Emerging Talent grows events sector

Emerging Talent alumna Amy Griffith is now a marketing and events executive at Ateed. Photo / Ted Baghurst

Young people wondering how to advance their careers in New Zealand's business events industry are being given a valuable opportunity by a networking and educational series known as Emerging Talent.

The series is run by Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) and combines professional development with network building opportunities. At events held four times a year in Auckland and Wellington, Emerging Talent aims to give young professionals the stepping stones to build skills for progression into management positions. Each get-together has an educational aspect, with short presentations made by industry leaders.

In Wellington in June, James Bennie of HospoTrain will discuss strategies and tips on becoming more customer-centric and in Auckland in July, speaker, author and coach Laurel McLay will cover wellbeing and work-life balance.

CINZ chief executive Sue Sullivan launched the series three years ago at Meetings 2015. Emerging Talent programme members and alumni will be gathering at CINZ Meetings 2018, New Zealand's largest business events exhibition with more than 190 exhibitors, which starts at ASB Showgrounds in Auckland today and continues tomorrow. The event will bring together buyers and sellers of conference and incentive travel products and services, with the aim of growing mutual business opportunities and sharing knowledge and ideas. Many previous Emerging Talent members have moved on to become exhibitors or buyers and will be representing their businesses at the event.

"Emerging Talent ticks all the boxes for people like event co-ordinators and sales account managers looking to take their careers to the next level," says Sullivan. "The programme gives industry's future leaders personal and professional development opportunities, as well as a solid network base to support development early in their careers."

Attendees are asked after each session what topics they would like to hear from future speakers.

"We encourage business owners and managers to discuss this opportunity with their staff and get involved in building their future," says Sullivan. "These sessions can become part of members' performance reviews and objectives."

There is a small charge to attend each Emerging Leaders event, but the aim is to make it affordable for businesses of all sizes. Auckland events are held in the central city at the Bluestone Room in Durham Lane.

Amy Griffith was the founding organiser of Emerging Talent as marketing co-ordinator at CINZ and is now a marketing and event executive at Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development (Ateed). She says the Emerging Talent programme has given her the opportunity to grow her career as well as to experience the positive impact the events have had on many young people in the industry. "We've all benefited from hearing from some incredibly inspiring people with varied career backgrounds.

"It's given me the opportunity to grow my career through being able to access a fantastic range of professional development opportunities, along with having the chance to network with young professionals in the New Zealand business events industry.

"We established the programme to help create pathways for young professionals in our sector and that helped me take the next step into a role with Ateed's Auckland Convention Bureau as their marketing and events executive." She says being host city sponsor and managing Auckland's presence at Meetings is one of the largest activities undertaken each year. "And last year we were proud to win the best regional stand award at last year's exhibition from over 19 regions. "

Griffith thinks Ateed's Auckland stand stood out from the others because, "no matter where you were in the exhibition space, you couldn't have missed our stand. We made use of all available space from floor to ceiling. We had a huge circular digital screen showcasing stunning Auckland imagery, which acted as a great beacon guiding people to our stand. And in our lounge space, we used 360 imagery on a large screen of Auckland landscapes such as the city lights, Waiheke Island and Auckland's west coast beaches to really immerse clients in the diversity the city offers."

This year, Ateed will dedicate their lounge space to buyers so they can discover Auckland in a way they haven't smelled or tasted before.

"We've bottled up a selection of Auckland scents so visitors can create their own unique fragrance, followed by a tasting of a bespoke jelly made by an Auckland jellyologist."

● To learn more about the CINZ Emerging Talent events, visit conventionsnz.co.nz/training-development