INterest in Knowledge Economy Key To SmartNet 99

An explosion of interest in the knowledge economy has organisers of SmartNet Workshops 99, New Zealand's largest annual forum for knowledge-based industries, predicting it will be the biggest yet with over 1000 people expected at the event in Christchurch on 1-2 December.

The event, being staged for the third year running at the Christchurch Convention Centre, involves international keynote speakers, forums featuring New Zealand business and academic leaders, interactive workshops and the associated Working Smarter Expo.

Organiser Lyall Lukey said they had attracted two very high calibre international speakers: Thomas A.Stewart, leading Fortune magazine business columnist and author of "Intellectual Capital: The New Wealth of Organizations" and Dr Nick Bontis, Stamford University knowledge management researcher and Director of the Intellectual Capital Foundation.

Mr Lukey attributes the intense interest in SmartNet to stunning growth of Internet stocks in the United States which demonstrates the potential of E-Commerce, New Zealand's growing success in high-technology industries through closer links between the academic and business sectors and Government backing of knowledge-based industries. "SmartNet is the knowledge economy in action. It connects key business people, researchers, educators and policy makers and fosters high level networking and knowledge sharing across old boundaries."

"As New Zealand's last major business event before the new century, SmartNet is a fantastic opportunity for business people to stand back and get a fresh perspective on the fast changing business environment and focus on new opportunities for the twenty-first century."

"SmartNet's original growth came from the strong Canterbury hi-tech cluster supported by the equally strong tertiary sector. , but this year we are seeing a lot amount of interest from innovative organisations in other centres for what is now a national event with an international flavour."

The theme for the event is Living e-nterprises - Creating Value from Knowledge. "Only the most adaptable and agile will survive in the rapidly changing knowledge economy by learning faster and working smarter. This is what SmartNet is all about."

For more information visit www.smartnet.co.nz

ENDS

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