NEWS RELEASE
November 23, 2009

New network creates a ‘global Hawkes Bay’

Hawkes Bay has joined forces with the Kiwi Expat Association (KEA) as it seeks closer connections with its expat community to help boost economic growth for the region.

Kea Hawkes Bay will be inaugurated at a cocktail event in Havelock North this evening.

Beyond a physical population of 150,000, it’s estimated the Hawkes Bay has a global population, including those who live and work outside the region, of nearly 400,000 people.

Economic development agency Venture Hawkes Bay believes there is tremendous potential within the group to provide local businesses with contacts and ideas and has partnered with Kea New Zealand to create a network to help Hawkes Bay expats stay connected and involved in the economic development of the region.

Kea New Zealand chair and co-founder Sir Stephen Tindall will be speaking at the launch accompanied, via tele-link, by Bridget Liddell and Richard Dellabarca, Kea New Zealand’s regional chairs for New York and London, demonstrating the network’s global reach.

Kea New Zealand was established in 2001 to unite our country’s offshore community and seize opportunities to work together to help open doors for New Zealand companies internationally.

With 16 per cent of all New Zealanders and 24 per cent of all skilled New Zealanders living and working overseas – a larger proportion than of any other OECD country – Kea has a vision to see New Zealand harness the value of its diaspora and be widely recognised as the most globally connected small nation.

The Hawke’s Bay group is the first regional sub group of Kea’s global network of 25,000 talented New Zealanders living and working around the world.

Kea chief executive Ivan Moss says Kea Hawkes Bay is a pilot for similar local networks in other parts of the country.

“Kea Hawkes Bay will promote the lifeblood of the local economy and show expat Kiwis and friends of the Hawkes Bay how to plug into business networks and opportunities,” says Ivan Moss.

Venture Hawkes Bay investment and planning manager Michael Bassett-Foss says he hopes the new global network of friends of the Hawkes Bay will play an important role in building the future of the region, enabling people in Hawkes Bay and those offshore to make connections around areas of mutual interest including business, sport, education, investment and creative sectors.

Kea Hawkes Bay has been co-funded by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise under the regional strategy funding.

ENDS

Editor’s notes:
• Kea was co-founded by entrepreneur Sir Stephen Tindall, founder of The Warehouse stores and founder and trustee of The Tindall Foundation, in 2001 and has active chapters in more than 15 international cities and staff in the UK, the US, Australia and China.
• Richard Dellabarca is the CFO and co-founder of Artimi Inc, a venture backed semiconductor company developing next generation wireless chips using Ultra-Wideband radio technology.
• Bridget Liddell is managing principal of Fahrenheit Ventures, a New York-based commercialisation business, which supports companies in building their US businesses. She is also chairperson of the Beachheads programme in the United States, run by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to provide faster access to better international networks for New Zealand high growth companies.

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