Cash Manager Limited: #NZ8 technology summit

May 24, 2015

#NZ8 technology summit

The #NZ8 summit, or Hero-con, kicked off this morning at Xero in Wellington. It’s a technology summit for Kiwi start-ups who are looking to expand to the US market. Claudia Batten, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s (NZTE) Regional Director for North America, chaired the event.

There was a panel of New Zealand ‘tech heroes’ that was there to share some of their knowledge about what it’s like to make the leap to the US. They all talked candidly about how they’ve tackled obstacles, overcame challenges and found wins as they’ve established their businesses offshore.

The presenters included were:

Linda Jenkinson – Les Concierges
Greg Cross – PowerbyProxi
Rod Drury – Xero
Marcel van den Assum – Green Button
Jo Mills and Anne Fulton – Fuel 50
Paul Cameron – Booktrack
Craig Richardson – Wynyard Group

The event is named after the flight NZ8 from Auckland to San Francisco. Many Kiwis who have already entered the US market know that flight well as they’ve set up offices, recruited, networked and met with investors to get their businesses off the ground.

It was a wonderful opportunity to connect a bunch of enthusiastic start-up businesses owners with those that have been there before. They shared their experiences, insights and learnings from already putting in the hard yards of expansion.

“Have the courage to play your own game.” @roddrury #NZ8 http://pic.twitter.com/BrwlVNJ0uR

— New Zealand Business (@NZ_Global) May 24, 2015

Entering the US market is a massive learning curve. It’s important to acknowledge that to be successful in massive market like the US, you need to surround yourself with top talent and trusted advisors. You also need to listen carefully to anyone that is willing to share their story or lessons learned. Knowing what to do, or what not to do, can save precious time, effort and money.

The NZTE team have fantastic resources and programmes to support New Zealand businesses who want to grow internationally. It’s going to be awesome watching the businesses that attended as they take the next step on their export journey.

A special thank you to Air New Zealand for their support of this event too.

To find out more about programmes like #NZ8, visit NZTE or contact Terry Allen at Terry.Allen@nzte.govt.nz.

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