XPO Exhibitions Ltd
Level 1, 99-107 Khyber Pass Rd,
Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand
PO Box 9682, Newmarket, Auckland
Phone: 09 976 8300
Fax: 09 379 3358
Media
For all media enquires contact:
Irene Smith
Phone: 09 976 8352
Fax: 09 379 3358
XPO People
Brent Spillane
Director“Being part of a team that creates a world-class platform for NZ businesses to meet face to face, network, and buy and sell their latest products is extremely rewarding. The amount of trade sales that our exhibitors achieve at our events is important for NZ business and the overall economy….and I am proud to be a part of that.”
Richard Bews
General Manager“The team at XPO are dedicated to ensuring our customers get the most they can out of their event experience. It’s always great to hear when a team member has helped an exhibitor or sponsor exceed their expectations. Industry Associations play an important part in all of our Trade Events, and it’s critical for us to develop strong 2-way relationships with key industry partners.”
Irene Smith
Group Marketing Manager"We just love to hear about good news stories and positive customer experiences. When exhibitors, visitors and conference attendees tell us that our event exceeded their expectations, recommending us and our events to their industry peers and colleagues – our team can be satisfied at a job well done. We’re all Exhibitionists at heart! "
Nick Batty
Trade Shows Operations Manager“Refined ex pat POHM, with a desire for danger and detail, seeks exhibitors with love for knowledge, humor and need of a forklift. Keep Calm and Carry On.”
Paul Papa
IT Manager“In this day and age of mass electronic communication it seems the world is getting smaller. The events and shows we run remind us that doing business is always a better experience when it involves face to face contact, a handshake and a smile.”
Sandra Gorringe
Exhibition Sales Manager“The vibrant face to face environment of events always gets me excited. Exhibitions have been a part of my whole family’s life for more than 18 years. My husband, Neil, and our 2 grown-up children, Mace and Rose, have all been roped in as regular helpers at XPO events! ”
Mike Lust
Exhibition Sales Manager“Trade shows are by far the best return on promotional investment. What other medium places you eye-ball to eye-ball in front of thousands of highly qualified buyers over three days? Trade Fairs are richly bountiful diamond mines for business!”
Rob Lavender
Exhibition Sales Manager“The ability to maintain and create industry events that encompass flair, innovation, new technology, state of the art design, and education for New Zealand Industrial Sectors is something that I really enjoy being part of. When it all comes together there’s a great sense of achievement.”
Vanessa White
Exhibition Sales Manager“Networking & selling face to face with your clients at exhibitions are a great way to do business and have some fun along the way! From music, food & wine festivals to trade events, every show is exciting, bringing together a diverse group of people, sights and sounds. The XPO team love to create events with personality ”
Jan Harris
Exhibition Sales Manager“Each day still brings a challenge, even after 6 years selling Gift Fairs. Events such as the Gift Fairs offer great opportunities for businesses to develop and grow. We’ve seen it happen so many times. When not frantic over a fair my 4 gorgeous grandkids, dancing, golfing and gardening in the fresh air keep me on my toes!”
Ulrike Masina
Gift Fairs Operations Manager“Half of my lifetime has been spent organising exhibitions – first in Germany and for 21 years in this beautiful country – and I still love both NZ and my job! ”
Vicki Alach
Event Co-ordination Manager“It’s the satisfaction of watching an exhibitor’s panic turn to calm on opening day, enjoying a laugh with exhibitors and the show team, then seeing a years’ worth of hard work come to fruition; that’s what has made organising events for the last 7 years so much fun.”
Susan McCarty
Buyer Relations Manager“I love seeing NZ businesses launch a great product, then follow their development & success in the market. Seeing suppliers & buyers working collaboratively to build their businesses through exhibitions creates a great feeling of achievement. We work incredibly hard to provide the best environment possible.”
Niamh Finn
Event Assistant“The XPO team strives to exceed expectations of all involved in our events and it’s great to able to play a part in this, while putting my previous studies and experience to good use!”
Janelle McCorquindale
Finance Manager“The XPO team are all hard working dedicated people. My role as Finance Manager for XPO is as varied and interesting as the many Trade Shows we host.”
Jaime Fox
Credit Controller“Who said accounts is boring? Not when you’re an Irish lass working for XPO Exhibitions! I love helping out at the events, meeting the visitors & exhibitors and working onsite with the team. Never a dull moment! ”
News
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