Business stars' summit has locals all agog

By Karyn Scherer and Libby Middlebrook

If one local executive is to be believed, the Apec summit is "the most important meeting that's taken place in New Zealand since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi."

Ernst & Young chairman Errol Clark is not joking.

Like many other business people, however, Mr Clark is most excited by another event that is taking place alongside the political pow-wow: the CEO Summit. It is quite simply the biggest networking opportunity New Zealand executives are likely to get for a very long time, he enthuses.

"The big issue is capturing the attention of business leaders, and while we have them in New Zealand we have their attention."

It's a refrain echoed by a small but significant chunk of local business people who are preparing themselves for a whirlwind of dinners, cocktail parties and "interactive meetings" over the next few days.

Around 60 local delegates have been encouraged to make the most of the arrival of a who's who of international executives from the Asia-Pacific region, of whom General Motors chairman Jack Smith is easily the most prominent.

However, a plethora of other "high net worth" individuals, such as China's answer to Richard Branson, Feng Chen, and the man who handles world trade for McDonald's, Raymond Cesca, has also left many locals star struck.

"A lot of the success of these things depends on the quality of people coming, and we have a very strong group of business leaders coming from China, Korea and Chinese Taipei," said Mr Clark. "I would say the groups coming are of a calibre that's never been seen in New Zealand before."

Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett couldn't agree more. "It's absolutely huge," is his verdict on the event.

Auckland Airport boss John Goulter is just one local executive who has made some extra space in his appointment diary over the next few days.

Mr Goulter - whose face has already featured on CNN coverage of the event - has organised a one-on-one meeting with the head of the Malaysian Airports Authority, which has made no secret of its plans to raise money on the stock exchange in the near future. He is also using the occasion to catch up with Michael Drucker, head of the Asia-Pacific division of Federal Express.

"It's all positive. People should get off their backsides and get out there and talk about things," he says.

Rod Gates, international consultant for Russell McVeagh, is hoping to make the most of the summit by establishing business links with overseas law firms during the weekend.

Through the CEO host programme - a buddy system between 34 New Zealand executives and visiting CEO's - Mr Gates will meet three delegates, two of which are lawyers based in Asia. .

"Being a host creates linkages which can be good for business in the future. Two fo the CEO's are lawyers, it can be of value because you're always coming across deals. If you've got good relations with another firm it can lead to referrals."

Two delegates have requested meetings at Russell McVeagh to carry out business relating to their own companies, while another was keen to have lunch with Mr Gates and sample some New Zealand cuisine.

Ross Townsend, chief executive of New Zealand's second largest meat processor Affco, said summit's host programme provided a great opportunity to network - if only he could get in contact with his delegates.

"To be absolutely honest, three of the four guys I'm hosting haven't responded to my fax. One of the guys I can't even find."

Throughout the summit programme, Mr Townsend plans to keep in contact with Raymond Cesca, but they probably won't have time to do much else.

"One of the problems is there are so many dam things on over the weekend, you're sort of double booked. We'll cross paths and not a hell of a lot more than that."

But if an opportunity presents itself, the pair might nip out for a juicy home-grown steak.

"I certainly won't be taking him out for a big Mac."

Meanwhile a handful of delegates from the South Island have shown strong interest in talking up our bio-tech and creative technologies industries.

For Whale Watch Kaikoura boss Wally Stone, the summit is an excellent opportunity to market the Canterbury region to overseas visitors.

However, he is reluctant to be more specific. "I don't want to pre-empt anything."

While some delegates could justifiably be described as being on the mature side, the networking will not just be confined to the old and the male.

New Zealand's list of delegates includes four women: professional director Rosanne Meo, Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce chief Claire Johnstone, Wilson & Horton corporate affairs manager Fran O'Sullivan and the ubiquitous Wendy Pye.

Five out of the USA's 31 delegates are women, and there are three women in Taiwan's 16-strong lineup. However, the only other countries to send women were Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.