Boosting Innovative New Zealand: Connecting New Zealand Across the World Map

By Kaylie Smith, Director, Small & Medium Business, Australia & New Zealand

Think of a classic Kiwi summer and chances are it involves cricket, whether it’s on the beach or on TV. But for Laver & Wood, now a leading manufacturer of custom-made cricket bats, building a business meant going global. From Napier, James Laver and his team have created a worldwide audience, using Facebook to find and engage potential customers, exciting them about the beauty of a hand crafted Laver & Wood bat.

While fans love cricket for its traditions, manufacturing and marketing custom-made bats to the world requires innovation.  This is just one great example of how connected Kiwis, anywhere in the country, can lead the world with ideas and innovation that is good for the world.

This is the innovative boost that technology can drive for New Zealand. Using technology and digital platforms (including Facebook) New Zealand businesses can connect with the world. Some of the businesses leveraging the power of social platforms to grow their business are Tourism New Zealand and local operators like Paihia's The Rock Adventure Cruise, or antioxidant skincare and supplement company Mitoq, now exporting to over 100 countries.

This is why all of us at Facebook are proud to be a Partner of Techweek NZ supporting the team at Access Granted to bring you Techweek TV powered by Facebook Live across the headline locations around the country. We want to bring you the stories of how technology can fuel New Zealand's innovation and future growth, live across the platform that 3.2 million New Zealanders engage with regularly each month. Tune into https://www.facebook.com/TechweekNZ/ each day of Techweek from 12pm - 2pm to experience the Techweek'18 inspiring speakers and innovators from across NZ including including Robotics Plus, Laver and Wood and Facebook's long-standing safety partner NetSafe.

But Facebook's support of Techweek doesn't stop there.

We regularly hear from small businesses that they find it easy to set up and update a Facebook Page — it's free after all. Many small businesses around New Zealand are having tremendous success in connecting with customers — both across the North and South Island and around the world. But we also hear that some business owners want more advice on how the best way to use Facebook's many tools to get the best return on their time and investment.  This is why — in honour of Techweek — we are proud to launch the Boost Your Town initiative in partnership with AboutUs.co.nz in Kaitaia. This new program is all about building thriving and connected regional communities throughout New Zealand. Thanks to AboutUs.co.nz, businesses in 13 regional towns around New Zealand will be provided with the latest training and advice for building new connections and reaching new customers....all for free.

At Facebook, we are working to build community and bring the world closer together — including on world maps.  Through Techweek TV and #BoostYourTown, we are excited to be sharing inspiring stories of how Kiwi's with a great idea and the power of technology can share their their vision around the country, across the ditch and throughout the rest of the world.

Watch Techweek TV daily from 12pm - 2pm.

Register for a Boost Your Town event today. 

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Published in 2012, our friendships map shows how our friendships span the world. #WeDidntForgetYouNZ #GetNZontheMap

Guest Post by Kaylie Smith

  • Good for the World
  • Partner Blog
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