Tekapo goes Trippo!

Last Friday I attended the grand opening of 'The Trippo' at Tekapo Springs, on the shores of beautiful lake Tekapo.

The Trippo is one of the largest inflatable slides in the world, 11 metres high, 53 metres long and with three chutes for full on fun! It is perfectly positioned on the Tekapo Springs ice skating rink to ensure full utilisation of the rink space, year round.


It is a great new attraction and guaranteed to be a big hit with the kids. It adds to a the other superb offerings Karl Burtscher and his team have created at The Springs.


Next time you are heading to, or through, Tekapo make time to visit The Trippo. You will not be disappointed.

petert@cecc.org.nz

www.cecc.org.nz

Newcomers to our city are going to provide essential capacity to accelerate the rebuild

As we build momentum in the reconstruction of Christchurch, newcomers to our city are going to provide essential capacity to accelerate the rebuild.

It is worth noting that:

• Migration to Canterbury is higher than ever before, with over 7000 temporary work visas approved for work in Canterbury in 2012/2013.
• The Canterbury Skills and Employment Hub was set up to ensure that local labour is utilised before employers recruit from offshore. Businesses must show that there are no semi-skilled local workers available for a vacancy before hiring staff from another country.
• For employers seeking skilled staff (such as construction project managers, surveyors and roading project managers) DO NOT need to demonstrate that local labour is unavailable and can recruit directly from offshore.
• Canterbury employers who employ skilled newcomers are providing a wider range of support for their settlement into life in Christchurch, such as assistance with housing, transportation, work clothing and tools, and information about schools, recreational activities and other local services.
• While the housing market is stretched, it is nonetheless able to accommodate, at this stage, the variety of housing options required - such as family housing, workers' accommodation and short-term housing.
• We as Cantabrians need to be welcoming to the newcomers who are serving an important role in providing the labour required for the rebuild, now and over the next five to ten years.
• Rebuild-relatet migration will change the demographics of Christchurch forever. Currently 80% of Cantabrians were born in NZ (compared to 59% in Auckland and 71% in Wellington) but we are now seeing a dramatic shift to a more multi-cultural city.
• Our Settlement Support Christchurch programmed is an Immigration New Zealand service delivered by CECC. It provides free information, support and advice to employers of migrants and their new migrant staff. Make sure you contact Lana Hart - lanah@cecc.org.nz - if you employ, or are intending to employ migrant staff.

Please make contact if you require clarification around  any of these issues.

petert@cecc.org.nz

www.cecc.org.nz

Whakatane proclaims itself as the sunshine capital of New Zealand....

This week I am attending the National Conference of the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Whakatane. Whakatane proclaims itself as the sunshine capital of New Zealand and the weather we are experiencing justifies that claim. Just a shame that we are stuck indoors, conferencing all day. The national network of 32 Chambers are all represented at Whakatane. We are considering a wide range of topics including the structure and function of Local Government, general issues around governance, leadership, media profiling, membership, information support systems and just generally greeting to know each other better.

It is always reassuring to test where we are at compared to other Chambers across the country. CECC is in good heart and in a good place and we can stand and  be counted with all like organisations across the country.

An extract from the National Chamber of Commerce conference. Whakatane October 22

Some points from  an address on leadership by Shelly Campbell CEO Sir Peter Blake Trust

Leadership is about:

• What you do, with what you know
• Being prepared to do whatever it takes
• Being brave and honestly expressing your concerns, but choosing the things you wnat to be brave about
• Being very clear, very honest and prepared to learn
• Believing in your people and providing feedback that builds confidence and builds competence
• Good neutral hard conversations
• Focussing on leadership that the organisation requires at the time.

In the context of leadership it is important to:

• Know what value you add and what you are good at
• Focus on culture and belief that is doable
• Not making assumptions about who the leaders are
• Focus less on structure and more on people and the direction of travel
• Stay current and relevant
• Be curious and explore possibilities
• Sometimes it is better to be effective over efficient
• Look at the bigger picture
• Understand that the best predictors of success are agility, resilience and perserverance

 All good food for thought!

The Duncan Cotterill Business Lunch
For the latest news on the economy and the trends and forecasts that may impact on your business, The Duncan Cotterill Business Lunch next Thursday 31 October is a good bet. The Right Hon. Bill English is guest speaker and I will be MC of this annual event, now in it's 6th year. Perfect for client hosting and great for networking, visit www.familyhelptrust.org.nz for more information - tables of ten are only $850.

petert@cecc.org.nz

www.cecc.org.nz 

Connect with Jenene Crossan - @nzgirlHQ & @flossiedotcom

Our ever popular Connect event will be held on Thursday 24 October. Connect is a free event providing an opportunity for those members in the first 15 years of their career to share similar challenges, experiences, make new business contacts and hear from an innovative, dynamic and inspiring speaker.
 

At Octobers Connect event we are joined by Director/Founder of @nzgirlHQ & @flossiedotcom Jenene Crossan. Jenene’s first foray into business came at 16 as a high-school dropout, which drove the launch of her first digital business www.nzgirl.co.nz from her spare bedroom on a second-hand computer. Almost 20 years on Jenene’s drive, determination & passion have seen her launching her 5^th digital business, a finalist for both New Zealand Marketer of the Year and the international Veuve Clicquot Award. Click here to find out more or if you wish to attend this event, register here.

petert@cecc.org.nz

www.cecc.org.nz

Ian Taylor to speak at CECC AGM

On  Wednesday 16 October the Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce will hold its Annual General Meeting at 4.00 pm at the newly reopened Novotel in Cathedral Square

The AGM provides an excellent opportunity to mix and mingle with the Board, staff and fellow members of the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce. Guest Speaker Ian Taylor CEO  Animation Research Ltd, hot on the heels of a high profile involvement in The Americas Cup, including serious interaction with the leading lights of Silicon Valley, will present his ideas for the high tech future of Christchurch. He will share the presentation he made to several Silicon Valley companies on Christchurch being uniquely positioned to be a world class showcase of visualisation tools. These tools have the potential to revolutionise the way we see the future of Christchurch. We encourage you to come along and see  what Ian envisages for our city.

Click here to find a copy of our Annual Report which demonstrates just how busy we have been over the past year.

All of our members are cordially invited to attend the AGM. It will be a lively affair with  time committed to the formalities kept to a minimum and Ian Taylor’s address sure to entertain and inform.

I look for a to seeing you there.

If you wish to attend  please RSVP to registrations@cecc.org.nz.

petert@cecc.org.nz

www.cecc.org.nz