Venture taranaki annual report
GUIDEBOOKS Venture Taranaki’s extensive range of publications proved popular again this year
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GUIDEBOOKS Venture Taranaki’s extensive range of publications proved popular again this year. items of collateral were distributed this year in response to 355 requests, events or conferences, worth a total of $143,882 93,719 VENTURE TARANAKI ANNUAL REPORT 2015 13 O ver the past year, the Trust worked with local tourism operators, national transport bodies and national media houses to host ten journalist familiarisations. Each visit was linked to a campaign, event or theme and targeted a key geographic or demographic audience. In the 2014-15 financial year, journalist familiarisations secured an equivalent advertising value of $343,624 worth of news coverage and articles on the region reached a total audience of over 989,400. Highlights included hosting the Two Robbies from The Breeze FM for a weekend which resulted in a YouTube video, 28 on air mentions and an original song inspired by Taranaki played on air. The New Zealand Herald Travel supplement, OHBaby, and Parenting magazines were targeted to align with our spring visitor campaign, with journalists bringing their families to experience Taranaki as the perfect destination for a short getaway. The Dominion Post was hosted in collaboration with TAFT for the Powerco Garden Spectacular and their piece featured a story about the gardens plus a large side tab of all the things to do in Taranaki while visiting. Further coverage is expected beyond the financial year as journalists from Kia Ora, North and South, Urbis, Good Health, AA Directions and New Zealand Herald Weekend magazine progress articles. In June, we hosted Brazilian extreme sport TV Show No Meu Lugar as they followed local surf legend Paige Hareb around her favourite Taranaki surf spots and other activities and eateries. The weather was obliging and the Manganui ski field was open so the crew
were able to capture Paige and host – fellow pro-surfer Claudia Goncalves – snowboarding and surfing on the same day. The show reached an estimated audience of over 1 million viewers. The Trust also worked reactively to leverage media opportunities. When news broke that trans-Tasman solo kayaker Scott Donaldson might land in our region, the team sprang into action to assist Scott’s support crew with accommodation, media management – coordinating two press conferences and providing media liaison between the crew and a range of national and international media – and work with the New Plymouth District Council events team on a welcome event. Sadly Scott didn’t make land in the way he had hoped – he was plucked from the craft by the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter some 70km off the coast. Media familiarisations this year achieved: $343,624 equivalent advertising value, audience reach – 989,400 VENTURE TARANAKI ANNUAL REPORT 2015 14 V enture Taranaki’s regional jobs website at www.liveandwork. taranaki.info provides employers and job seekers with the opportunity to promote and apply for roles available in the region. It is free of charge, and is supported by extensive resources and information to assist potential job seekers to make the move to Taranaki. The site grew strongly over the year, closing with 1,130 Taranaki employers registered to list their employment opportunities – up from 890 at the start of the year. Vacancies listed on the site were also up this year, averaging 125 vacancies at any one time and peaking at 140 listings, and 704 job applications were made through the site. Local organisation Taranaki Futures, used the site successfully twice, and administrator Wendy Devine found it to be highly effective. “On both occasions we received phone calls directly to our offices as a result of the listings, with requests for further details,” Wendy says. “The service has allowed our organisation to reach more of our intended audience when promoting opportunities.” During the year the site’s job listings included everything from CEOs to IT architects, a Senior Tennis Coach to a Community Sport Advisor for Badminton, and a Zookeeper (part-time) to the Exhibitions and Collections Lead at the new Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre. The site helps the region’s employers recruit skilled people into the region and families to attract diaspora back home, and it’s absolutely free for Taranaki employers.
M BIE’s Small Business Sector Report 2014 found that the biggest driver for starting up a new business is the desire for a total lifestyle change (37 percent) followed by an investment strategy for the future (22 percent), and the desire to make money from a hobby (17 percent). Whatever the motivation, the entrepreneurial spirit was alive and well in Taranaki this year, and getting new businesses off to the strongest possible start is the driver of Venture Taranaki’s Business Start-Up Clinics. Offering a free and confidential 1-hour consultation with an experienced business Start-Up advisor, the clinics are held in New Plymouth, Stratford and Hawera on a regular basis. This year the clinics were attended by 313 people, up sharply from 257 in the 2014 financial year and 227 in 2013. Business ideas spanned all industries, from trades to online, professional services to retail, and hospitality to the primary sector.
Start-Up client Jane “It has been really helpful to talk to someone about my business idea, and receive some alternative solutions and access a broad range of business knowledge. This service has been great.” – New Plymouth Start-Up client Emma BUSINESS START-UP Helen Joy Flitcroft launched Cook Learn Love with help from a Venture Tararanaki Start-Up clinic. Taranaki employers are registered with the Taranaki Jobs site 1,131 people attended Venture Taranaki’s Business Start-Up clinics this year 313 The Taranaki Jobs website grew strongly this year. VENTURE TARANAKI ANNUAL REPORT 2015 15 C onferences, annual meetings and corporate events offer an opportunity to showcase the region to new visitors, help drive visitor numbers over the shoulder seasons, and gain additional exposure as events are promoted and reported through organisational channels. Over the year Venture Taranaki assisted and supported many national conferences and events, and AGMS, ranging in size and scope from emerging sporting codes such as NZ Handball Nationals to the international World Surfing Pro, and Masters Games. Hobby and jubilee events attract large numbers and included the New Zealand Aeropress Championships, Women’s Institute, Street Rods, Crib Nationals, Kayak Fishing, the historically important Honeyfield family reunion, and the Waitara East 60th Jubilee. Business focused events included the Busing Russell AIN Conference, Geo Sciences 2014, NZ Ground Spreading Conference and the NZ Institute of Surveyors. Throughout the year, Venture Taranaki also provided bid support to attract and secure future events, and regional promotional support to help event organisers deliver an unforgettable event in the region. Support has been given to the NZ Dental Hygienists, Country Women of the World South Pacific Conference, NZ Floral Art, NZ Women’s Gold Golf tournament, Altrusa NZ, NZ Pain Society, NZ Galloway Cattle, the Eagles Golf Tournament and the NZ Vintage Car rally 2021. In addition to bid, marketing and collateral support we’ve also hosted Livestock Improvement’s PCO (Professional Conference Organiser) on a familiarisation visit and promoted the regions’ conference and event venues through the annual Convene expo held in Auckland. Interest in hosting national-level events in Taranaki is growing strongly, and the meetings and conventions market has the potential to augment our existing visitor industry and make a strong positive contribution to regional growth. “The conference was a great success. Thank you for all your assistance, it’s all about team Taranaki that we totally believe in.” – Tom Cloake, NZ Ground Spreading Conference “A huge thank you for your support in preparing the bid to host Clubs NZ Women’s Golf Tournament. The bid was successful and we will be hosting the tournament here, so I look forward to working with you on this project.” – Peter Meikle, Stratford Golf Club LEVERAGING CONFERENCES AND EVENTS Venture Taranaki led a regional delegation to Convene, which has already netted a number of corporate events. national events successfully bid for and held in Taranaki this year 15 national events successfully bid for to be held in coming years 7 VENTURE TARANAKI ANNUAL REPORT 2015 16 T he Business Mentors Programme matches an experienced mentor with owners of growing businesses to act as a sounding board and strategic advisor across a number of facets of business operation. Venture Taranaki runs the Business Mentors New Zealand programme in the region, and this year matched 44 mentors with clients enabling a sharing of retail, finance, marketing, staffing, strategy and general business knowledge and experience. While there’s unquestionably value for the mentored business, as noted below, it is also a very rewarding process for the mentors, with one noting “to be able to help just one person achieve more in their lives makes it all worthwhile.” One local business who has discovered the value of the Business Mentor programme is The Market Patisserie and Café in New Plymouth. “The mentoring programme has helped us a lot in terms of strategy,” says The Market’s Kira Lavelle “When you’re a small business starting out, you get to a certain point where you are established but still need help to further develop the business potential.” “Our mentor is very experienced and successful, and is helping us to take a step back from the day-to-day, and look at our goals and our future as business owners.” The Trust is continually on the lookout for additional mentors, and undertook a number of marketing initiatives to boost the numbers over the year.
Venture Taranaki was awarded second place nationwide for best small agency with outstanding client satisfaction in 2015.
VENTURE TARANAKI ANNUAL REPORT 2015 17 R egular connections to local businesses and sectors is an important aspect of the Trust’s work to facilitate information, education and networking across a range of industries. During the year Venture Taranaki published a total of 69 electronic newsletters across ten groups spanning tourism consumers, visitor industry, the business community, regional employers, job seekers, training providers and the oil and gas industry. Additional newsletters supporting the Swap Sides and [RE]discover campaigns were also distributed. The Lunch and Learn event series continued, with a further four events targeting the oil and gas industry. In conjunction with sponsors BecaAmec, the Trust delivered keynote speakers covering the future of gas, engineering developments, crisis communications and research on the Fly-In Fly-Out workers in the industry. In July the Trust launched a series of tourism networking events to foster collaboration, knowledge and understanding. Beginning with an update on the Len Lye Centre project in July, the events have been held at Pioneer Village, King and Queen Hotel, Ozone Coffee Roasters, Tupare, Taranaki Cathedral Church of St Mary, Villa Heights Bed and Breakfast, Tawhiti Museum, and Yarrow Stadium in advance of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2015. Venture Taranaki held a training workshop where Tourism New Zealand Trade Manager Paul Trowell outlined the industry’s commission structure, with insight from New Plymouth i-SITE manager Karen Longstaff-Moratti and Belt Road Holiday Park’s Teresa Bowe. Growing the number of commissionable products in the region is an important step towards attracting more international visitors.
T he one-stop-shop approach that underpins Venture Taranaki’s business model allows clients the opportunity to discuss their business issues and objectives, growth related or otherwise, with a business advisor. The advisory team provide guidance on possible next steps, make connections to the Trust’s extensive networks, and ensure clients are able to access relevant services (either those offered by Venture Taranaki or others) as appropriate. After meeting with a business advisor the client will receive a customised action plan as part of the service offering, allowing them to refer to this over time to help grow their business. Over the course of the year the nature of engagement shifted from a predominantly growth and opportunity focus to a balance of growth and business sustainability, reflecting a more challenging business environment. Venture Taranaki has been assisting a number of businesses as they face difficult times.
VENTURE TARANAKI ANNUAL REPORT 2015 18 V enture Taranaki’s online oil and gas industry hub Energystream.co.nz maintained momentum throughout the year. The site hosts the industry’s most comprehensive company capability database, which continued to grow. It is also a core tool in the promotion of Taranaki expertise – increasingly important given the growing specialisation of the supply chain and new entrants across the industry. A popular aspect of the Energy Stream site is the comprehensive monthly update on industry activity – received by over 600 industry insiders. The site also promotes industry events, news and developments, and aligns with the Trust’s Taranaki Jobs website to promote employment opportunities in the region. The Trust again worked with the sector and central Government to facilitate the regional presence at APPEA – the largest Australasian oil and gas event – as part of the New Zealand Pavilion. Attended by more than 3,500 global energy industry decision-makers, APPEA is the largest annual upstream event in the southern hemisphere, and regional representation is a key part of the industry growth strategy. Venture Taranaki also worked in partnership with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and the New Zealand Papua New Guinea Business Council to facilitate a trade mission, which a number of local companies took part in to develop this growing offshore market. The Venture Taranaki-initiated Oil and Gas Specialist Technologies (OGST) cluster grew to 25 members over the year, with interest from a further three supply chain companies. The cluster presents Taranaki’s supply chain businesses to external markets and the suite of marketing material and OGST website were updated and enhanced, during the year. The group was represented at a Papua New Guinea workshop, and exhibited at the ENEX conference in New Plymouth, APPEA in Melbourne, and the New Zealand Petroleum Summit in Auckland. It also sponsored the quarterly NZ Petroleum Club event, advertised in Energy NZ magazine and on the publication’s permit map, in Energy News Bulletin & Premium, and in Oil & Gas Australia Magazine.
V enture Taranaki’s business model clearly recognises the value of partnership. The Trust understands the strengthened capability, increased resource, greater reach and higher impact that partnering with like-minded organisations can bring to the region. Additionally, the leveraged funding model associated with these partnerships enables the investments made into Venture Taranaki stretch further and have greater impact with its target audiences. With many organisations having similar objectives – including the goal of a prosperous, vibrant and growing Taranaki – the Trust has forged partnerships to maximise and leverage resources of the parties involved and ensure a greater collective impact. Partnerships that benefit Taranaki include the regional business partnership with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) and Callaghan Innovation which enables capability building and research and development support to reach Taranaki businesses;
VENTURE TARANAKI ANNUAL REPORT 2015 19 the Business Mentors New Zealand partnership offering mentoring support to the region’s SMEs; the Massey University Venture Taranaki partnership bringing the region into contact with some of the country’s leading research practitioners and academics; the Participatory Science Platform pilot with MBIE which connects science with community; and the partnerships created through Venture Taranaki’s facilitation of sector clusters such as Oil and Gas Specialist Technologies and International Education Taranaki which enable sectors to work collaboratively on growth for all participants. Importantly, the Trust’s partnerships include longstanding relationships with the South Taranaki District Council and Stratford District Council. Both councils have formed partnership arrangements with the Trust to support the endeavours of their respective businesses, industries, visitor sector and wider community to ensure a sustainable, vibrant business environment and healthy district economy. In turn, those businesses contribute immensely to the wellbeing of the districts concerned. W alking and cycling routes are key components of New Zealand’s visitor industry infrastructure and international competitiveness. Initiatives such as the Tongariro Crossing and the Central Otago Rail Trail have been developed over the past 20 years and now attract large number of visitors to their respective regions. Taranaki has similarly great scenery and historical and cultural experiences but has not yet gained a high profile with regard to walking or cycling experiences – with the exception of New Plymouth’s Coastal Walkway. During the past year Venture Taranaki has recognised the potential of the Pouakai Crossing to be developed as one of New Zealand’s great walks. This route starts from the North Egmont Visitor Centre, crosses the northern slopes of Mount Taranaki, runs down to and across the Ahukawakawa Swamp, up on to the Pouakai Ranges to the tarns (alpine lakes) and then down to Mangorei Road. The Pouakai Crossing is of a similar scale to the Tongariro Crossing which currently attracts around 100,000 walkers per year. Both routes contain a range of outstanding scenery and experiences. In partnership with the Department of Conservation, Taranaki Regional Council, New Plymouth District Council, Taranaki and Te Atiawa iwi and New Plymouth Member of Parliament Jonathan Young, a project team was formed during the year with the goal of developing the Pouakai Crossing into one of the country’s premier walks that is on many visitors’ must do lists. A range of development and marketing issues are being identified by the project team, which will be making its recommendations in the coming year. The Venture Taranaki team has also been exploring several cycling related opportunities in the region. These concepts will be considered via the Taranaki Regional Council’s review of its Regional Walkways and Cycleways Strategy being carried out in 2015/16.
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