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E-commerce summit attracts huge interest

Published: Wed 16 Aug 2000 11:26 AM
16 August, 2000 Media Statement
E-commerce summit attracts huge interest
The Minister for Information Technology Paul Swain has unveiled the programme outline for the government's e-commerce summit in November.
"This is the first time a New Zealand government has staged such an event and interest in it from business has been phenomenal," Paul Swain said.
"The format will be a two-day summit at Auckland’s Aotea Centre on 1 & 2 November, it will be chaired by Sir Gil Simpson of Aoraki Corporation.
"We have lined up some fantastic speakers including keynote addresses from some of the world’s leading authorities on the successful use of e-commerce. (List attached)
"The highlight of the event for the government will be the release of our e-commerce strategy - our blueprint for how New Zealand can move forward in e-commerce.
"We will be seeking feedback on that plan from businesses at the summit.
"In addition, the 2-day event will include a range of practical and focused workshops, designed to give New Zealand businesses a clear ‘how to’ guide on embracing the opportunities offered by e-commerce.
"We will also have presentations by businesses on why they have adopted e-commerce. This will give summit attendees the chance to hear first-hand from businesses who got involved in e-commerce early on,” Paul Swain said.
"As I said, interest in the event has been huge and we have been fortunate enough to attract six key partners who will help us create this dynamic event.
"These major sponsors are committed to encouraging all New Zealand businesses to strengthen their use of e-Commerce. The major sponsors are Cisco Systems NZ Ltd, Telstra Saturn, IBM New Zealand, Baycorp Holdings, Oracle New Zealand and SolNet.
“We also have several other sponsors who are helping with the event – these include the University of Waikato Management School, Tradenz, Advantage Group Limited and Wilson & Horton's online arm W Interactive.
"E-commerce is vital for New Zealand’s economic future. It’s no longer a question of if e-commerce will be the way we do business, but when. The goal of this summit is to raise the profile of the importance of e-commerce and to encourage New Zealand businesses to adapt successfully to the new environment," Paul Swain said.
The e-commerce summit will be open to up to 500 delegates from businesses of all types and sizes throughout New Zealand.
Contact: kerry.lamont@parliament.govt.nz
Keynote Speakers
John Sifonis
John Sifonis is co-author of Net Ready, described by reviewers as a unique toolkit packed with proven strategies for how companies of any size can survive and thrive in the e-conomy. He is a Director in the Internet Business Solutions Group of Cisco, one of the most powerful forces on the Internet, and has 35 years of industry and management consulting experience.
John Sifonis will share the strategies Cisco has used to succeed in the new global economy. He is known for delivering a very accessible blend of his extensive Internet knowledge together with real life implementation experience. His address will be a practical guide to exploiting the new rules of the e-conomy for your maximum benefit.
Don Tapscott
Don Tapscott is described by US Vice President Al Gore as ‘one of the world’s leading cyber-gurus’. He is an internationally sought after consultant, speaker and authority on information technology in business and the author of seven widely read books on the subject. These include The Digital Economy, Paradigm Shift: The New Promise of Information Technology and, most recently, Digital Capital. The latter has been described as ‘arguably the single best guide to corporate survival in the new economy’. Don Tapscott is also widely respected as a commentator on e-Commerce, e-Government and society.
Jim Sterne
Jim Sterne has devoted the last 7 years to the Internet as a marketing medium. He launched the world’s first ‘Marketing on the Internet’ seminar series and followed this with 4 successful books on using the Internet for advertising, marketing, sales and customer service. Jim Sterne acts as a consultant for some of the world’s largest companies and innovative start-ups and has spoken at conferences around the world. Before specialising in Internet marketing, he spent more than 15 years selling technical products and acting as a professional ‘explainer’.
Russell Paine
Russell Paine is known for championing the development of Australian businesses. His expertise lies in business growth and development, skills he has used for more than 20 years to ensure the success of some of Australia’s biggest companies including Tooheys Brewery, Colgate Palmolive and Arnott’s Snack Foods. He is now Managing Director of Tradehub, which is affiliated with 27,000 member businesses across Australia. In that role he has focused on positioning Tradehub as a preferred e-Commerce solutions provider to small and medium businesses. Russell Paine is a highly respected public speaker who also has many years sales and marketing experience.

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