Shanghai Expo 2010

A sketch of the NZ Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a blog about the intended presence of Export NZ (BOP) at the Shanghai Expo 2010. Although I am now back in NZ (fog at Auckland was the problem, not the expected typhoon off HK), my mind is still working on this past week's meetings.

The Expo is expected to attract 70 million visitors between May and October. At least 40,000 are expected to visit the NZ Pavilion over this period, EACH DAY. That's some exposure.

The New Zealand Pavilion, themed "Cities of Nature: Living between Land and Sky", will be located on a 2,000-square-meter land in Pudong side of the Expo site. The New Zealand Government will invest nearly NZD30 million (US$23.05 million) at the Shanghai Expo 2010. That's some spend.

Which brings me neatly back to 'my thoughts'. How can we benefit from and leverage this presence? The opportunities I have witnessed this week are real. They are also enormous. Keep thinking Peter, 'keep thinking'.

Auckland Bound

The market visit to Hong Kong has come to an end.

The visit has surpassed all expectations. The opportunities here are immense. A return visit is already scheduled.

Right now, my focus is directed at the NZ SharePoint Users Conference to be held in Wellington next week. It will be good to connect with the NZ SharePoint user community and engage with some Microsoft professionals.

Between then and now however, there is the small matter of the commute home. And the in-bound typhoon. Hmmmmm......

Awesome - NZ Chamber of Commerce

As those who follow this blog will know, Pingar is a member of the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce.

So tonight, it was a privilege to be invited to meet up with the NZ Chamber of Commerce, here in Hong Kong. I have to say, it was full on. Networking here is both instant and fun. I have more business cards tonight in the wallet than after 5 Tauranga CoC BA5s. So what's the difference?

I guess in part, it is the business networking environment. This is a business city. For most of the people I spoke to tonight, this was just one of three or four such events this week. They love it. And it works.

Last night, Jacqui and I attended the NZTE Summer BBQ at the Pacific Club. The two events are related. There is a very strong Kiwi business community here. Jacqui and I have been privileged to meet them.

So if you are a business in New Zealand and are looking to set up here, then check them out. We have, and we will again.

Awesome Cyberport

Hong Kong's Cyberport

Last time I visited Hong Kong, it was the Science Park at Shatun in the New Territories that caught my attention. This time, it is Hong Kong's Cyberport.

It is home to Microsoft HK, plus a significant number of other ICT companies. It is also home to Smart-Space, an incubator for start-up companies. I am interested.

The first two days of this market visit have been packed with meetings. Last night, NZTE hosted a reception at the Pacific Club in Kowloon. It was a great opportunity to meet great Kiwis doing great things in the region. There are now even more dots to connect.

At a meeting yesterday morning with Microsoft HK, I was surprised to learn that Pingar could well be the first Microsoft NZ partner to set up an office here. At Cyberport however, the story was different. It was clear that an existing engagement existed with Growth Wellington around the digital / creative industry space. The name WETA comes to mind.

This market visit is going quickly, but after two days, many of the original milestones have already been met. More updates when I am back in NZ.

Awesome - Dim Sum

My umbrella is at the ready.......

On 23rd April, I blogged that it was cloudy and drizzly outside.

The words of the captain 6 hours ago were not that comforting. "We are skirting a typhoon", he said before ominously adding, "there are thunderstorms in the Hong Kong area". So 2 months on and the same wet and humid reception awaited.

This time I am here for a week. On the last trip, I talked about discovering 'dots' and possible 'networks'. This week, it is all about joining them up. Meetings have been organised and a busy schedule lies ahead.

First things first however. Finding that awesome Sunday Dim Sum is my next quest. Kowloon, here I come.

Hong Kong Science Parks, Shatun

I am spending today at the Hong Kong Science Parks in Shatun.

This is a cluster of 200 technology companies based in 20 state of the art buildings. A total of HK 12 billion (US$ 1.5 billion) has been allocated to the HKSP Project in 3 Phases. That's some Government investment.

The mix of on site services appear to be more extensive than I have experienced before. The availability of a number of Technology Support Laboratories would certainly help start up and early stage companies. A series of incubation programmes for technology and design start-ups exist. There are a range of funding packages available to incubatees. Oh, for some of this in Tauranga!

Tonight, it's back to Hong Kong International and a 13 hour flight to London. More time to reflect. What is clear from even such a short visit is the scale of potential.....and the dangers of risk. Finding the right partners and networks is key to launching successfully in North Asia.

I will be back.

Landed in HK

I've just checked into the hotel. I would like to say that the image above was one I had just shot. Unfortunately, it is cloudy and drizzling outside so I can only just see across the street.

It is not the only issue I have just faced. When I went to Blogger, everything had defaulted to Chinese. It does mean though that I have definitely arrived. And the early hotel check in means I can prepare properly for the two meetings listed in the last blog.

12 hours on an Air New Zealand flight does give you time to think. I wrote down all the Hong Kong / Chinese connections I have and I was surprised. It almost makes a network. So added impetus for the two meetings today. And good preparation for the crispy duck tonight.....

Hong Kong Bound

This time tomorrow, I will be heading for Auckland to catch a flight to Hong Kong.

It's almost a year since I was last there and some serious catch-up time is necessary. I am meeting up with both NZTE and InvestHK on the ground.

The Chinese market is in some ways the most interesting, but challenging one that we face. To ensure we have an appropriate market entry strategy in place, it is important that Pingar commissions some locally-generated market research. That I hope is the key outcome from this trip.

I hope to post an update from Kowloon....Before catching the next leg of this offshore trip to Heathrow.

China Girl

That's an FTA with rice, please......

So New Zealand has become the first developed nation to sign a Free-Trade Agreement with China. Analysts say the agreement will give New Zealand improved access to one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

I have blogged about this particular FTA before. In principle, I am totally in support. It is the details that I do not have at present. An email received this morning from NZTE might just help.

According to the email: 'The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), in association with other government agencies involved with negotiating the FTA, are holding a series of two day presentations throughout the country to help answer businesses questions. These informative and interactive workshops will provide in-depth insight into the FTA and practical advice for business people considering entering the Chinese market'.

The Chinese language market is definitely on the Pingar agenda. I have already visited Hong Kong and engaged with the NZTE team based there. The two-day presentations outlined above should fill in the spaces and explain just how this freshly signed FTA might help Pingar's own expansion into this massive market. Sign me up. And a side of prawn crackers too, please.

NZ - China FTA

Reduction in NZ agricultural export tariffs on the cards

News on Stuff this morning that Helen Clark is preparing to travel to China in April to sign the long awaited NZ - China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is welcome news.

The Government has been pursuing a trade deal with China since 2004 but has refused to give progress reports because of sensitivity on both sides about the nature and scale of any concessions they might give. It is China's first free trade agreement with any developed nation.

The two main plays in this, I guess, are agriculture (good) and manufacturing (not so good). There might be one effective trade off against the other (pardon the pun). However, as previous posts of mine will point out, outsourcing manufacturing to be closer to your global markets is not always in my view, 'not so good'.

How will a China FTA benefit ICT and emerging technologies such as Pingar? I need to see the detail of the Agreement. But from a relatively agnostic perspective, I suspect that the very existence of the Agreement will provide NZ companies with the commercial 'high ground' when it comes to market entry. That is not to diminish the challenges that any market entry into China brings. Given though the strong influence that Government still has on Chinese business, this Agreement is likely to open doors that might otherwise be difficult to prize open.

On my last trip to the UK, I stopped over in Hong Kong to discuss Pingar's market entry into the HK / China market with David Wishart, NZ Trade Commissioner to Hong Kong. David has since left - no coincidence I hope. I will be visiting NZTE's offices in the region again to further pursue that discussion. I, for one, think that this Agreement can only help NZ businesses bold enough to take the necessary steps to engage with this market.

Farewelling Hong Kong

I am leaving Hong Kong for London in four hours time.

The last 48 hours have allowed me to get at least a feel for the opportunity that establishing a presence here will offer Pingar. A key part of that process was assisted by my meeting yesterday with the team at NZTE.

Apart from meeting up with David Wishart, Trade Commissioner Hong Kong & Macau, I had the chance to meet up with Jane Lin, Trade Development Executive (ICT) and Heidi Chan, Investment Manager - Greater China. I learnt a lot about NZTE's own work in the North Asia region. Working out of seven regional offices, the Hong Kong facility is the North Asia regional HQ. And the opportunity for networking and engagement with Pingar are real.

When I return to New Zealand from the UK, I will be stopping off for further meetings with NZTE here. But before then, it is time to get on the Airport Express and prepare for the flight to Heathrow. UK, here I come!

HK is KO

Having spent 24 hours now, working my way around Hong Kong and Kowloon, I am impressed. And not just by the scale of development I have seen everywhere.

Speaking to people in business, Hong Kong appears to be a very positive place to work from. Regulation is relatively light, taxes are low and the proximity of mainland China make it an attractive proposition. And even though HK is now part of the Peoples Republic of China, capitalism is the order of the day.

This is epitomised by the view of Donald Tsang, Hong Kong's Chief Executive. The continued boom in China, he says, has aided and abetted Hong Kong's economic surge. By adopting the 'one country, two systems' model, Hong Kong is able to continue to operate as an advanced capitalist state, albeit within the socialist Peoples Republic.

This afternoon, I have my meeting at the NZ High Commission. It will enable me to find out practical support NZTE can offer Pingar in the future. As part of the follow-up process, I will be visiting here again on the return trip to NZ from the UK. On the basis of the feedback in the first 24 hours, I will be back.

HK is OK

The Hong Kong Skyline

Hong Kong is similar to Tauranga in one respect. They are both home to significant sea ports. Beyond that however, the similarity really ends.

Traveling into Kowloon on the Airport Express this morning, one could only be impressed by the sight of significant, major commercial construction being undertaken. It is the same in Singapore, the same in in Kuala Lumpar and the same in Beijing & Shanghai. Asia is growing fast economically and the signs of this are everywhere.

It makes my meetings here over the next two days particularly relevant. Hong Kong is in many ways still a 'gateway' to China. Chinese engagement here is now 100% and the trade between HK and mainland China has grown expotentially. Pingar has identified China as a key long-term market. My meetings over the next two days will hopefully begin to move that process forward.