Small Business Expo 2007 Exceeded Expectations

18 June 2007
PRESS RELEASE

Small Business Expo exceeds expectations as largest event ever held for small business

Aimed at business owners, the Auckland Small Business Expo, the largest single event ever held for small business in New Zealand exceeded organisers' expectations with over 7600 people attending.

Running over three days from 30 May-1 June 2007 at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane, the Expo was designed as a 'business to business marketplace' for small and medium sized businesses.

Organiser, small business sector specialist and small business owner Sarah Trotman, said this third Small Business Expo was the largest to date and the Expo now goes to Wellington (18-20 July) and Christchurch (29-31 August) for the first time.

"By the day before the Expo we had more than 4000 business owners pre-registered to attend which was incredible and proof that this business-to-business marketplace is popular with New Zealand business owners."

Trotman said feedback from exhibitors and attendees has also been overwhelmingly positive.

Of those exhibitors surveyed by independent survey company Touchpoll, 98 percent were happy with the number of visitors to the expo, again 98 percent were happy with the quality of attendees, 87 percent either totally or mostly achieved their set objectives for the expo, and 96 percent said they planned to exhibit next year.

Of attendees surveyed, 50 percent had conducted business with exhibitors while at the Expo, 74 percent planned to conduct business with exhibitors after the Expo, 95 percent were happy with their overall experience at the Expo and 87 percent said they are likely to attend the Expo again next year.

Trotman said she was thrilled with the positive feedback that has been flowing in from attendees, exhibitors and from the wider business community.

"We well and truly achieved our target of again being the largest event ever held for small business. But more importantly, our research shows that both attendees and exhibitors were delighted with what they got out of their expo experience.

"Small and medium-sized businesses are the lifeblood of New Zealand's economy and it was great to see so many of them at our Expo getting useful information from exhibitors and attending The National Bank Seminar series."

Minister for Small Business, the Hon Lianne Dalziel, visited the Expo prior to speaking at the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards, held in conjunction with the Small Business Expo on Thursday, 31 May. The Minister said she was very impressed with what she saw:

"I am in awe of the tremendous talent, energy and passion that is our SME sector and I am grateful to those who have allowed me to share the secret of turning a good idea into a commercial proposition and taking on the world. I have said that SMEs are important to the economy because of their numbers - 96% of all businesses - but it is their unrealised potential that is the key to economic transformation. Thank you and congratulations to Sarah and her team for their effort in putting together both the Awards and the Expo."

Trotman, who has been involved in numerous business expos over the years, said the Expo was well and truly the most successful she has been involved in and credits sponsors Vodafone, Vero, apnfinda, OGGI and Newstalk ZB for making the event such a significant opportunity for business owners of New Zealand.

Registrations for the Wellington and Christchurch events are above target with 2500 expected at each expo and exhibitor space at Wellington already sold out.

ENDS

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