Instant moko idea proves popular at youth trade fair

It would take around ten minutes for each moko - with these tattoos, it takes seconds. Kimiora Grant, Vantage EnterprisezMoko makeovers in minutes - that's the vision of a fledgling Rotorua business run by a group of 17-year-olds.
The group, who have named their venture Vantage Enterprisez, took part in yesterday's Lions Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme trade fair in Rotorua.
The five students from John Paul College joined 15 other groups showcasing their business smarts and ideas at the City Focus. There were eight teams from John Paul College, five from Rotorua Boys' High School and three from Rotorua Girls' High School.
While they didn't take out the overall prize, Vantage Enterprisez did manage to win best stall for their Mai Moko temporary tattoo venture.
The tattoos come in two moko styles designed by carver Roi Toia and artist June Northcroft-Grant, an internationally acclaimed Maori artist who also happens to be the grandmother of group member Kimiora Grant.
The idea for the moko came about after Kimiora was frustrated about how long it took to apply moko to her kapa haka group.
"It would take around ten minutes for each moko - with these tattoos, it takes seconds," she said of her team's product.
The group were mindful of sensitivities around ta moko designs and what they mean to the wearer, so made sure all their designs were generic.
They are also looking at creating pink moko for Breast Cancer Foundation rallies and are in discussion with council representatives about providing temporary tattoos for Rotorua Marathon runners.
Their teacher Minka Webb said her students had been hard at work since the start of this year.
The Young Enterprise Scheme is a three-part competition, yesterday being the second component, and the group had already done well in the oral section. They would now begin work on an annual report, the final stage of the competition, Mrs Webb said.
If they did well in the final stage, they would have the chance for an all-expenses-paid trip to the national competition in Wellington.
Four out of the five members of Vantage Enterprisez were also involved in the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) last year and they have high hopes for this year.
The regional coordinator for YES, Annika Smail, spent yesterday evaluating the quality of the stalls on show and seeing how well the students interacted with the public.
"This is the first time that all the teams get a chance to approach potential customers," she said.
The overall winners on the day were Soulz, also from John Paul College who were promoting their "Socks with Soles" business.
 Judges were Ian Baker, Lyall Thurston and Don McLaren.