World Class New Zealand Awards Attract the Best

14 December 2006
Media Release
For Immediate Release

Attention: News Editor/Business Reporters

World Class New Zealand Awards Attract the Best

Kea and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise announced today the sponsors of the highly-prestigious World Class New Zealand Awards, 2007.

HSBC has reconfirmed its commitment with the sponsorship of the supreme award for 2007. Category sponsors are:

- HSBC – Supreme Award

- Provenco – Information and Communications Technology

- Wellington City Council – Creative Industries

- Enterprising Manukau – Manufacturing

- Foundation for Research, Science and Technology – Research, Science, Technology and Academia.

“We’re excited about working with all our sponsors to ensure the success of the 2007 Awards. It is great to welcome back: HSBC, Wellington City Council, Enterprising Manukau and the Foundation for Research Science and Technology. Their desire to be involved again highlights the growing importance of the awards both locally and internationally,” says Simon Brown - Network Manager, World Class New Zealand.

The Awards attracted over 100 top-level nominations from around the globe, with 22 nominees short-listed. Judges for the 2007 awards are themselves high-achievers: Stephen Tindall – Chair, Kea; Wally Stone – Chair of Ngai Tahu Holdings Board; Pauline Winter – Chair of the Pacific Business Trust; John Stace – Chairman of Methodware; Lorraine Witten – Board member – New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

“It was a great honour to be a judge of the awards. All the judges were extremely impressed with the calibre of the short-listed nominees. It was not an easy job, given that all the nominees are ‘World Class’ and have each, in many ways helped to showcase New Zealand on the World stage,” said Judge Lorraine Witten.

The judging process is now completed, with category award winners expected to be announced in mid February 2007, and the supreme award winner announced at a black-tie event on the 15th March at the Sky City Convention Centre, Auckland.

ENDS

Background: Kea New Zealand

The Kiwi Expat Association Inc (Kea New Zealand) is an independent, non-profit organisation that brings together people with a passion for New Zealand, wherever they are in the world.

* Founded by Stephen Tindall, founder of The Warehouse and The Tindall Foundation; Professor David Teece, Director of the Institute of Management, Innovation and Organisation, University of California at Berkeley; and Dr George Barker, Director of the Centre for Law and Economics, Australian National University, President of the Australian Law and Economics Association. Headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, and led by Chief Executive Ross McConnell.

* A total of 22,000 Kiwis and other ‘friends of New Zealand’ in 174 countries around the world are subscribed to Kea, which helps them to maintain regular contact with the country. Many of these subscribers appear in Kea’s searchable online database, allowing them to be contacted by other Kea members from anywhere in the world.

* Active local Kea groups operate in Australia, North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Sponsors of the World Class New Zealand Awards:

HSBC
HSBC offers services including a range of accounts, online banking, home loans, term deposits and more. The bank's international network comprises over 9,700 offices in 77 countries and territories across the world.

Enterprising Manukau
Enterprising Manukau promotes and facilitates economic growth in the region by working with businesses to improve their management capabilities. Moreover, working to promote Manukau as the leading destination in which to live, invest and conduct business. Enterprising Manukau has a team with a wide range of vocational and business experience. The dynamics of this team environment are incredibly progressive and continue to provide businesses and individuals with the tools required to facilitate economic growth and prosperity.

Foundation for Research, Science and Technology
The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology is the largest of the public sector investment agents for research science and technology. We manage investments of approximately $450 million a year – amounting to nearly 70 per cent of the government’s investment in research and development. We work with research organisations, universities and businesses to maximise the benefits of their research for New Zealand – economically, socially and environmentally.

Provenco
Provenco is a New Zealand-founded technology company operating globally with customers in over 20 countries. Provenco creates and delivers smart technology for business which is reflected in each of its business areas: forecourt solutions for the international retail oil industry; EFTPOS payment and retail technology in the domestic New Zealand market; and distribution of retail, barcoding and mobile & wireless technology
in Asia-Pacific.

Wellington City Council
Wellington = New Zealand's Capital of Creativity and Innovation. Wellington City Council aims to promote Wellington’s reputation as New Zealand’s centre of creativity and innovation in order to attract and retain smart, innovative people and creative, forward-looking enterprise.

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