.co.nz
Borrowed Earth – Richard Butterworth & Adele Robinson
Iwi – Ngati Porou
Borrowed Earth was set up in 1994 by Richard and Adele to create high quality ceramic art to be used every day and appreciated for generations to come. Their designs reflect New Zealand’s unique identity and honours Maori, Pacific Island and English family histories.
Borrowed Earth are constantly discovering creative and innovative ways to express the inherent beauty of Aotearoa, drawing inspirations from the land, its people and their heritage.
They choose environmentally friendly production processes and are motivated to keep the environment clean and healthy, protecting the very Earth they Borrow from.
Borrowed Earth has over 15 years trading experience and continues to expand in response to increasing market demands for their brand.
When Richard and Adele first started, they focused on providing domestic wares to market. Their pottery featured Fijian and Pacific designs and they moved into designing bowls and mugs with a Maori influence. They now produce handmade tiles for kitchens and bathrooms and other products for the home or office.
Adele said “We have had to follow what the market wants and keep an eye on trends and demand. We have had to broaden our base and listen to what our customers want. ”
Their products are sold exclusively to over 60 selected retailers and galleries throughout New Zealand, Australia and England.
Both Richard and Adele are committed to making Borrowed Earth a well known brand which meets the increasing demand for quality handmade ethical products.
Adele said “We are really proud of our work and stand behind what we’re making. If you have a firm vision and believe in what you’re doing then stick to it! We hope our work will continue to tell a story our customers can connect with.”
For more information check out www.borrowedearth.co.nz.
Bushworks South Island Ltd – Richard and Fiona Scadden
Iwi – Ngai Tahu, Ngati Porou
Bushworks South Island Ltd is a small family company owned and managed by Richard and Fiona Scadden based in the Waitaki Valley at Otematata. It was established to take advantage of the lucrative backcountry walking track maintenance and opossum control contracts available throughout Te Waipounamu.
Richard has over 12 years experience in the industry having joined the Department of Conservation ‘eager keen with a love of the bush’ at the age of 17 as a Conservation Cadet and progressing through to becoming a DOC Ranger.
Then for a period he spent some time with Target Pest doing work in control and management of opossums before starting the business in 2007.
Fiona says ‘we began with nothing but a dream, a small loan from my parents and some equipment. We managed to secure a small contract with DOC to start us on our way, however one of the challenges that we faced then besides having little money and equipment was getting recognition in the industry.’
The business is now at a stage where it employs 6 staff including Richard with his two brothers and cousin. Richard and Fiona say that thanks to Poutama help ‘In the last 2 months of trading our turnover has more than matched what we earned in the whole of last year.’
The major part of the businesses work currently is undertaking contracts with the Animal Health Board (AHB) in particular with the eradication and control of possums to contain the spread of TB.
The other major part of the business is with DOC in back country work developing and maintaining tracks in remote areas of Te Waipounamu in order to keep tramping huts accessible. The business mainly undertakes contracts with the West Coast and the South Canterbury Conservancy offices.
The control of wilding pines is another service that the business has added to its services. This service is not only provided as part of DOC contracts but also to farmers to control the spread of wilding pines. Richard has a view to also expand services in to the hunting guiding market in the near future.
Here are some of their responses when asked, what are the exciting things they find about being in business?
‘Having choices’
‘Making the most of opportunities’
‘Employing Whanau’
‘Freedom to spend time with family when you want to’
‘Working for yourself and not somebody else’
‘Control of your own destiny’
‘Working at what you love doing’
For more information on Bushworks South Island Ltd contact details are email bushworks@xtra.co.nz, Phone (03) 438 7738 Mobile (027) 441 8882
Update from pureORAwalks – We don’t talk Sustainability, We walk it!!
Iti rearea teitei kahikatea, ka taea.
Even the smallest can soar to great heights.
pureORAwalks offers a fusion of Maori culture and education all weaved together with story-telling, experiential learning, and environmental sensitivity. The guided walks’ stimulate the senses of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell - all this while surrounded by the splendour of sacred mountains within the Central North Island, Aotearoa NZ.
The successful and rapidly growing, nature/culture guided walks company has some new team members.
Shelly McKenzie Shelley McKenzie
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Ange Nicholls, Ange will be based in Auckland but regularly returning to the Lake Taupo Region (where her heart will always be), this will allow her to work closely with Auckland based Wholesalers and Inbound Operators as well as being able to promote locally and while on the road...she will be...doin’ it...for the LOVE of it Ange Nicholls |
You are now able to book direct online or check availability instantly through pureORAwalks website using Bookit.
pureORAwalks are also big into Facebook & You Tube and have come up with an
awesome competition.
WIN the...
Ultimate taste of Aotearoa, do it....for the LOVE of it.
Immerse yourself in culture, ignite your senses and indulge your mind, body & soul.
All you need to do is get onto Facebook and check out each company that is offering a prize, become a Fan and write a quick message saying what you LOVE about the prize on offer to enter. Check out the You Tube uploads too for info on each prize being given away.
pureORAwalks core products are:
Tongariro Alpine Crossing – Get over it!
Nature/Culture Walk
Over Night & Under the Stars
pureORAwalks is the only company that can guide the entire length of New Zealand’s most popular one-day walk, The Tongariro Alpine Crossing – Get Over It!!
Please contact pureORAwalks if you would like to familiarise yourself with their products, they would LOVE to look after you. They would also like to take this opportunity to invite you to the pureORAwalks 5th Birthday Celebration 12th Feb 2011. Details will be posted on their Facebook page. So become a fan on facebook, follow pureORAwalks on twitter and enter their amazing competition.
For further details go to www.pureorawalks.com
Emerald Lakes, Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Salasai - Hi End Fashion – Kirsha Whitcher
Iwi – Rangitane
Established in 2006 by designer Kirsha Whitcher, the Salasai label has fast gained a reputation as being a major player in New Zealand fashion. Now in its sixth season and gradually building a strong reputation, Salasai has shown consecutive collections at New Zealand Fashion Week for the past three years with assistance from Poutama.
This year Kirsha decided to show off-site and in the words of one commentator “it was a most prudent decision, in a sense that it made for an exciting show that oozed ‘exclusivity’, and what better way to have a show (to carry that exclusiveness) by holding it at the 5 star Hilton Hotel.”
Another commentator wrote that “Daring to be different is paying big dividends for Salasai with its shows getting consistently stronger each season. To a driving sound track, the latest lifted the sagging spirits of a big crowd at the Hilton's convention space.”
Kirsha titled her collection at this year’s New Zealand Fashion Week the ‘Sacrificial Grace’ – an idea that she employed to create a collection that conveyed what she described “ as the angelic and dark side of religious cults.“The inspiration she said “came from the army like regime of those clothes worn by those religious cults like the Amish and the Quakers”
To prepare for this year’s show took “over 6 months of countless hours, sleepless nights a lot of stress and worry” says Kirsha in “researching, design development, sampling, creating a range, photo shoots etc.” Notable attendees included National and International Buyers, Press and Celebrities.
Once the show was over Kirsha described it “as a great relief and weight off my shoulders but also with a lot of pride and satisfaction.”
The positive outcomes from the show include rave press reviews and two new buyers from each of New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong markets.
Kirsha says that “getting business from New Zealand Fashion week is fabulous; but the most important thing is that you need to be there to show your face to keep front of mind in the industry”
Kirsha is appreciative of the assistance Poutama has provided her with over the years, she understands how hard it is to break ice in an industry such as the fashion industry where it is very cut throat and not a lot of people are there to help ease the financial burden “Im very appreciative of Poutama’s help with the building up of my business especially in the early years when it was needed the most.”
For further information on Salasai, visit their website www.Salasai.co.nz
Sth Island Maori Tourism Operators Hui
Contrary to the popular myth that there are no Maori tourism operators in the south of Te Waipounamu, we had 30 such operators recently attend a hui in Queenstown. This event was organised by the local regional Maori Business Network, Te Kupeka Umaka Maori ki Araiteuru (KUMA), and supported by Poutama.
The tourism operators came from as far south as Rakiura and from the Waitaki Valley in the north. They included some who have been in the business for 25 or more years and some just starting out on the tourism journey. They ranged from accommodation providers to jet boat operators, from cultural heritage to ecotourism ventures, and everything in between. Ngai Tahu Tourism was represented as were the Regional Tourism Offices.
The purpose of the hui was to bring the various Maori tourism operators together to look at opportunities for collaboration, and to find out what kind of support and assistance they want and need to strengthen and grow their businesses. The theme was about growing Maori Regional Tourism (and any collective body) from the bottom up, rather than trying to fit into a framework that is developed and delivered from the top down.
The operators were asked what outcomes they were looking for. They were all very supportive of the development of a regional Maori tourism map which they saw as a way of being able to promote one another’s businesses in addition to profiling their own product. They were also interested in attending the TRENZ event to be held in Queenstown next year, and would like assistance and advice about their approach to this opportunity. The operators felt that there was a huge gap between the existing market (including I-sites) and Maori cultural awareness which needs to be addressed, and this is where the existing Maori business network could help. A survey has been completed by participants in the hui and together with the notes from the workshop session forms part of a more detailed report on the outcomes.
Richard Jones spoke about the work that Poutama does in the tourism industry and Suzanne Spencer talked about the assistance available through Te Puni Kokiri’s business programme. Marijke Dunselman’s presentation on tourism marketing was ably delivered by Ulva Goodwillie in her absence followed by an update from Dave Brennan on the Maori Tourism Office. Finally, Nuk Korako spoke about the various opportunities the Rugby World Cup will provide.
And it wasn’t all about work - Mike Tamaki was a big hit with the audience as he outlined The World’s Biggest Haka, amongst other things. And of course there was kai and the sampling of the local wines as we were treated to the Big Picture Wine Experience.
All in all a great day and many of the operators expressed their gratitude for this opportunity to meet one another and further their understanding of this sector. They are looking forward to initiatives which will increase their participation and profile as Maori tourism operators in this region.
E-Tourism Conference
Two of Poutama’s business advisers attended New Zealand’s second E-tourism conference. From the first conference held last year at Te Papa in Wellington, it was good to see a good number of participants at the second conference in Auckland. However there were more tourism industry organisations and RTO’s present than actual operators.
The main objective of the conference was to create awareness, educate and update the travel industry with the latest e-travel strategies. This enables tourism providers to achieve maximum return on their advertising investment and teach them how to do this effectively in the minimum time necessary.
There was a great line up of speakers who provided terrific insight into some of the latest marketing trends and business practices in the tourism industry in the digital age. They presented on how to take advantage of the latest social media and mobile marketing tools and spoke about the challenges and opportunities facing tourism operators and marketers in an ever-changing online business environment.
In the previous Poutama newsletter we featured an article around the rise and rise of social media for business communication. This conference helped to reinforce the notion that if you are not in the social media space for your business, no matter what sort of business, you are missing out! Here are a few important notes to think about and tips we picked up that can be easily implemented into your own business.
The Internet and Website – online there is no box. The use of broadband and enhanced communication tools allows people to be online 24/7. It’s very fast and you can connect to anything these days – worldwide. These are the main things people do online:
- Social media – 945 million users.
The top three sites are:
- Entertainment
YouTube – 520.5 million and iTunes – 154.6 million.
- Search engines – top three.
- Travel – top three.
Search engine optimisation – for those of you who have websites, it’s no good having a great website that no one can find. Knowing what affects rankings can help you attract more people to your website. Get your web developer to check out the following:
- ensure your website is accessible by having visible content on your home page
- make sure all pages on your site have link structure
- use Google Analytics http://www.google.com/analytics to help research keywords
- know your audience and use rich, engaging content
- Google – ‘Search engine optimisation starter guide’ (PDF - 4.1MB) for free booklet
Social media for tourism – essentially social media is bringing back the conversation to your business, less information and more interaction. Here are a couple of key points to think about:
- In the online space you no longer need a 5 year plan as this will quickly become outdated, it’s better to have a short term strategy when planning
- Social media isn’t about you; it’s about your customers!
Twitter vs Facebook – with Twitter you get short (140 characters), sharp content out to your customers and this can be a vital marketing tool.
Here are some pointers why:
- Immediacy of sharing thoughts
- Tool for collaboration
- Generator of traffic – permission marketing, relevancy and trust
- Social aggregator to listen to a wide network
- Ideal method to market to target market
Online marketing – Jim Brody heads up the destination marketing outreach efforts for Trip Advisor USA. He was an excellent presenter and had a wealth of knowledge to share. Here are his 15 key tips for online marketing.
- Don’t get sucked into the vortex of technology hell
- Pay attention to the little things
- Online is a broad application – use all applications
- Remember the big idea – make online plans fit
- The brain remains the same – what customers want and how they react
- Remember what your business is – consistency is key
- Good PR is everywhere – put everywhere possible
- Don’t be anti-social – try social networking it can be fun!
- Stay in the loop – analyse always with Google
- Win friends online – who will you influence?
- Find bloggers – invite them to events
- Return on Investment – return of marketing goals
- Cheaper is NOT always better
- A good response is easy to find – give lots of links
- The truth will set you free – be authentic and don’t lie!
Future trends – we are in the era of the mobile internet – get ready to go mobile!
Some future trends include:
- They predict that in 5 years time there will be more mobile internet users than desktop
- Mobile video in the next 4 years will grow 39 fold
- Travel in the future – need to have video rich media available on your website
Online video - Travel shoppers these days are actively seeking online video at every stage of engagement. There is lots of research available that shows online video converts.
Online video is now a requirement, not a luxury. Here are some of the benefits of online video:
- Increase sales
- Engagement of user
- More time spent on your site
- High conversion rate
- Likelihood of front page Google result – 53X
- Value lies in distribution not production
There seems to be no getting away from the fact that China is becoming a major part of New Zealand’s trading environment. The signing of the Free Trade Agreement, the promotion of New Zealand at the Shanghai Expo and the recent visit to China by a Maori business delegation led by the Minister of Maori Affairs, Pita Sharples as well as regular features in the Poutama newsletters are just a few examples of China’s importance to New Zealand.
So where do Maori business figure in all of this? Well for a start, in all of the activities mentioned above Maori culture and protocols have all figured prominently and without sounding arrogant, it’s the Maori component that gives New Zealand its point of difference and makes it stand out from all the other countries beating a track to what will soon be the World’s largest economy. Maori are adept at leveraging culture and commerce, mainstream New Zealand is slowly cottoning on to this and the Chinese are experiencing something different. That’s all good because Maori know they will need partners, alliances and networks to make a go of trading with the Chinese.
While Poutama’s reach extends into many parts of the World it is China that Poutama intends to have a particular focus on now and into the future. Poutama’s work on China includes a mixture of activities. Recently this has included the following;
Shanghai Food & Beverage Promotion
There’s nothing like getting hands on to see how things function. For this Poutama not only was a major supporter of this promotion but also ended up lugging cases of Tohu wine through dank alleyways into what seemed at the time a dodgy looking niteclub. We drove for miles to visit a small Chinese butchery to help ensure Charles Royal’s bush herbs were being infused at the correct amount into quality cuts of NZ beef and lamb. We helped facilitate the freight of Maori food and beverage products into Shanghai only for some of these products to be impounded and not released by Chinese Customs, sorry about that Hema Water! We even bought a hot product (no it wasn’t stolen, it was Kaitaia Fire chilli sauce) into China in our suitcase. The end result of this and the sterling effort of others was that the two dinners held in Shanghai were showcase events for promoting Maori culture, food and beverage and the development of relationships and connections.
 Chef Charles Royal explains the menu to dinner guests including Chinese blogger and Shanghai TV/Chef celebrity Victor Yuan (far left) |
The first dinner held on September 8th was complemented by mihi, karakia and whaikorero with the kinaki being a performance by Waka Huia, the resident performers at the NZ Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo. On offer at the dinner were NZ seafood and meats infused with horipito, kawakawa and pikopiko complemented by Chinese vegetables and topped off with kawakawa sorbet and delicious ice-cream from New Zealand Natural, all washed down with Tohu Wine. Unfortunately we couldn’t get the Mata and Taa Kawa beer in on time. The second dinner held on September 11th used the same format except this time impromptu kapa haka was provided by Maori exporters, kiwi expats and kiwis that just happened to be in Shanghai at the time. We even got the Chinese up for a haka lesson!
 Dinner guests from Sims Trading Company www.sims.com.hk |
Among the guests were Chinese food companies, food producers, hotel managers, chefs and food supply companies. Actually the dinners were the easy part the focus for exporters now is to convert interest into sales. Nevertheless future such promotions are being planned not only for Shanghai but other parts of China and will include a mixture of Maori culture, tourism, entertainment and kai.
Visit to Global Hort, Xian www.globalhort.co.nz
This was Poutama’s second visit to Xian to meet with Patrick Watene the key driver behind the establishment of Global Hort. Accompanying the Poutama CEO, Richard Jones was the Poutama Chair, Mavis Mullins and Maori Trustee CEO, John Paki.
Global Hort is a vertically integrated company that supplies kiwifruit and apples from over 100ha of orchards that they have established in Weibin County about an hour from Xian. Xian is one of China’s oldest cities with more than 3000 years of history. It is the home of the Terracotta Warriors and the northern entrance to the Silk Road.
Patrick has been living in Xian for over five years now and has established a business that is currently going through the process of raising a significant amount of capital for further expansion of its horticultural activities.
On a previous visit to Xian, Richard and FOMANA CEO, Wayne Mulligan, discussed with Patrick the possibility of Maori investing into the establishment of a winery and dairy farm. This visit was to further expand on those discussions. Patrick also arranged a banquet lunch with the Governor of Weibin County. The Governor along with other County officials welcomed the idea of Maori considering investing into agricultural activities into the County and outlined a number of incentives for doing so. These included favourable terms for leasing land, local government support and tax incentives.
 Patrick Watene & Govenor of Weibin County |
The idea of Maori investing into China may seem incongruous to some but really begs the question, why not? Why shouldn’t Maori leverage culture and commerce as points of difference to do business in China. Patrick Watene has proved that it can be done! With Patrick already well settled into China to some degree he has already paved the way and is keen to see Maori take up on such opportunities. There will be challenges along the way but with help from Patrick along with Poutama’s business support services the opportunities are worth investigating.
Tourism New Zealand China Semi-FIT Programme
Chinese visitors to New Zealand at 115,396 to year end 30 September are up 11.1%. Chinese tourists stay an average of 3 days and spend an average of $3,929 during their stay. Many of these visitors come to New Zealand as a tag on tour from visiting Australia and are part of a group tour. Often these short visits only include visits to Auckland and Rotorua and in some cases are just organized shopping tours.
Tourism New Zealand wants to focus on developing the Chinese FIT (Free & Independent Traveller) market as these people will stay longer, spend more and are likely to visit other parts of New Zealand. The FIT market is also more suited to the intimate and experiential nature of Maori tourism activities.
Poutama has been liaising with Tourism New Zealand on how Maori tourism can be promoted to the Chinese FIT market. In this respect Poutama will be part of a Tourism NZ Semi-FIT road-show promotion to the key Chinese markets of Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. In preparation for this road-show Poutama recently bought out a Chinese business woman, Jing Xu and showed her around a small sample of Maori culture-nature tourism products. Jing has New Zealand residency and is relatively fluent in speaking, reading and writing English. She doesn’t have a tourism background so was able to see Maori tourism through the eyes of being an actual tourist.
Jing will join Poutama CEO, Richard Jones, on the road-show and together they will be promoting Maori tourism to Chinese travel trade representatives that deal with the FIT market. Richard says that having Jing along to help explain what Maori tourism is about will enable a more in-depth promotion to occur given that it is likely that the people they will meet with will have limited or no understanding of English with many not having actually visited New Zealand.
Poutama views these activities as part of a long term plan to position Maori tourism for when Chinese tourists turn more towards visiting as FITs. The road-show provides an opportunity to sound the Chinese travel trade out on what sorts of activities they feel will appeal to their market and what they really think of Maori cultural-nature experiences. Richard says he does not expect to get immediate business out of this initial tourism road-show and that the key will be in finding the right partners to develop strong working relationships with. Depending on the outcomes of this road-show Poutama will support a group of Maori tourism operators to participate in future such road-shows to China.
Poutama will take the initial steps to test the market, develop relationships and lessen the risk for Maori tourism operators when they make promotional visits to China. Richard says it’s important that Maori tourism has good connections right through-out the tourism distribution system and that Poutama is also working on developing relationships with New Zealand based Chinese travel companies.
 Jing Xu experiences the Waikato River on board Riverboat Waireka www.riverboatwaireka.com |
Chinese & New Zealand Business Council (CANZBC)
CANZBC is a bi-national, non-government, business membership-based organisation that provides a bridge between the commercial sectors of New Zealand and China.
CANZBC objectives are
To assist New Zealand and Chinese companies and professionals:
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Poutama CEO Richard Jones was recently elected on to the Board of CANZBC. He says that with increasing activity between Maori and Chinese businesses Poutama aims to position and leverage Maori business developments through the CANZBC board.
Already this is happening with meetings arranged through CANZBC with Chinese tourism officials when Richard visits China later this month and recently he and two Poutama board members attended a dinner with the new Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand His Excellency Xu Jianguo.
His Excellency Xu Jianguo, addresses dinner guests
There is little doubt that China will be a dominant economic power and there is no reason why Maori businesses should not be part of the action that surrounds China. To capture the insurmountable opportunities that China offers will require perseverance and an appetite for risk. Whilst making cultural connections will aid in doing business with the Chinese, Maori will need to operate smartly and be able to rise to the challenges such opportunities will present. A long term outlook is needed and a strong desire to develop deep and ongoing relationships, learning the language will also be an advantage!
Whaia te iti kahurangi, Ki te tuohu koe, me he maunga teitei!
Pursue excellence – should you stumble, let it be to a lofty mountain
Wharewaka Rugby World Cup 2011 project
Poutama is currently undertaking a project in conjunction with the Wharewaka o Poneke Charitable Trust to facilitate enhanced promotion of Maori tourism, hospitality and merchandising businesses to Rugby World Cup 2011 visitor markets.
The Wharewaka Trust is the Wellington City Council’s partner in the delivery of the Wellington RWC 2011 Village. This partnership enables the Trust to promote information about Maori businesses for possible inclusion in the RWC public programme, and promote Maori businesses to travelling media through the Council’s communications team. There are also other promotional opportunities that are being considered for before, during and after RWC 2011.
Poutama will be working with the Wharewaka Trust to collate information and consult with businesses who are interested in being involved with this opportunity. If you are interested or know of any Maori businesses that may be, please contact our Information Manager, Vonese Walker directly at vonese@poutama.co.nz for further information.
NZBusiness magazine subscription offer
Special subscription offer of $49 (usually $75) for 11 issues of NZBusiness magazine.
Get the great deal here; www.nzbusiness.co.nz/subofferpoutama
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 November 2010 |
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Contact Us
Tom Manaena, Commercial Manager (Tom@poutama.co.nz 021 538 838 or 04 495 1132 ) - Tom is responsible for the finance, investment and accounting side of the business and also spends a lot of time out on the road covering the lower North Island, Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Central and Upper South Island regions. He also deals with clients at all levels and in all sectors.
Vonese Walker, Information Manager (Vonese@poutama.co.nz 021 683 681 ) - Vonese covers the Northland, Auckland and lower North Island regions. She deals with clients at all levels and in all sectors. Vonese also manages Poutama’s database and tourism website and is responsible for designing and improving Poutama’s service delivery to clients.
Gail Maxwell, Office Manager (Gail@poutama.co.nz 021 375 090 or 04 473 2652 ) - Gail is often the first point of contact for Poutama clients. She also supports Tom with the accounting function and provides back up to all of the team and board of trustees.
Richard Jones, CEO (Richard@poutama.co.nz 021 619 075 or Skype richtj ) - Richard focuses on strategic matters as concerns Poutama’s activities and also deals with clients at all levels and in all sectors. He has a particular focus on International business activities and liaises closely with Maori exporters. Richard also has responsibility for producing Poutama’s online newsletter and communications. Feel free to make contact with him with any relevant information or networking events for publication in the newsletter.