EVENTS : The buzz about Bizzone

Bizzone 2010, three-day business expo featuring leading international business brands through to local service providers, is rolling out over the next three months.
Events planned for Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch are expected to attract more than 13,000 people.
The expo offers business owners the chance to check out the latest business products and services, and gives them chance to network with thousands of other business owners.
Seminars will show attendees how to improve productivity, increase profitability and learn how to better manage their businesses.
The expo is needed more than ever in the current climate, believes Sarah Trotman, managing director of Bizzone. She believes good managers who have clearly identified the direction of their businesses, the areas that need working on, and are getting the support to make these changes will come through the recession strongly.
“Business needs to remain vigilant on key areas, like cash-flow, productivity, business culture, and innovation,” she says.
“Business owners are continuing to work 25 percent harder just to stay in the same place, but it is the business support organisations such as the professional services, the economic development agencies, the government departments and business mentors that will offer them the help they need as they move towards their longer-term goals. Overconfidence and belief that things will get better quickly is naïve and dangerous.”
The Auckland event runs at the ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane, from June 2-4.
Wellington’s will run from July 21-23 at the ASB Showgrounds and Christchurch’s event is scheduled for August 11-13 at the TSB Arena.
The expo features exhibitors, free seminars on all three days, forum called The Pitch for Rugby World Cup business opportunities, and Unlimited Business Mentoring free to attendees.
A new feature this year is the Stuff-Up Room, dedicated to prominent business owners talking about the lessons learned from the mistakes they have made and the resulting positive results on their businesses.
The Money Zone has financial focus and The Sustainability Zone offers advice on green goods and services.
Independent exit data taken by TouchPoll revealed that at previous expos, 97 percent of attendees rated their visit as satisfactory, good or excellent. More than half had done business with exhibitors at the expo and 61 percent planned to do business with exhibitors in the future.
Trotman urged business owners to seek out the support they needed, not to wear the struggles of the business on their own and be open to new ideas, products or services that would help support green shoots in their businesses.