Business of Fashion in Focus for Export Seminars

For immediate release
Tuesday 2 May 2006

The Business of Fashion in Focus for Export Seminars.
Air New Zealand Fashion Week brings industry experts to designers.

New Zealand’s fashion designers swap their workrooms for the boardroom this week as the organisers of Air New Zealand Fashion Week and financial advisers KPMG host the country’s first ever fashion business seminars.

The Market Focus Seminars will be held in Christchurch, (3 May) Wellington, (4 May) and Auckland, (5 May), aimed at emerging and established designers to develop their business plans for carrying out market-focused activities.

Air New Zealand Fashion Week Managing Director, Pieter Stewart sees the complimentary seminars as a vital element in the event’s commitment to the industry and a way of offering designers access to the calibre of business advice they need to ensure they can compete on the world stage.

“When we began planning the seminars we were delighted with how forthcoming our partners were in providing information and “inside knowledge” of their own particular sectors.”

As well as the chance to win $5,000.00 of business and financial advice from KPMG, designers attending the half day seminars will get the lowdown on the logistics of exporting from global freight company, DHL, strategic advice and information on government assistance from NZ Trade and Enterprise plus media training and a personal insight into the world of one of New Zealand fashion’s most successful exporters, Annah Stretton who will also be outlining the support role for designers of FINZ, the fashion industry’s representative organisation.

The other feature topics of the seminars are background details of Air New Zealand’s popular Export Growth Awards, detailed advice on business planning from KPMG director, Ann Todd and first hand information from Stewart who has spent the last six years visiting target markets to ensure buyers attending the collections are ready, willing and able to buy.

“It’s our belief the designers attending the seminars will have an unprecedented unique and exclusive insight into what it takes to be a successful exporter,” says Stewart.

“We know the designers value the profile of the event but it is sales that will propel New Zealand fashion into the next stage of development and these forums are an enormously valuable key to making the most of Fashion Week.”

More than 65 designers are expected to attend the Market Focus Seminars over the three days.

Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2006 will run from 19-23rd September, 2006 in Auckland.

ENDS

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