Overseas Speakers to Feature at Forum

Thursday 15 January 2004

PRESS RELEASE

Overseas Speakers to Feature at Forum

Two leading international figures in economic development will be the keynote speakers at next month’s Economic Development Forum in Auckland.

Sergio Arzeni, Head of the Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) programme within the OECD, Paris and Greg Clark, Director of Strategy Development, London Development Agency and Chair of the Forum on Cities and Regions, OECD are internationally renowned as leaders with a ‘track record’ in economic development.

They will offer an invaluable global perspective to the conference based on their experiences and engagement in economic development over the past 20 years.

“Sergio and Greg are not simply theorists – they’re practitioners – they’ve been there and done that. While New Zealand clearly faces challenges with a population of 4 million, what about London a city with a population of 8 million?” says David Wilson, Economic Development Programme Leader, Institute of Public Policy AUT.

“Greg’s experience and the lessons we as a country can draw from this experience will be a pivotal feature of the forum and a stimulus for discussion.”

The Economic Development Forum will focus on the changing dynamics of economic development in New Zealand and will be one of the key events of the economic development calendar for 2004.

It is open to individuals and agencies involved in economic development, and provides an opportunity to exchange ideas and expertise with leading economic development specialists from within New Zealand and from the OECD.

“The forum will examine economic development in New Zealand and how we might build critical mass to compete successfully in the global marketplace. For the smaller regions it will provide ideas as well as practical ways in which their endeavours at a local level can be connected with regional initiatives and with national development,” says Mr Wilson.

It will examine what is being done as well as what improvements could be made – the emphasis will be on opportunities and constraints.

The two-day forum is being held on February 9 & 10 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Auckland and will be hosted by the Institute of Public Policy at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT), in partnership with the Economic Development Association of New Zealand (EDANZ), the Auckland area chapter of EDANZ the Auckland Regional Economic Development Association (AREDA), and the New Zealand Government.

Background

Greg Clark is a senior executive in urban regeneration and local/regional economic development in the UK with interests in practical strategies, development tools and development agencies/partnerships. He joined the London Development Agency (LDA) in 2001 as Executive Director, Strategy, Communications and Intelligence. Full CV available upon request.

Sergio Arzeni has been the Head of the OECD Programme on LEED since 1994. His work focuses mostly on entrepreneurship and innovation, on job creation and social cohesion, on local clusters of SMEs and area-based approaches to economic development. Full CV available upon request.

To register for the forum visit www.economicdevelopment.org.nz For registration enquiries email edforum@tcc.co.nz phone 09-360-1240.

Released on behalf of the Institute of Public Policy, AUT by Slice Media

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