Businesses going global

CHINA

China’s Vice Premier says his country’s economic growth will exceed its target in 2021, despite multiple headwinds threatening to derail recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Vice Premier Liu He addressed a virtual summit focused on relations between China and Europe this week and told audiences that he was “abundantly confident about China’s economy in 2022.” 

In 2022 China is pledging to cultivate a better environment for small and medium-sized enterprises and foreign companies and would also expand market access for overseas firms and promote fair competition. This is good news for Kiwi exporters. Here are three key opportunities businesses can target in 2022. 

Embrace local tastes

Kiwi F&B exporters looking to crack China’s flooded market must be willing to come up with original ways to tweak their products to cater to local tastes. A good example of this is McDonald’s which recently launched spicy chilli oil ice cream sundaes said to be inspired by the Chinese Biangbiang noodles. Another big fast food chain KFC is more adventurous, it’s localised menu includes: rice, noodles, Chinese deep fried dough sticks and hotpot style skewers. Taking a standard product and giving it a unique or novel twist that appeals to customers is a surefire way to capture attention.

Aim for the whole experience

Chinese consumers want their experience to be consistent and integrated wherever they are and the prevalence of scanning QR codes in shops and restaurants means that loyalty programs, payments and other experiences can be seamlessly integrated with smartphones. More physical stores are enhancing experiences through tech-driven features and live streaming, but also through physical forms such as workshops and event spaces, which are also integrated through tech. 82% of venture capital invested into Chinese offline retail store openings last year was directed at retailers who were integrated online and offline.

Chinese consumers now see shopping as a whole experience. They want to be entertained, informed and also make purchases at the same time. This sentiment is great news for marketers, but it also means that consumers have high expectations for their entire customer journey. They want more than just a transaction. This will push Kiwi exporters to use innovation and technology to elevate their brands and products in 2022. 

Look outside the big cities

Kiwi exporters should look outside of the main areas in 2022 as new growth hotspots emerge across China. Currently China’s 30 largest cities are home to around a quarter of the nation’s population and drive almost half of household consumption. However there are substantial growth opportunities beyond this list, with some cities outside of the top 30 posting faster growth. Household consumption has been growing by double digits in Guiyang, for instance. Many companies are anticipating these types of opportunities, expanding their reach to include more cities in China where incomes are also rising.

UK & EUROPE

Across UK & Europe the wintery beauty shines as cities and towns are decorated for the festive season. Christmas parties and nativities are underway with full vigour as we try and get as much in as possible before any further restrictions are imposed. 

We have been lucky to host various events in London over the past 4 months, it has been incredible to reconnect with each other. Our first event at the end of September at New Zealand House, was for many, the first time that they had seen friends in 18 months. There is concern across much of the UK and Europe about how the Omicron variant could affect things moving forward and much of the mood remains cautious. However people are hopeful for 2022 and there are a number of opportunities for Kiwi businesses in the new year. 

Open for business

UK & Europe markets are open for business and there is great opportunity for those looking to undertake their OE or to move into the market. Covid restrictions have become part and parcel of everyday life and the job market is strong for those that are looking for an OE, further changes and new laws to allow skilled professionals from around the world to have their qualifications recognised in the UK, and as well as changes still to be announced on the New Zealand-UK Working Holiday/Youth Mobility scheme, will make this easier. 

FTA developments

Implementation of Free Trade Agreements in the UK and developments on the EU-NZ FTA will remain a major focus for 2022. These two agreements create many opportunities for outward looking New Zealand businesses. Exporters will  need to focus and understand their current business operations and cost structures. Staying in touch with your customers, distribution partners and networks in-market will be key to making sure that you are able to timely implement any cost changes that need to be made and that you can work with them also to help them understand the importance and opportunities that these FTA Agreements offer for their businesses. 

Health Tech boom

The UK health-tech sector is booming. Venture capital investment in this area has increased 9 times since 2016 – sitting at around $3.8 (USD) billion in 2021 so far. We have many senior Kiwi leaders assisting in this sector and they are hungry to support more Kiwi businesses looking offshore.

Return of travel

MIQ changes in New Zealand and borders opening next year mean we are expecting a flood of visitors to the markets – come prepared! Don’t just turn up and expect a meeting next week, don’t turn up in shorts and a tee-shirt – we may have hung out in athleisure wear for the past 18 months, but now that offices are back, so are the working wardrobes and full diaries so make sure if you are planning to travel you book things well in advance to make the most of your time in market. 

Sara Fogarty, Kea UK/Europe Regional Director

North America

Festive celebrations well underway

The festive season is in full swing here in New York City. Thanksgiving saw record numbers of Americans travel to be with families, many for the first time since the pandemic struck in March 2020. The TSA said it screened 20 million travelers over the Thanksgiving week, in all about 89% of what it saw pre-pandemic. 

The annual Macy’s parade attracted over 2.5 million people to New York, many lining the streets to get a glimpse of the six-story balloons, marching bands, and dancers. Last year, organizers shortened the event route with no spectators, so this year celebrated how far they had come.

Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, is underway, and the Rockefeller tree is ready to be switched on. Despite the ever present threat of the pandemic people are upbeat about moving around to see the sights this year.                                

Saying it has been a tough year for this part of the world is an understatement but there is an air of optimism. Masks are a regular fixture as is showing proof of vaccination but it’s just become a part of daily life. 

Since starting with Kea, I have loved meeting the inspiring New Zealand businesses coming to the US. The opportunities that I see here for our exporters are substantial across all sectors. 

Many companies are targeting the USA, which is exciting to see. I have seen businesses recently focused on the ever-expanding healthcare industry, eco-friendly and sustainable consumer products, and tech-savvy SaaS solutions that seem to be targeting almost every industry. 

Our creative community has been house-bound for the past year, and I hope we will see this community again spreading its wings with the opening of the border. I think it is important to mention how entwined our arts, culture, and commerce are in New Zealand’s international identity and the vital role they play in enhancing economic development at home and abroad. 

Technology and shiny new things for New Zealand businesses in 2022

For a new generation of planet-conscious companies here in the US, price isn’t always the main driver. Many new and older businesses are now razor-focused on being responsible, environmentally friendly, and trustworthy companies. There are opportunities for our Kiwi businesses involved in apparel, cosmetics, luxury goods, food and beverage, wines, and spirits. There are also opportunities to support this industry with sustainable technologies to minimize adverse environmental impacts for good business health and prospects.

Since the pandemic started, we now have a new set of digital behaviors, from online shopping and video meetings to fitness classes and schooling. Opportunity abounds for our entrepreneurs in the gaming and tech sector.

International Trade and travel.

The end of the year is a natural time to reflect on and analyze your business. It’s also the perfect time to prepare for that long-awaited trip now the borders will be open. Connect with people who can help with your market intelligence by reaching out to us here at Kea. The insights you will gain from building your offshore community are invaluable.

For many exporters, travel to events and business summits was a regular part of doing business globally. Attending the world’s many trade fairs and business summits is a top priority for showcasing products and services and the ever-important face-to-face meeting schedules, seminars, and speaking engagements.

Hopping from one country to another on the conference circuit was just part of being an exporter. Our New Zealanders looking to travel out into the world again will need to be aware of other countries and their hardships throughout this pandemic. Things like shaking hands are not always expected or reciprocated, and you shouldn’t be offended. Wear your mask everywhere. Allow extra time when traveling. With several additional layers at airports, it is a time for patience and preparation; international travel is different now. As Kiwi, we are respectful and considerate travelers, but it’s still worth remembering how different things were over here. 

2021 was undoubtedly like no other year that we would have ever imagined. As I close out the year, I find myself incredibly grateful and humbled by our Kiwi diaspora whom I have met and their willingness to offer their time, expertise, and immense market knowledge to benefit their fellow New Zealand business community. I appreciate your support throughout 2021.

Gary Fortune, Kea North America Regional Director

NZTE’s Investment team works with ambitious New Zealand companies in growth mode, to help them connect with the right partners and investors. Smart investment helps fill critical capital gaps in our market and connects investors with exciting investment opportunities, which showcase New Zealand’s innovation and integrity to the world. The NZTE team look to create connections that are positive, long lasting, and good for Aotearoa.

Kea invited a number of WCNZers to get exclusive early access and take part in the beta. As a result, a number became qualified Live Deals investors, and within weeks of the invitation going out, one had taken up the opportunity to invest in a company profiled on the platform.

With a successful beta now under their belt, Live Deals is available for any interested wholesale investor to register their interest, become a qualified Live Deals investor and get access to investment-ready deals. 

If you’re interested in finding out more, click here to register, and select Kea New Zealand from the ‘How did you hear about Live Deals’ dropdown.  

To protect your privacy, all communications about Live Deals will be exclusively between yourself and NZTE.

Kia ora and welcome to Kea’s online monthly report, showcasing our highlights for April 2021.

The Kea team are launching into April with two exciting initiatives. After such an overwhelming response to our Welcome Home survey, Kea has launched the Future Aspirations Survey to provide an updated view on Kiwi talent around the world, including those looking to return home, what barriers they face and what they might need to thrive.

Complementary to this, Kea in partnership with the EMA have launched the Kea New Zealand Talent Survey to understand which opportunities are crucial to the success of New Zealand businesses at this moment in time and in the future. The results will help Kea understand the landscape of available roles and how returning Kiwis could complement existing teams, bringing diverse thinking and fresh perspectives to help Kiwi businesses thrive. We look forward to sharing some of the insights we gather in the coming months. 

This month we caught up with two exciting emerging Kiwi export businesses, Angel Foods and Celo about how Kea Connect assisted in crucial market validation through facilitating on-the-ground and peer-to-peer conversations. We also chatted to returned Kiwi couple Brooke and Carrick Graham about their skincare start-up TE WAI to get an update on how our initial market validation support amplified their export interests, and the key learnings they gained from their first export venture into China. 

Highlighting further business support at home, our Global Director of Government and Industry provides an update on three initiatives designed to guide businesses on how to implement sustainable practices, leverage Expo 2020, and increase digital capabilities.

Finally, this month we asked our Regional Directors what they saw as the number one growth opportunity for Kiwi export businesses. With the B Corp movement skyrocketing in the UK, huge post-bubble job growth across the Tasman and offshore duty-free sales likely to exceed 60 billion yuan in Hainan, there is huge global potential for Kiwi export businesses.

Read on to find out more.

• GROWTH THROUGH KEA CONNECT
• INSIGHTS FROM OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY
• GOVERNMENT UPDATE
• KEA CONNECT: SPOTLIGHT ON ESSENTIAL MARKET VALIDATION FOR HEALTH-TECH AND NICHE F&B
• IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
• TRENDING AT KEA
• UPCOMING EVENTS
• CONNECTIONS THIS MONTH
• HOW KEA CAN HELP

ORGANIC KIWI BEAUTY BRAND SEEKING MARKET VALIDATION SUPPORT

This month we speak with the Founders of Kea Connect business TE WAI, a New Zealand made and inspired beauty brand. Since 2018, TE WAI has received continued support from Kea Connect, from market validation to opening in-market conversations. With their recent announcement as finalist in the UK’s Pure Beauty Global Awards, and a forecast double in sales over the next 6 months, it’s an exciting time for TE WAI.

READ MORE

USA

Earth Day this month stood witness to a renewed global focus on meaningful, sustained change, with President Biden convening the largest virtual gathering of world leaders at the Leaders Summit on Climate. President Biden pledged to cut United States carbon emissions by 50 – 52 percent below 2005 levels by the year 2030. New Zealand businesses have carved out successful niches in North America with products and solutions aimed at helping address climate change, from automated pest control helping to protect forests and encourage biodiversity, to allowing online shoppers to buy carbon credits at a click. This renewed focus on reducing carbon emissions will impact US businesses of all sizes, turning the spotlight onto uncovering solutions where Kiwi businesses are well positioned to help.

At the same time Kiwi tech companies are hot property in North America after the acquisition last month of two stand-out New Zealand-grown technology businesses – US-based Bentley Systems (Nasdaq:BSY) entering into an agreement to acquire Seequent for USD1.05 Billion and Canada-based Lightspeed (NYSE: LSPD) acquiring Vend for USD350 Million. The opportunities for growth of innovative New Zealand businesses in North America look bright. Watch this space.

Saya Wahrlich, Kea Global Director, Government & Industry

UK & EUROPE

The B Corp movement has been growing since 2007 as a collection of companies driven by an important mission: to create an inclusive and equitable economic system. To date, the community has grown to more than 3900 participating companies. 

Learn how Kiwi businesses can use this growing trend when looking to export from our UK and Europe Regional Director, Sara Fogarty. READ MORE

CHINA

China plans to roll out 28 policies and measures to further liberalize and facilitate trade in the Hainan Free Trade Port. The move is intended to better implement a master plan released on June 1 last year, which aims to build Hainan into a globally influential, high-level free trade port by 2025.

Find out how Kiwi education providers can take advantage of some unique opportunities in the region from our China Regional Director, Ciara Liu. READ MORE

AUSTRALIA

The current pace of development and change in Australia is impressive to say the least.  With the launch of the Trans Tasman Bubble, Australian airlines are already winging their way across the ditch with impressive frequency.  The reactivation of the Trans Tasman flight routes will see many furloughed staff returning to work and further job opportunities generated. This is one of multiple sectors demonstrating positive signs of reactivation and growth.

Both the unemployment and underemployment rates have decreased over the past month, with job ads in Australia at a surprising 12 year high.  What does this mean for New Zealand businesses? Australian businesses are obviously in search of talent… New Zealand companies looking to hire people to represent them in Australia will need to be on point.

The current situation indicates the strength of Australia’s economic recovery and resulting business opportunities for New Zealand. Get amongst it NZ!

Anna Shere, Kea Ambassador, Australia

In time for Earth Day, the end of March saw the launch of the Climate Action Toolbox, a free, easy-to-use online tool developed by the Sustainable Business Network and supported by MBIE, BNZ, NZTE and other partners. The tool lets businesses identify key areas where they can reduce emissions, and gives step-by-step guides and links to information to help. 

For New Zealand businesses wanting to accelerate their growth in the Middle East, NZTE’s Expo Business Leverage Programme opened for registrations and kicks off in May with a series of webinars and presentations. 

MBIE’s Digital Boost programme continues to go from strength to strength, with almost 10,000 small businesses now participating. Keep a watch on the monthly Spotlight Series of business success stories, sharing how small business owners built skills and confidence through Digital Boost. 

Saya Wahrlich, Kea Global Director, Government & Industry

PLANT BASED F&B SEEKS MARKET VALIDATION IN THE US

Kea Connect supported a Kiwi F&B business in helping them validate their product for the USA consumer market. 

Angel Food produces dairy-free cheese alternatives suitable for the vegans, vegetarians or flexitarians. They are without gluten, nuts and soy, and fit perfectly into any plant-based diet while being totally allergy-friendly. 

As the Founder worked with NZTE on initial market validation research, Kea supported this work with on-the ground and peer-to-peer connections in this space. Kea facilitated three introductions for Angel Food:

• CEO of a thriving health food company based in the USA; 
• Owner of an alternate food company based in NZ who has successfully entered the USA market; and
• Sales and Marketing leader of a F&B company selling hemp beverages.

These individuals offered their experiences in the USA, and insights on whether Angel Food’s products suited the market, and where key opportunities for them may lie.

INNOVATIVE HEALTH-TECH COMPANY SEEKS GLOBAL INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Kea enabled in-market conversations for a Kiwi health-tech company to help shape their export strategy for the UK.

Celo was founded after the identification of a global problem: the use of public consumer tools in a healthcare setting (e.g. whatsapp, FB messenger). They have set out to solve this with the Celo platform – a secure communication platform for healthcare workers to share patient information, notes and advice. The platform tackles the issue of private and secure sharing of clinical records, and is compatible with iOS, Android, web, desktop. It has been described as The LinkedIn, Facebook, WhatsApp for healthcare. 

As Celo looked to make inroads in the UK and European market, they sought connections in the UK who could:

• speak to what is happening in the healthcare space and the landscape
• provide insights on how they might take Celo to market; and
• help them understand the relevance and stage of their product in the market.

Kea facilitated conversation between Celo and four Kea members: the ex-Chair of NHS, a digital innovation and entry expert, an industry engaged executive and business technologist, and the Organisation Development Lead at NHS. 

Kea will continue to support Celo with connections in other international regions as part of their global strategy.

WHY NEW ZEALAND’S BIG APEC CHALLENGE IS SO IMPORTANT

Vangelis Vitalis, one of New Zealand’s most senior trade officials, talks to the New Zealand Herald about the key challenges they’re facing as we head into New Zealand’s APEC host year and why it’s so important for the region to shore up regional commitment and alignment.

SCREEN INDUSTRY SECURES LANDMARK AMAZON DEAL

Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash announced that a landmark deal has been agreed with Amazon for The Lord of the Rings series, securing multi-year economic and tourism benefits for New Zealand.

XERO DRAWS CONNECTION BETWEEN WELLBEING AND PRODUCTIVITY

New research commissioned by Xero and conducted by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research reveals the financial benefits of investing in wellbeing for small businesses. Xero’s guide, The Next Level offers tips for small businesses to get started with wellbeing, as well as digital tools to become more productive and more profitable.

THE COVID-19 BRAIN GAIN AND GIVING BACK

Kea CEO Toni Truslove spoke at the NEXT Foundation Outlook Breakfast discussing the Covid-19 brain gain and the philanthropic opportunities this presents for New Zealand. READ MORE

SUSTAINABILITY RESOURCES FOR EVERY BUSINESS

Inspired by Earth Day, Kea shares four easy-to-use sustainability resources so you and your business can take direct action on climate change. 
READ MORE

“NO ONE IS SAFE UNTIL EVERYONE IS SAFE”

Kieran Bligh has spent the past year working all over the world on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic. We catch up with him on the challenges of working at a cross-border level and the lessons he’s learned.  READ MORE

To help returning Kiwis settle back into New Zealand and help build their personal and professional networks, Kea are thrilled to be hosting ongoing monthly meetups for returners and their partners in Auckland, on the first Wednesday of each month.
Kea understands how important it is for our returning Kiwis to meet, network and share their experiences. Our next meetup is Wednesday May 5th, spread the word!

The Kea World Class New Zealand Awards are just a few weeks away. We look forward to celebrating with you on June 3rd 2021.

SECTORS KEA CONNECT SUPPORTED THIS MONTH

*Year to date reflects financial year commencing 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021

Kia ora and welcome to Kea’s online monthly report, showcasing our highlights for March 2021. 

As the Northern Hemisphere launches into spring, vaccines are rolled out worldwide, and global consumer spending increasing, we’re seeing renewed focus and growing business confidence in our Kea Community. Further expansions of government-backed programmes are assisting in capitalising on this confidence, motivating our Kea Connect businesses to explore new opportunities.

This month we spoke to two Kiwi companies, Neurocruit and the National Distillery, about their global ambitions and how Kea Connect has assisted their operations in the UK and the US. Kea Connect assisted in focus sessions for UK-based Neurocruit, a Kiwi start-up based out of the UK that works to connect neurologically diverse people with professional opportunities. The National Distillery made their entry into the US with the help of Kea Connect in brand building and influencer community advice.

Kea Connect is also thrilled to be joining forces with HTK Group to enable Māori businesses and support their growth offshore. We spoke with Riki Manarangi about how culture-led values anchor their strategic direction and propel their business forward.

In good news for Kiwi export businesses, consumer spending continues to increase, as seen in a 70% increase in Shopify usage in the US, and a 78% increase in courier delivery in China compared to this time last year. Our global Regional Directors and Ambassadors share how Kiwi businesses can take advantage of this trend in their monthly on-the-ground market insights.

Finally, we showcase some of the partner and Kea Community content that has been resonating with our community, with a particular focus on economic development and innovation.

Read on to find out more.

• GROWTH THROUGH KEA CONNECT
• INSIGHTS FROM OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY
• KEA CONNECT: SPOTLIGHT ON PURPOSE-DRIVEN BUSINESS AND HIGHLY CRAFTED F&B
• IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
• TRENDING AT KEA
• UPCOMING EVENTS
• CONNECTIONS THIS MONTH
• HOW KEA CAN HELP

Indigenous values leading Māori business success

Kea Connect spoke to Riki Manarangi, the Chief Innovation Officer of HTK Group, about their work supporting Māori entrepreneurs and the importance of respecting Te Tiriti. Riki discusses their integration of Māori values including whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and rangatiratanga, and how prioritising these can help in unifying both their internal practices and business outputs, leading to more authentic growth.

READ MORE

USA

Confidence is growing in North America as we get closer to things returning to normal over the summer period, with the USA hitting daily records of three million vaccinations a day and the FDA approving more applications for treatment.

New Zealand companies are exhibiting this confidence through a clear focus on taking charge of their US market entry strategy. This is reflected in a global trend by Bloomberg that reported a 77% year-on-year bump in online “micro-sellers” as well as Shopify usage growing 70% over 2020.

We are seeing this charge led by the ever-growing NZTE presence in North America. The Made With Care influencer campaign has many eyes on New Zealand brands across the F&B space, Exports to the US have increased 18% in 2020, with the food sector – meat, horticulture, wine and chocolate in particular – all performing strongly.

Additional Covid-relief funding via NZTE is supporting Kiwi exporters in gaining helpful market insights and influential data to support their strategic direction. This has been reflected in market acceleration and has been another valuable amplification for New Zealand companies in the US.

Ryan Mulcock, Kea Regional Director, North America

UK & EUROPE

The impact of Brexit for business is reflected this month in a continued drop in shipments between the UK and the EU.  Business leaders attribute this trend to a number of factors: British businesses stockpiling inventory before the UK left the EU, the difficulty in navigating the post-Brexit paperwork needed and also changing official advice.

British exports to the EU year on year dropped 38%, and its exports to the rest of the world were down 7.5%.  At the same time, Britain imported fewer goods.  Imports from the EU were down almost 16% and those from the rest of the world dropped more than 9%.

Despite these challenges, the UK is definitely open for business, and continues to proactively work with other exporting nations even as friction in cross-border commerce increases.

Although business leaders in the UK anticipate continuing instability between the UK and the EU in the months ahead, this environment also creates increased opportunities for NZ businesses across sectors to seek opportunities and market share.

Read on to find out where UK consumers are spending from our UK/Europe Regional Director, Sara Fogarty. READ MORE

CHINA

We welcomed the year of the Ox on February 12. 

While most of the country went on a long break, the courier sector handled about 4.8 billion parcels in a single month, showing a 73% increase compared to February 2020. This demonstrates that the pandemic has significantly influenced the purchasing habit of Chinese consumers over the past year. 

With the Spring Festival holiday, China’s February box office revenue exceeded RMB 12.26 billion, breaking the world monthly box office record. At the same time, the catering industry earned RMB 708.5 billion from January to February, up 68.9% year on year. Both statistics show clear post- COVID-19 market recovery, boosting the confidence of both foreign and local investors. 

As this year is symbolized by ‘牛气冲天’ (‘the soaring Ox’), China is very hopeful for a year of prosperity and good fortune.

Ciara Liu, Kea Regional Director, China

AUSTRALIA

Australia’s defence sector is seen as a key pillar of its economic recovery.  Over the next decade Australia will spend some $250 billion on improving their defence capability, and that will be backed up by a further $250 billion dedicated to maintenance and operations.

To enable a sustainable defence manufacturing capability, at least 50% of any programme must involve local providers.  This presents significant opportunities for New Zealand, being that NZ is deemed a local supplier by way of the CER agreement.

The opportunities are far reaching; think technology, small parts of the supply chain and high end specialist areas such as cyber security.  This, coupled with the considerable flow on effect for skilled labour development, signals exciting times ahead!

Anna Shere, Kea Ambassador, Australia

SUPPORTING NEUROLOGICALLY DIVERSE PEOPLE INTO PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Kea supported a UK-based member with her new purpose-driven business venture called Neurocruit.

Neurocruit’s purpose is to connect neurologically diverse individuals with resources and professional opportunities. Their mission is to help those who see the world differently to find their place in it. Neurocruit exists to find and make a fit between uniquely gifted, neurologically diverse people and businesses evolving to meet the extraordinary challenges of our times, through workshops, in-house training and more.

Through their offering, they will tackle the difficult topics of working and learning from home, effective digital communication, and staying switched on remotely, providing tools to gain rather than lose momentum during this time. The ultimate goal is to offer ongoing support and real-world skills to take into the professional arena.

To test drive their material, the founder sought connections with Kea members who could participate in virtual focus sessions, to receive feedback and help Neurocruit best meet market needs. 

At present, Kea has introduced Neurorecuit to a Tech Founder who themselves is passionate about this cause and has engaged in activity to support the recruitment of neurodiverse individuals in New Zealand.

MODERN KIWI DISTILLERY WITH SIGHTS SET ON THE US

Kea worked with The National Distillery company to shape their entry strategy for the USA. 

Headquartered in Napier, The National Distillery use modern distilling techniques and time-honoured traditions to create a selection of gin, vodka, rum and whiskey. This duality inspires their approach to crafting the finest selection of copper distilled liquors.

Over the course of 2020, this Kiwi business successfully grew within New Zealand. This includes winning both the Best New Zealand and Best overall awards for the Gin category of the NZ Spirits Awards 2020.

Now they have two representatives based in New York to drive export growth in the USA. Their Manager contacted Kea for connections who could help them understand:

• Distribution channels and opportunities along the East Coast
• Brand building within the region
• Influencer communities

Kea facilitated an introduction with a Kea member with extensive experience in building global brands and influencer advocacy within the drinks industry.

TECH TRENDS LOOKING FORWARD

The Future Today Institute released their 14th Annual Tech Trends Report, analysing nearly 500 tech and science trends across multiple industry sectors. The report publishes 12 separate reports with trends grouped by subject such as artificial intelligence, privacy and security, and biotech and agriculture.

CELEBRATING AND SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES

On April 9th 2021, join Xero in supporting small businesses on Small Business Day. When you spend with an associated small business, you go in the draw to win a share of $200,000 worth of prizes. Any small business can register.

MFAT’S GLOBAL ECONOMIC AND TRADE UPDATE

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade have released their latest Global Economic and Trade Update. The report provides insights into recent domestic, regional and multilateral updates.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EMPOWERING WOMEN

Pam Ford of Auckland Unlimited talks to Kea about the benefits of collaboration in economic development, and how to remedy the disproportionate economic effect felt by women through Covid-19. READ MORE

DAIRY UPTURN HELPING NZ’S ECONOMIC RECOVERY

Kea Independent Economist Tony Alexander shares his insights on the influence of demand for New Zealand’s “soft commodities” in our Covid-19 economic recovery.  READ MORE

USING INNOVATION TO SOLVE GLOBAL PROBLEMS

We spoke to Kate Sutton, Head of the Innovation Centre at the UNDP about how the private and public sector can work together to solve some of the world’s biggest problems, and her view on New Zealand’s approach to innovation.  READ MORE

To help returning Kiwis settle back into New Zealand and help build their personal and professional networks, Kea are thrilled to be hosting ongoing monthly meetups for returners and their partners in Auckland, on the first Wednesday of each month.
Kea understands how important it is for our returning Kiwis to meet, network and share their experiences. Our next meetup is Wednesday April 7th, spread the word!

The Kea World Class New Zealand Awards will be held on June 3rd 2021. We are looking forward to celebrating the achievements of world leading, exploring Kiwis with you.

SECTORS KEA CONNECT SUPPORTED THIS MONTH

*Year to date reflects financial year commencing 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021