KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's Rugby World Cup chief Martin Snedden has slammed the business community for its lack of cohesion and says he has major concerns the country will miss out on significant benefits from the event if a strategic body is not formed.
But business leaders say they have
plans well in hand and Snedden should focus on running the tournament.
The criticism from RNZ 2011 chief executive Snedden comes as the countdown to the biggest event New Zealand has ever hosted hits 1000 days.
Snedden said that while there were many talented individuals and organisations operating within the business sector, there did not appear to be an overarching body that could help guide the development of a World Cup business strategy for New Zealand.
"In our view, the suggestion that 'New Zealand Inc' tangibly exists is wrong.
"RNZ 2011's observation is that it will be extremely difficult for New Zealand business to successfully convert the wide range of RWC 2011 opportunities into a tangible benefit, and to later be able to credibly measure this achievement, unless key industry sector leaders co-operate to form some sort of body which can then create, at the very least, a high-level strategic framework which can then be used to guide individual industries as they pursue these opportunities."
Snedden said RWC 2011 had begun to work with the tourism sector over its concerns with fragmentation in the sector but it was businesses outside that sector that he was most concerned about.
"I worry there isn't any real clarity outside of the tournament around how New Zealand is going to take advantage of this. There are pockets of initiative but the worry is there are only pockets."
Snedden said one of the major reasons identified for having the Rugby World Cup were the business opportunities outside of the event.
On its own the tournament did not stack up because it is expected to make a $30 million loss for New Zealand.
But business leaders have rebutted Snedden's claims and say he does not understand how the business community works in New Zealand.
Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett said more than 100 business and economic agencies were already working together and were planning to launch a strategic initiative in the New Year.
"There is already a relationship between the economic agencies and we have got a committee and board that will provide leadership."
Barnett said the body had held off launching its initiative because of the distraction of the election but it had a number of initiatives planned, including a book which would be sent out to the regions to help businesses prepare for the Rugby World Cup.
"I don't think Martin understands the way business organisations work in New Zealand. He has a role to play with the game. We are the business organisations, we know what we are doing. He should let us do that. When we need help from him we will go there. We will work with the regions and the Government."
Clyde Rodgers, group manager of Auckland Plus, Auckland's economic development agency, said Snedden seemed to expect there would be one overseeing agency similar to what had been established in Britain but that was not how the New Zealand business community had developed.
"We all understand the landscape and that is not how it has developed in New Zealand."
He said Auckland Plus had put together a package and programme that New Zealand Trade and Enterprise considered to be best practice and it was now looking at how to roll that out nationwide.
The business pack contained a tool-kit which would help in coaching businesses in successful tendering and sub-contracting and would also alert companies about how to join up to Trade and Enterprise's National Rugby Club which it was in the process of setting up.