New forum to stimulate growth
A new business forum has been organised by the Whakatāne District Council as part of the ongoing effort to encourage economic development in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.
The inaugural ‘Grow Whakatāne’ will be held in the Opus Gallery at Te Kōputu (The Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre) from 4.00 till 6.00pm on 9 August and will bring together an estimated 100 businesspeople from around the region.
“The aim is to inspire creativity, encourage collaboration and stimulate growth,” says Julian Reweti, General Manager Community and Economic Development. “This signals a renewed commitment by the Council to be actively involved in economic development and growth opportunities and to work with the community to realise business growth aspirations.”
He says invitees have been drawn from the retail, commercial, industrial, tourism, forestry, farming and horticultural sectors. “Unfortunately, participation numbers are limited, but we will certainly endeavour to include anyone who misses out this time in future events.”
Keynote addresses will be provided by local and regional leaders who have business success stories to share. These will include Jacob Kajavala (Kajavala Forestry Limited); Peter Tait (White Island Tours); Simon Woolley (Antipodes Water); and Yvonne Blanch (3P Learning).
“It’s about sharing knowledge, creating connections and building a sense of positivity and confidence so that our businesses can take advantage of the opportunities which major initiatives like Opotiki’s aquaculture development and the Industrial Symbiosis project in Kawerau will present,” Mr Reweti explains. “Economic growth is crucial for the Whakatāne District because it means more jobs and greater prosperity for the whole community. Business growth, tourism growth and people growth will all contribute to that goal and we believe the forum will help to identify opportunities which our local businesses can pursue.”
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