Connecting our SME businesses
It was a real pleasure to welcome members and non-members to August’s SME Network Session, generously hosted by ANZ in their Auckland HQ.
These events are all about connecting with our industry peers. It’s a privilege to make those introductions and hear about the issues we’re all dealing with face to face. People so often find they have plenty in common. The chance to speak with peers in similar roles opens up conversations you often can’t have in your own organisation, and the consistent feedback is attendees find the events really valuable, and return to the office energized, and with plenty of new ideas.
The usual format is gathering to hear from guest speakers presenting insights and research, followed by a short group discussion, then networking over morning tea, lunch or dinner, either hosted by valued partners like ANZ or at an NZFGC member’s premises. It’s about creating the opportunity for forming unique industry relationships and I was delighted to welcome some new faces to this session and share a taste of what they can expect as part of our network.
We’re grateful to our speaker line up - Lance Dobson of Nielsen IQ shared a market trend presentation with the latest industry stats, covering macro trends, and a picture of the economy and consumer sentiment here in New Zealand, pointing out that while global conflict and economic challenges are driving more cost conscious behaviour, the challenge to suppliers is to keep the faith and maintain the investment in their brand.
Maurice Stack introduced ANZ Market Director Michael Simpson, who shared a series of statistics showing how global markets interlink, and the impact of the energy shortages affecting us all. Michael also looked at the upcoming El Nino weather pattern and the possible impact on our Agricultural sector, and how New Zealand could navigate those challenges and take advantage of potential opportunities that could open up.
I shared a sector update, covering the latest regulatory developments, Grocery Code Training, the Summer Toolkit for this year, labelling innovation and the Health Star Rating system. Thanks go to Cookie Time CEO Lincoln Booth, who performed MC duties and hosted the busy questions and answer session that covered the pluses and minuses of promotions and the challenge of knowing if or how they’ve succeeded, along with the cost of data for businesses. Lance also kindly shared how much he appreciated the chance to meet SME folks on the day, and how he valued the benefits of belonging to the NZFGC network.
I thoroughly enjoyed the morning, and thanks go again to ANZ for their support for our network. Further pre-Christmas SME sessions are being planned, while another great opportunity for connecting with colleagues is our Annual Conference at QT Queenstown from 4-6 November, it’s a not to be missed event for the FMCG industry to gather. Spaces are filling fast, so if you’re thinking about joining us, my advice is don’t leave it too long.
