Small Business Expo gets in the zone

PRESS RELEASE FROM SARAH TROTMAN & ASSOCIATES
Re: Small Business Expo
For immediate release, March 2008

Small Business Expo gets in the zone to handle crowds

This year’s Small Business Expo is again expected to be New Zealand’s largest event for business and to handle the large crowd, speciality zones are being set up to make it easier for people to find information quickly.

The Small Business Expo will be in Auckland from 16-18 April and then go to Christchurch from 20-22 May and Wellington from 25-27 June.

Last year was the first for the Small Business Expo to go nationwide and it proved a huge success says expo organiser Sarah Trotman with more than 13,000 people attending the three events. “However, to handle the numbers we have established expert zones so people can access business support quickly and efficiently,” she says.

“Research from our last expos found nearly 90 percent of who attend the Small Business Expo do business at the expos business owners say they will return next year. Also 59 percent of business owners (according to a Touchpoll independent survey) – so people have to be able to move around the expo easily.”

In keeping with this year’s expo theme – sustainability - The Genesis Energy Sustainability Zone will encourage business owners to learn from organisations involved in sustainable business development. Organisations exhibiting within the zone offering sustainable support services include Genesis Energy, Landcare Research, Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Business Network, The Natural Step, Business Lab and Envirostate.

As well as the Genesis Sustainability Zone this year’s zones will include The Ministry of Economic Development Online with Business Zone, Statistics NZ Business Information Zone, Te Puni Kokiri Maori Business Development Zone, The National Business Support Zone and The National Bank Seminar Series.

“At each zone organisations will be on hand to answer questions and provide useful information to people attending the expo,” Sarah Trotman says. “This expo is all about making a difference for the business people who come through the doors.''

At the Ministry of Economic Development Online with Business Zone she says people can learn how easy it is to set up a company online. “They can also discover how you can invest in and protect your ideas and get information about the solutions available for creditors when you are owed money by a debtor.”

At the Te Puni Kokiri Maori Business Development Zone people will get information on the Maori sector and details on specific business support initiatives available.

Last year one of the most visited stands was Statistics NZ. This year at the the Statistics NZ Business Information Zone people will be able to get free valuable information on target markets, business activity by region, how to target new customers, import and export trends, changes in the cost of labour, living and the productive sector as well as regional market conditions.

The National Bank Seminar Series will be running for the duration of the expo with 40 experts giving free seminars on subjects of interest to small business owners.

Trotman says, “It is important for business owners to develop and edge over their competitors and they can only do this by taking time out of their business. The expo is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of free information and support that is out there for business owners, often they just don’t know where to find it.”

The Small Business Expo is being held
• at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds from Auckland April 16, 17, 18;
• at the Christchurch Convention Centre from May 20, 21, 22
• and in Wellington at the TSB Arena on June 25, 26, 27.

Information on the Small Business Expo is available through the website www.businessexpo.co.nz.

The Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards will be announced during the Small Business Expo in Auckland on 17 April; for information on finalists visit www.excellenceinbusinesssupport.co.nz

ENDS

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