New French Festival celebrates rise in NZ business trade

New French Festival celebrates rise in NZ business trade development

Businesses from France and New Zealand are celebrating rising trade relations today at a new French Festival at Auckland’s waterfront called “One Business Day in France.”

According to the event’s Facebook page, more than 7,600 people are interested in the French Festival, taking place at Auckland’s Shed 10 on Quay Street today from 9am to 6pm. The event is free to attend and includes the largest French Market ever hosted in New Zealand.

The businesses attending are among the 100-plus companies who’ve joined the French New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (FNZCCI), which grew membership by 24% in the year ending June 2017 and is co-hosting this year's festival.

FNZCCI President Nadine Plet says the organisation has recently expanded beyond Auckland, hosting its first event in Hamilton in July. That same month, she signed an MOU with the visiting president of New Caledonia’s “Trade and Invest”, Pierrick Maury, who is also presenting today.

According to NZTE, France is New Zealand’s third largest trading partner within Europe, with New Zealand exporting $373 million to France and the French Pacific Islands - including $190m to French Polynesia, and $145m to New Caledonia (the other $5M is to French Territory Wallis and Futuna, two small island groupings near northeast of Fiji).

Ms Plet says there are more than 100 sizeable French businesses operating in New Zealand, and while most people recognise names like L’Oreal, Veolia and Danone, that there are many other exciting, smaller businesses joining the Chamber to expand their operations within New Zealand.

Ms Plet cites the new dining experience with a social conscious called "Dans La Noir?" as an example: “This is a great Paris-based company who came to us wanting to meet other French businesses who’ve successfully grown their business in New Zealand. They found a business partner during one of our recent events and launched the first Dans le Noir? dinner at Auckland's Rydges in April this year."

"Dans Le Noir?" is a dining concept where guests eat in complete darkness, and are served by visually impaired wait staff. The company chose Auckland as its first location in the South Pacific following successful runs in Paris, London, Barcelona, Madrid and St Petersburg.

The are among several businesses presenting at Shed 10 today. Others include tech companies Sigfox and Wine-Searcher.com, Accor Hotels, Bureau Veritas, and NZ companies Icebreaker and Orion Health.

“The French Festival is a fantastic opportunity to remind people of the vibrant relations between France and New Zealand,” says FNZCCI President Nadine Plet: “It’s also an opportunity to remind businesses that France is only a three-hour flight from Auckland.”

“FNZCCI provides a friendly and helpful gateway into all things French - and the team running the Chamber have excellent local knowledge and networks to support French entrepreneurs and businesses coming to NZ, as well as New Zealand businesses wanting to open more doors into France.”

According to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are about 9,000 people with a French background living in New Zealand.

ENDS

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