Now in its seventh year, and once again sponsored by Auckland City Council, the annual design symposium brings together speakers from a broad range of disciplines including graphic design, fashion, animation, illustration, motion graphics, typography, sound design, interactive and experiential marketing, fine art, music, product design and more.
With sister events held in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne, Semi-Permanent New Zealand is part of a unique series of events in Australasia. New Zealand organisers The Church describe it as
"a global gathering of pure talent, new ideas, conversation and visual splendour".
"This year's line up is the biggest yet. It is two ‘big days out' for the creative industry with powerful talent, inspiration, fresh ideas and fantastic industry networking opportunities," says event producer Anna Cameron of The Church.
The 2010 UK contingent features legendary graphic designer and film maker Storm Thorgerson, often referred to as the sixth member of Pink Floyd. Storm will be joined by his collaborator Peter Curzon; Christopher Thomas Allen, founder of multi-media company The Light Surgeons; creative interactive firm founder Nicolas Roope of Poke London; graphic designer and author Adrian Shaughnessy and sound designer Duncan Speakman of Subtlemob.
From the USA comes New York based illustrator and typographer Jessica Hische and motion graphics company Buck, featuring Kiwis Gareth O'Brien and Orion Tait. Pixar's Andrew Gordon who has just finished production on Toy Story 3 will talk about his animation experience and German product designer Katrin Sonnleitner completes the line-up.
Also launched this year is Semi-Opinionated, a social media site for the industry that invites participation from creative, media and design commentators. A virtual soapbox to address industry colleagues, Semi-Opinionated encourages on-line debate and discussion.
Tickets are $290, with a student rate of $150. A VIP ticket for $495 means you can also meet the speakers. Tickets are available through The Edge ticketing service, www.buytickets.co.nz, 09 357 3355 or 0800 BUY TICKETS (0800 289 842).
For more information, visit www.semipermanent.co.nz.
Get into www.semi-opinionated.co.nz.
The event in New Zealand is proudly sponsored by British Council, Spicers Paper, AUT University, Media Design School, Unitec and Auckland City Council.
The First Wednesday Programme e
On the first Wednesday of every month THE ICEHOUSE opens up to ambitious entrepreneurs who are hungry to understand the steps to understand the steps to start up business success.
- 3 5pm - Attend a seminar to learn the Five Rules for Successful Start-Ups
- 5-6pm - Stay and network - get matched up with ICEHOUSE experts and angel investors. Talk with current and past ICEHOUSE incubator residents and other members of the ICEHOUSE network.
Free to attend but limited to 25 places.
Register today at www.theicehouse.co.nz/start-up
Recent events
Results straight from the Pitch
Taniwha Toys 'n' Tales at The Pitch
The Pitch was an Auckland City Council initiative and part of the wider regional Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011) Business Opportunities programme to encourage SME business owners to plan for and participate in the business opportunities the tournament will bring to Auckland, and the country.
LIM is the master licensee for merchandise for RWC 2011. The contracts will see the companies' products on show alongside official merchandise, opening sales channels previously closed.
'The Pitch Campaign has been a wonderful initiative for us as a small business. It has driven us to focus on creating specific goals for RWC 2011, and most importantly it has provided us with a real and direct opportunity to grow our business,' said Yvonne from Taniwha Toys
'n' Tales.
Canine Spirit (www.caninespirit.co.nz) and Taniwha Toys
'n' Tales (www.tututaniwha.co.nz) met with a LIM representative at The Pitch.
Canine Spirit exports canine adventure wear including life jackets and boots and supplies to the UK Fire service and the New Zealand Police.
Taniwha Toys 'n Tales aim to create an iconic New Zealand toy that represents Maori culture and identity.
The Pitch at Bizzone saw 77 applications whittled down to 25 pre-selected participants over three days, each meeting with RWC 2011 organisers and business advisors from the ICEHOUSE or regional Economic Development Agencies.
For more information on the RWC 2011 Business Opportunities programme, please
follow
www.auckland2011.com/business.
Survive & Thrive | fuelling the business of creativity
Survive & Thrive
Thursday, 8 July 2010
10.30am - 7pm
The University of Auckland Business School
12 Grafton Road, Auckland
Fuel the business of creativity by connecting with creative producers and entrepreneurial people from across the region, learning from and being inspired by home-grown success stories and arming people with practical tips and tools to make their creative projects and businesses fly.
Held at The University of Auckland Business School, Survive & Thrive 2010 includes a programme of short workshops, networking and an ‘expo' of people and organisations working in support and as part of Auckland's creative sector as well as a presentation from Ray Avery, New Zealander of the Year.
Register online here
www.thebigidea.co.nz/survive-thrive-registration.
For more information visit
www.thebigidea.co.nz/survive-thrive.
Auckland ICT and the Product Development and Management Association
(PDMA NZ) Joint Networking Event
Date: Thursday 24 June 2010
Time: 5pm
Venue: Level 22, PricewaterhouseCoopers Tower, 188 Quay Street, Auckland
Keynote presentation: NextWindow's Journey - Al Monro, CEO, NextWindow
Cost: $15 PDMA-NZ and Auckland ICT paid-up members, $25 non-members
Registration: RSVP name, company, contact number to
events@pdma-nz.org by 21 June 2010 or go to
www.aucklandict.org.nz to register.
Keynote speaker Al Monro will discuss how NextWindow went from a typical ICT start-up trying to develop new innovative technology and raise capital, to now engaging in global markets with major brand customers and the lessons learned along the way.
Other topics include::
- World Computer Congress
- Learn more about the World Computer Congress which will be held in Brisbane from 20-23 September 2010.
- Trans-Tasman ICT Link-up
- Learn more about a virtual Trade Mission that will allow Auckland ICT companies to hear from Australian companies which are looking for NZ Technology partners.
- PDMA-NZ
- Find out more about the Product Development and Management Association and provide the Committee with ideas for future events and the newsletter.
Tickets for Bizzone and 'The Pitch'
The Pitch
This year at the Bizzone Expo, small businesses will have the opportunity to pitch the business ideas that they think will see their businesses benefit from Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011). Auckland City Council have a limited number of tickets to give away to attend the Bizzone event where
'The Pitch' (a RWC 2011 business opportunities concept) will take place.
With hundreds of great potential business opportunities waiting to be tapped into for RWC 2011,
'The Pitch' has been designed to encourage local businesses to unleash their Kiwi entrepreneurial spirit.
"Make no mistake: RWC 2011 offers an enormous range of opportunities," says Rachael Dacy, chairperson of the RWC 2011 Auckland Regional Steering Group.
All you need to do is complete an online submission briefly summarising your business idea for RWC 2011.
"The Pitch" is currently seeking winning business ideas for RWC 2011. Businesses of all types and sizes are welcome to take part. There is still time to submit your ideas, but places are limited, so make sure you visit
www.thepitch.co.nz for more information.
Auckland City Council is giving away a limited number of tickets to attend the Bizzone Expo which is being held in the ASB Showgrounds from 2-4 June. If you are interested in free tickets, please
send us an email and write
'Bizzone' in the subject line.
Inaugural Family Business Forum set to stimulate growth and prosperity
Family Business Forum
The Family Business Forum: Sustaining and Growing New Zealand Family Business will bring together international and local speakers, presenting on topics confronting business owners planning the future of their family business, such as:
- maintaining entrepreneurial momentum and growth
- succeeding across generations
- getting the best from governance and advisory structures
- addressing the challenges and opportunities of the future.
Places at the event are limited to give those attending plenty of opportunity to discuss common issues with other business owners and the speakers.
For full details of the forum and how to register visit
www.fambiz.auckland.ac.nz or for further information please contact Darsel Keane on (09) 923 8725 or
d.keane@auckland.ac.nz.
Advancing a bio based economy
Auckland city Mayor John Banks is speaking at the conference opening
The conference attracted a talented line up of speakers, including the return of San Francisco based Dr Ben Chen, International Director, Burrill & Co. Dr Chen spoke about international developments and Dr Alan Robertson, Chief Executive Officer of Pharmaxis spoke of successful commercialisation paths for bioscience companies.
Numbers were up this year from 350 last year, with 500 attendees. This included a delegation from our partner city of 22 years, Brisbane. Auckland City Council organised a networking function on 23 March to connect industry representatives in Auckland with their peers in Brisbane.
"We were delighted to host a networking function during this year's NZBIO Conference to connect trans-Tasman industry representatives. The growth of such events and the conference itself reflects the importance of the bioscience sector to economic development in both Auckland and Brisbane", said Gareth Stiven, Economic development group manager Auckland City Council.
Wayne Mapp, the Minister for Research Science and Technology, attended the conference and announced the winner of the NZBIO Emerging Company of the year. The prize was awarded to Argenta, an Auckland research provider and manufacturer exporting to over 40 countries.
Bioscience, including food innovation, human health, biofuels and medical devices, is a key sector in the Auckland economy. Fifty-four per cent of New Zealand's bioscience employees work in Auckland (Statistics New Zealand 2009).
Anzac Tasker wins Best HP Future Designer at Urbis Designday 2010
Urbis Editor Nicole Stock, Anzac Tasker and Hewlett Packard's Jess Rangi
Seven stunning installations captured the attention and imaginations of attendees at the 2010 Urbis Designday held on 20 March. Attendees voted for their favourite HP Future Designer as they deliberated over the outstanding work of recent AUT design graduates.
Auckland based graphic designer Anzac Tasker walked away with the top prize and a unique HP touchscreen laptop
- one of only two in the country.
The award was announced at the Urbis Designday Wrap Party held at the Steel Works, Auckland on Wednesday 24 March. The votes were close but it was Anzac's unique and fun approach to typography that captivated the audience.
Bringing type 'away from the computer and back into the craft' was the concept behind Anzac's installation and this was demonstrated with white panels and 3D type; some rotating, some only making sense from certain angles, but all fresh, innovative and intriguing.
Urbis Designday Wrap Party guests were unanimous in agreeing that the new HP Future Designer competition was a great new addition to the event demonstrating fresh ideas across five design disciplines: fashion, graphic, product, spatial, and digital design. Other works set up at the Simon James showroom included life size fashion illustrations, composited digital video, suspended and rotating garments, animated and futuristic illustrations, architectural studies - even a lizard trap!
Editor of Urbis, Nicole Stock, helped choose the final seven students and is proud to have the HP Future Designers competition an integral part of the day. She says,
"Urbis is very supportive of young designers and we felt Designday was a great opportunity to showcase great young talent to a discerning and design loving audience. The standard of the seven installations was very high and congratulations to Anzac for winning this award."
Organisers and guests of the fifth Urbis Designday enjoyed the new and exciting changes to the format
- including young designers and creative practitioners from the worlds of architecture, fashion, graphic design, landscaping, and multimedia. Designday was held on Saturday 20 March and was the most successful in its five year history with a huge turnout on the day.
The bar has been set extremely high for 2011 Urbis Designday and no doubt will yet again include world class New Zealand designers and creative practitioners working with Auckland's finest showrooms - leaving every Designday guest feeling inspired and entertained.
For more information visit www.urbismagazine.com/designday.
Students receive head start with business of fashion
workshop
Students receive head start with business of fashion workshop
Auckland City Council hosted students from AUT University and Whitecliffe College of Art and Design at the third Business of Fashion workshop in October.
The intensive one-day workshop, focusing on the critical success factors of the fashion business world, assisted students with developing business acumen and commercial savvy. Topics included costing and pricing, marketing and selling, getting paid and funding, the importance of media and brand and exporting models.
Dianne Ludwig, an advisor and mentor in the fashion industry for over 15 years, facilitated the workshop. She shared her experience as a board member of FINZ (Fashion Industry New Zealand) and a mentor to many of New Zealand's young and existing designers.
Guest speakers included Murray Bevan, director of Showroom 22, and leading New Zealand designers Marc Moore and Luke Harwood from Stolen Girlfriends Club. Their real life experiences in the global market were extremely beneficial to the participants and a great opportunity to get up close and personal with some fresh New Zealand talent.
This year, the introduction of a special lunch format gave students an opportunity to meet and network with some key people from the Auckland fashion industry. Groups of students circulated amongst lunch tables seating an industry representative, including Chris Lorimar, Cybele Wirren, Juliette Hogan, Mapihi Opai and Zoe Walker.
Auckland City Council has been making an investment in young design talent as part of its contribution to the city's Economic Development Strategy under the action plan:
Blueprint: Growing Auckland's creative industries. The wider fashion industry is a key area of focus for council because of the significant contribution to the city's economy, with over a third of New Zealand's clothing stores found in the Auckland region.
Young entrepreneurs gather for Auckland Central Regional
Awards
Gareth Stiven (Economic Development group manager) with G.Y.O from St Cuthbert's College, winners of the Auckland City Council High Growth Potential Award
The Young Enterprise Scheme, with support from Auckland City Council gives young people the opportunity to learn the practical, hands-on experience of running their own businesses and creating real products or services, developing real budgets, implementing real marketing plans, earning real money and keeping the profits.
This year, over 30 companies from 12 Auckland city schools competed in the YES competition. Top performing schools for 2009 included Diocesan School for Girls (taking home 5 awards), St Mary's College (4), St Cuthberts's College (3), Onehunga High School (2) Waiheke High School (2) and Kings College (1).
The Auckland Chamber of Commerce 2009 Top Company of the Year Award went to Spick SCH
- Specialised Corporate Hygienists from Diocesan School for Girls (a fridge cleaning company) with the runner-up going to G.YO. from St Cuthbert's College for their sustainable gardening book promoting environmental awareness for young kiwis. G.Y.O was also the winner of Auckland City Council's High Growth Potential Award.
Young Enterprise Trust's Auckland Regional Manger, Ewan McLeod was impressed with the calibre of the young entrepreneurs in this year's competition.
"The Lion Foundation YES programme is all about developing skills in our young people that will allow them to contribute positively to our local Auckland economy in the future. We are really thrilled to have Auckland City Council's support in helping us to achieve this vision, and hope that this will continue in the future."
Ewan is interested in hearing from business people who have experience in leadership, marketing, sales, IT/design and production. If you would like to contribute your knowledge and expertise to the YES programme or sponsor the 2010 local awards, contact Ewan McLeod at
ewan.mcleod@yetrust.co.nz.
Digital careers off to a flying start
The expo, run by Accelerating Auckland, in partnership with the Department of Labour, Career Services and NZICT offered ICT graduates the opportunity to connect with industry representatives and career experts through seminars and face-to-face interaction.
It was a chance for international and domestic ICT students to make their study and career choices align with New Zealand's future skills needs and become
"work ready" for the New Zealand labour market.
ICT is a key sector for employment, with over 18,000 employees and 2500 companies in Auckland.
Skilled, trained ICT professionals are required for a digital economy and vital for New Zealand's future. In 2008, more than 5900 students completed a formal qualification in ICT from a tertiary education provider in Auckland.
NZICT is a new industry association with more than 60 of the country's leading ICT companies as members. The association aims to increase the number of internships available within its membership, develop a mentoring programme and increase awareness of the contribution of ICT to the productivity, competitiveness and ultimately economic growth of the country.
Updated August 2010
