News

Retailers across the country are set to benefit from the new www.GiftTrader.co.nz website, which will give them access to order from a huge range of bulk gift and homeware products at clearance prices.

More than 600 Importers, manufacturers and wholesalers who have exhibited at a NZ Gift & Homeware Fair are able to list and sell clearance stock on the www.GiftTrader.co.nz website. Retailers who have recently visited one of the NZ Gift Fairs will get free membership allowing them to access the site and the full range of clearance product listed, snatching bargains for their store and customers.

The Gift Trader concept came about from a mix of research, conversations with retailers and suppliers, and some good old-fashioned Kiwi problem-solving.
Brent Spillane, director of New Zealand’s popular NZ Gift Fairs, says XPO Exhibitions developed the trading platform to benefit both retailers and their suppliers. “Selling ‘end of line’ stock can be an issue for many suppliers. Filling up the last few empty shelves are an issue for some retailers.

www.GiftTrader.co.nz is a platform to solve that problem.”Brent Spillane says the website will free up exhibitors to bring more new product to the Fairs. “Research shows that buying ‘new’ gift product is the main motivator for the thousands of New Zealand retailers who keep visiting the NZ Gift Fairs. Exhibitors can now sell their older lines via the www.GiftTrader.co.nz website – which frees up their cashflow to invest in new product ranges to display at the NZ Gift Fairs.”“Transactions can happen anytime of the day or night. The online service is free for New Zealand retailers only to use – it’s a benefit of regularly attending the NZ Gift & Homeware Fairs. Retailers use their current NZ Gift Fairs login and password to get access.”

And the site is expected to draw a large amount of genuine retailer buyers. In March 2011 XPO surveyed 460 retailers, with a resounding 73% responding that a website that allowed any retailer to purchase end of line products from any NZ Gift & Homeware exhibitor would benefit the industry, and that they would themselves use such a website.

Since then XPO has presented the concept to more than 30 suppliers and collated feedback to refine the system. It’s been all about keeping it simple. Retailers will be able to order different product from multiple suppliers at one time. Orders are confirmed and sent via email to both supplier and retailer. Retailers (and suppliers) are also able to view their order history online.
“The XPO team will be demonstrating www.GiftTrader.co.nz to visitors at Autumn Gift Fair 2012. It’ll be well worth taking five minutes with a demonstrator to see how easy it is to buy.”

For the first 90 days after Autumn Gift (located at the ASB Showgrounds March 4-6 2012) listings are free for NZ Gift & Homeware exhibitors to sell their clearance stock on Gift Trader. Once the trial period is over Gift Trader suppliers will pay an annual fee to block list up to 25 clearance product items at any one time.

“Exhibitors are able to sell large quantities of end of line product swiftly to retailers, who will benefit from special deals and easy ordering. “We are expecting many thousands of clearance items ready for retailers to buy online by the time Autumn Gift & Homeware Fair is here in March,” says Brent.
All retailers need to do to gain access to www.GiftTrader.co.nz is attend one of the Gift Fairs each year to keep their registration up to date. It’s just another reason why retailers benefit from visiting the NZ Gift & Homeware Fairs.
ENDS
More information;
Brent Spillane, XPO Exhibitions ph 09 976 8300 email brent@xpo.co.nz
www.giftfairs.co.nz

Ford Motor Company of New Zealand Limited has cemented its commitment to Kiwi businesses with a two-year partnership that will see six new Fords given away to visitors at NZ’s largest and longest running sector specific exhibitions and events.

XPO Exhibitions Ltd, leading business-to-business (B2B) event organiser, has partnered with Ford to give trade visitors to the country’s leading food technology, packaging technology, engineering, manufacturing,  gift & homewares, build, design, architecture and business services sector specific exhibitions. It’s an opportunity for our business visitors to add a brand new Ford to the company asset register, says XPO Director Brent Spillane.
“It’s great that one of the country’s oldest and most-respected motor companies with a passion for this country has recognised the same in our DNA. XPO has the country’s longest-running successful trade exhibition portfolio.

e’ve been successful because we focus on sector specific businesses. We work hard to make our trade events the place that businesses can come to compare, research and buy world leading products and services face to face. It’s about ensuring ongoing value for exhibitors as well as visitors.

“Ford has the same values in supporting New Zealand business. Ford dipped its toe in the water at our biennial ‘buildNZ designex’ event earlier this year by giving away a new Ford Ranger Utility to one lucky trade visitor. The response from the trade was brilliant. Ford saw genuine value from the captive market and an intimate way to market its’ leading vehicles to Kiwi businesses,” says Brent Spillane.
The XPO/Ford partnership gives the motor company exclusive access as our preferred vehicle partner at the country’s premiere business and trade events.
“XPO events attract more than 35,000 genuine trade only visitors every year, and the majority of them are return visitors proving the enduring value of these events. Visitor numbers have been on the increase too. The agreement will allow Ford to capture its own rich business profile data of those attending and entering the prize draws or simply interacting with Ford on their prime exhibition space.”

The business events that Ford will be supporting and providing a vehicle prize giveaway include the New Zealand Gift & Homewares Fairs; the EMEX engineering, manufacturing and electronics sectors event; FoodTech PackTech which is for the food, packaging and technology sector; buildNZ designex which supports the building, construction, design and architecture sectors; and MyBiz Expo which helps small and medium enterprises source competitive business services for their companies.

Ford will run a number of show-only promotions before and after the events, giving visitors a genuine reason to buy. Chris Masterson, national marketing manager at Ford says, “It’s an exclusive business target audience and one that we just had to jump at – and we are the first major vehicle brand to partner with XPO in this B2B exhibition space. Our vehicles are a great value match for specific business sectors looking at fleet or even personal needs. This is a fantastic new marketing launch pad.”

There is more detail on each of these business sector events at www.xpo.co.nz
ENDS
Further information: Brent Spillane, 09-976 8378 or 021 906 111

XPO Exhibitions Limited completed the purchase of DMG World Media (NZ) Limited’s Gift and Trade event portfolio in January 2010 seeing the group return to New Zealand ownership for the first time in 12 years.

The purchase effects seven major trade events fairs, including the three NZ Gift Fairs; Autumn Gift, Winter Gift and Spring Gift, plus EMEX, Foodtech Packtech, Build NZ/Designex NZ and Printech.

Between them these key trade events represent millions of dollars in trade for more than 1500 exhibiting companies from throughout New Zealand, Australia & around the world, plus around 35,000 trade visitors who attend these shows to research, network and purchase products and services from exhibiting companies.

16 of DMG’s experienced staff and management team have been retained to run the events, with Commercial Director Richard Bews assuming the new role of XPO’s General Manager. DMG’s consumer shows have been sold separately.

XPO’s Managing Director Bill Spillane explained that the purchase is great news for exhibitors and visitors of these shows. “The return to New Zealand control of these shows and the successful acquisition of the talented staff who run them is a great win,” he said.

It is a case of ‘back to the future’ for Bill, who as founder of the New Zealand Gift Trade Association (NZGTA) created the Gift Fairs back in 1980, before selling to DMG. His own experience in trade fairs is extensive, both as an organiser as well as exhibitor - with his own company Spillanes Trading Co Ltd being a leading importer of house wares and electrical home appliances for the past 30 years under the well known Zip brand. Bill continues to Chair the GTA in New Zealand, a role he has held for the past 25 years.

“I am confident we will continue to deliver an international standard for exhibitions but with a New Zealand flavour – with local staff, management and ownership,” he said.

Bill will also be injecting additional family talent into the XPO business with his son Brent joining the new team. Brent has worked for a global insurer in Australia for the past 10 years, most recently in capacity of General Manager for Allianz Finance.

XPO has a busy time ahead with the transition of business assets, personnel, systems and a steady schedule of exhibitions ahead. “Exhibitor bookings to date for upcoming shows are already tracking ahead of last year which demonstrates just how important these shows are for business during these tough economic conditions,” Bill said.

XPO is promising a fresh approach to the running of these shows. “Our exhibitors quite rightly want us to attract as many ‘target market’ visitors to the show as possible,” says Bill. “We already have a great deal of survey information and metrics to interpret what our customer want and need and we will be naturally rolling out strategies in the coming year to achieve this – watch this space!”

Two of the biggest brands in New Zealand building, the biennial BuildNZ Trade Exhibition and the Registered Master Builders Federation (RMBF) have joined forces to create the ultimate event for all those associated with the building, design and interiors industries in New Zealand.

The event now sees the Registered Master Builders Federation, whose membership is collectively responsible for two thirds of total value of all building work in New Zealand, bring its annual conference and educational activities alongside BuildNZ, creating a complete one-stop-shop for products, services, education and professional development. 

The conference will be co-located at BuildNZ, alongside the Designex and Plush exhibitions at the ASB Showgrounds, Auckland June 26 - 28, 2011 - creating a combined audience expected to exceed 7,000 unique visitors, and what is expected to be more than 250 leading trade exhibitors. Conference seminars will be held onsite at BuildNZ with an extensive line-up of forums open to all exhibitors and trade visitors.

"Having the knowledge and professionalism of RMBF together with BuildNZ's proven trade exhibition format creates a must-see event happening at the ideal time for the industry," says Brent Spillane, Director of XPO Exhibitions; organisers of the event.

"Tony Alexander, Chief Economist for the BNZ, has recently referred to research suggesting  New Zealand needs around 23,000 new houses built each year to keep up with expected population growth," says Spillane*.

"New housing consents are falling well short of that number at present, however it remains important for the building industry to prepare for growth sometime in the future. The (combined) BuildNZ seminars and exhibitions will help with that preparation," he said.

Spillane adds that this announcement coincides with a greater emphasis on industry professional standards for ongoing training and education. “It absolutely makes sense to combine the professional knowledge component (of the RMBF seminars) with the extensive industry products and services on offer at our BuildNZ event,” he said.

“We are also working with other leading building and interiors authorities and associations to bolster the education and key speaker platform even further.”
Warwick Quinn, CEO of the Registered Master Builders Federation is extremely enthusiastic about the partnership. “RMBF is thrilled to be bringing these industry leading events together.  Having been a supporter of BuildNZ in the past we’re well aware of the benefits to those involved in the industry who attend.  We will be actively encouraging all RMBF members to be there in 2011,” he said.

A schedule of seminars will be created closer to the date, but Quinn notes that the timing of the event coinciding with the introduction of builder licensing and new weather tightness legislation add to the importance that all builders attend. “It is also very likely that attendance will also qualify for professional development points that professional builders will require to be licensed in future,” he said.

BuildNZ also includes two equally important additional components; Designex and Plush, which focus on interior design and interior textiles respectively, so trade visitors get to see end-to-end (product and service) solutions and trends for commercial and residential buildings. “This is a complete industry event,” said Spillane.

BuildNZ runs from 26-28 June 2011 at the ASB Showgrounds, Auckland, with the RMBF Conference running from 25-27 June, 2011.

The event is FREE to attend for relevant industry professionals.
Please visit the website: www.buildnz.com

(ends)

*source: NZ Herald June 8, 2010, page 7, “Property Report” Tony Alexander, Chief Economist, BNZ