E-Commerce Summit Full House – Overwhelming Response

Minister for Information Technology Paul Swain says the government's E-commerce Summit to be held in Auckland next week is fully booked.

"Tickets have been in hot demand and registrations had to close earlier this week," he said.

"The summit will see over 500 businesses from all around the country and right across different business sectors getting together on November 1 and 2 to find out how they can use new technology, particularly the Internet, to improve their business.

"Around 40% of those businesses coming are from the small to medium sized sector. This is important given that this sector is the backbone of the Kiwi economy.

"E-commerce is about integrating new information and communication technologies into business. One of the summit's aims is to show people how to get into this new way of doing business and how to make it work for them.

"For those businesses who've already made inroads into e-commerce it will help them find out what to do next.

"One of the other aims is for the government to release its e-commerce strategy and to get feedback from businesses there on the strategy. Senior government ministers will be in attendance, Prime Minister Helen Clark will be speaking on Thursday morning.

"Summit attendees will hear from local success stories and international experts on the subject. And there will be 'how-to' practical workshops and a session on the Government's e-commerce plans and strategies.

"For those who can't be there plenary sessions and keynote speeches will be video streamed off the summit website - www.ecommerce-summit.govt.nz - and they will be archived there for downloading later.

"This summit follows hot on the heels of the government's business forum in Auckland. It is another example of the government sitting down with business and planning new ways for Kiwis to prosper. We all want more jobs, better incomes and a stronger economy – this Summit is one of the steps toward that," Paul Swain said.

For other releases by Paul Swain go to:
http://www.executive.govt.nz/minister/swain/index.html

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