NZ Innovation Festival Events - 28 June - 4 July

MEDIA ADVISORY:
NEW ZEALAND INNOVATION FESTIVAL 2004

Auckland, 28 June 2004 - The two-week long New Zealand Innovation Festival 2004 ( http://www.nzinnovation.org/) begins today.

The key New Zealand Innovation Festival events happening this week include the F&P Healthcare Innovation Exhibition at Auckland Museum (July 28 - July 11). This exhibition will showcase Fisher and Paykel's innovation process from inventing the dehumidifier in 1971 to groundbreaking technology leading the way in global markets including incubators and other breathing related apparatus.

The Triple Bill event in Hamilton (30 June at Novatel Tainui) is not to be missed. Called "What do plastic bags, no.8 wire and shipwrecks have in common'" Triple Bill is the story of three Kiwi Success stories driven off innovation. The three Bills - Foreman, Gallagher and Day have worked in different times and in very different fields, these three extraordinary businessmen beat the odds and overcame the obstacles to build multinational, multimillion dollar businesses.

On 29 June the Asia-Pacific Conference on Computer-Human Interaction 2004 happens at the Novotel in Rotorua, hosted by the Computer Science Department of Waikato University.

Also in the Waikato is the Innovation Park Open Day on Saturday 3 July called "Taking a Walk in the Park'.

Creative entrepreneur's event with Abes' Real bagels and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce is also a key event in Auckland this week (1 July). It tells the story of how Abes' bagels went from a simple idea to a national brand.

Across the country other key events of special mention is the Absolutely Creative Wellington Awards on 30 June (Wellington City Council).

On Thursday 30 June, New Zealand's Polytechnics hold an innovation cocktail function and exhibition in the Grand Hall of Parliament hosted by Hon. Steve Maharey, Minister of Tertiary Education.

The Manawatu Science Festival begins on Saturday 3 July for what is a week long celebration of science and technology at Te Manawa museum in Palmerston North. There are lots of activities for the kids during the holidays.

On Sunday 3 July is the 2004 Qantas SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) New Zealand National Competition at the KPMG centre in the Viaduct Auckland. New Zealand SIFE students competed in the World Competition in Germany in 2003 achieving a no.3 ranking which is outstanding.

In the South Island, Ultralab of Christchurch will put on two free events (Kids delighting in 3D reality, and Fun learning with video, using technology to make Year 11 science exciting) on 2 July

To see what other events are being held in your region go to the NZ innovation website. ( http://www.nzinnovation.org/) begins today.

About the Festival:

The New Zealand Innovation Festival 2004 (www.nzinnovation.org ) is a tangible, unique way to celebrate the extent to which innovation is utilized by businesses and organisations to achieve success and competitiveness across a range of industries and sectors.

The inaugural Festival 2004 sees more than 70 events happening at centres and regions throughout the country which collectively showcase the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that characterises the special New Zealand approach to providing innovative leading edge solutions regardless of whether it is in healthcare, forestry, science, applied research or the film industry.

The 70 Festival events and participants all represent the three stages in the process of innovation: invention, translation and commercialization. These three core aspects typify the pathbreaking nature of New Zealand innovation which is also characterized by originality, collaboration and a pioneering spirit. The Festival captures this spirit, and as an annual event will become a platform for taking the New Zealand innovation story to the world.

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