LEGO and lululemon business leaders to visit New Zealand

MEDIA RELEASE: LEGO and lululemon business leaders to visit New Zealand

Better by Design CEO Summit 14-15 March 2017, Auckland

5 January, 2017

Auckland

Innovation leads from LEGO and lululemon are among top international speakers visiting the country in March to speak at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE)’s eighth Better by Design CEO Summit.

Bringing together the world’s top design minds with 400 CEOs and senior managers from New Zealand’s leading export businesses, the two-day conference will immerse delegates in both the theory and real world, practical examples of global best practice in design thinking.

With a theme of ‘Culture by Design’, the focus for 2017’s Summit turns to people and developing a culture of innovation within an organisation –and how to link that culture to what consumers actually want.

Stephanie Gasperini, Director of Better by Design, says culture doesn’t happen by chance.

“Culture – especially one that supports innovation – is shaped by a conscious design process. It affects every aspect of a business and is reflected through the behaviours, people and products of a company.

“A culture of innovation enables businesses to focus on what really matters – solving customer problems. By applying innovative solutions to these problems, businesses are in a much stronger position to gain that elusive competitive edge.

“At the same time, an organisation that encourages innovation tends to have more motivated employees with greater job satisfaction. The benefits are far-reaching.”

Gasperini cautions however that retaining culture becomes increasingly difficult with scale, and that’s a problem faced by many New Zealand companies – something the Summit will seek to address.

Over the course of the two days, attendees will not only be inspired by the impressive range of international and local speakers, they’ll also be equipped with practical tools to help build and continually evolve a culture of innovation within their own workplace.

One of the international keynote speakers confirmed for the Summit is Dr Tom Waller, Senior Vice President of Whitespace™ at lululemon athletica, who heads up a team of 30 creative innovators and R&D experts. Joining him are other global thought leaders including David Gram, Senior Innovation Director at the LEGO Group, Tom Kelley from renowned design and innovation consultancy IDEO, and Lewis Road Creamery Co-founder Peter Cullinane.

Rod Drury, Xero CEO and speaker at the 2015 Summit, describes the Summit as “one of the best few days you’ll spend onshore”.

“Spending time with the globally talented people that the Summit attracts will fire you up and expand your thinking,” comments Drury.

Tickets are limited to 400 and selling fast, so CEOs and senior executives are encouraged to register now to avoid missing out. To register, visit the Better by Design website.

The Better by Design CEO Summit 2017 is sponsored by AUT University.

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