Pacific Path To Market Fiji Workshops Draw Record Response

More than 60 participants representing export and export-ready companies attended the Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) NZ Pacific Path to Market workshops in Fiji last week.
The in-country workshops are the first of six stages of the Pacific Path to Market programme. The next five stages are: Building a strong strategic link to local economic development partner; The potential to be invited to be part of a trade mission to New Zealand; Identifying capability gaps and learnings from the mission; Introduction to New Zealand buyers and Follow up and quantification of deals.
In the case of Fiji, the in-country partner for the workshops was the Fiji Export Council. Twenty-nine people participated in the first workshop in Nadi and 34 attended the one in Suva the next day. These numbers did not include PTI and Fiji Export Council staff.
PTI NZ Trade Development Manager Ian Furlong who conducted the Trade workshop said, “We received very positive feedback from participants with one saying ‘the workshop was very encouraging, empowering and very productive’ and all participants indicated that they would recommend this programme to others.”
Manuel Valdez, PTI NZ Head of Investments covered topics related to costing strategies and profitability. Speaking of investments he said, “A number of these participants would like to advertise their investment projects in the PacificHub in order to look for potential investors for possible joint venture business and at the same time promote their export products internationally.”
PTI NZ Trade Commissioner Michael Greenslade said several important meetings were also held on the margins of the workshops including formal discussions with the Fiji Export Council and meetings with the Carpenters Group and other key companies. “We also met with alumni of PTI Pacific Path to Market programmes from previous years,” Mr Greenslade added.
The training schedule in Fiji coincided with the Fiji New Zealand Business Council-led weeklong trade mission in Fiji and the PTI team also met with the delegates of the business mission and attended some of their functions, Mr Greenslade said.
The Pacific Path to Market workshop in Suva was held at the new Fiji Employers Association premises on Gorrie Street. “We were highly impressed by the venue and the quality of facilities that are available there,” Mr Greenslade said.
The next Path to Market workshops will be run in the Solomon Islands (Honiara and Gizo) and in Vanuatu (Port Vila) during the week starting July 17.
For more information email Ian Furlong, PTI NZ Trade Development Manager at ian.f@pacifictradeinvest.co.nz.
(Source: Pacific Periscope 23 May 2017)