No Kiwi takers for World Cup business club

DONNA WALSH/Waikato Times

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES: Tina Woods at an Opportunity Waikato workshop to discuss how local businesses could develop and support events during the World Cup.

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Nearly 1000 business leaders from around the globe have signed up to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise's Rugby World Cup 2011 Business Club, but no New Zealand businesses have registered.

Businesses are being urged to sign up to take advantage of the opportunity to meet with potential international trade and business partners and attract overseas investment into the country.

The Business Club had been launched at 42 NZTE offices around the world, with nearly 1000 international business people signing on to the programme to date, NZTE regional manger Tina Woods said.

Given that many rugby fans visiting New Zealand during the six-week World Cup tournament would be business people, there would be great opportunity to get potential trading partners together, Ms Woods said. "This is about attracting businesses from offshore and partnering them with local people."

Ms Woods was at a forum which met this week to discuss how regional agencies, including Opportunity Hamilton and Hamilton and Waikato regional tourism, could develop and support events planned to be held around the World Cup.

Opportunity Hamilton chief executive Sandra Perry said the Waikato Business Engagement forum was helping to plan a number of industry expo projects, including ones in aviation, equestrian and motorsports.

"This is about business but we have to have some fun ... it is about showcasing New Zealand and everything it has."

- © Fairfax NZ News