As a part of the conference, delegates discussed He Mauri Ohooho, which was officially launched in February 2014 and is New Zealand's first regionally co-ordinated Maori Economic Development Strategy.
Its goal was to improve the wealth and wellbeing for Maori in the wider Bay of Plenty region by focusing on income, employment, health and education, Mr Flavell said.
"Succession planning for land trusts, marae trusts, and companies who look after some of the larger land blocks was discussed. Thought was given to offering our rangatahi internships and apprenticeships, rather than scholarships, to give them better insight to their chosen industries."
Mr Flavell, the co-leader of the Maori Party, said people also raised concerns around intellectual property rights, which was timely given recent developments about alcohol branded with tupuna images and names.
"It was heart-warming to see such positive forward-looking energy at the hui. But what I found was many of our Maori businesses, trusts and organisations were not aware of programmes such as He Kai Kei Aku Ringa, and what it could do for them. This is something I'm working to change.
"As he kai kei aku ringa is translanted, the power is in the hands of our people and we want to give them the tools to create economic prosperity for themselves and for their whanau. It is the government's job to put in place an environment in which they will receive the support and resources to help them do this."
