The Convenience & Impulse Retailing New Zealand Expo and Symposium returned to The Cloud in Auckland on 19-20 October, for two days of education, networking, and business building.
The C&I NZ Expo returned with an excellent line-up of speakers at the Symposium, sharing insights from across Australia and New Zealand. The two-day event also included a vast array of new product launches to discover and excellent networking opportunities.
As you walked around this unique trade-only expo, attendees were able to discover new products and new companies to connect with, along with some exclusive deals.
Across the two days, attendees were able to see, hear, touch, taste and try the latest that the industry has to offer.
The success of the C&I NZ Expo proves that there is nothing quite like dealing face to face with people in your industry, developing relationships and catching up with colleagues again. Rubbing shoulders, sharing a coffee, and tossing around a few ideas with other retailers and suppliers can be a tonic for both you and for your business.
The inaugural C&I NZ Expo in 2019 brought together hundreds of retailers and suppliers from all banners and brands, and after a few setbacks due to the pandemic, the 2022 event exceeded all expectations, proving there is a hunger for a dedicated trade event for the New Zealand market.
A new addition to the C&I NZ Expo this year was the Great Retailer Pallet Giveaway where one lucky attendee walked away with a pallet of stock valued at more than $20,000.
The pallet giveaway was supported by more than 34 suppliers and included a wide range of products from beverages to snack foods, packaging, ice cream and more, which was a welcome addition to the shelves of the lucky winners in the lead up to the busy Christmas trading season.
Safa de Valois, Group Publisher and Commercial Director of C&I Media, said that the Great Retailer Pallet Giveaway had created a huge level of excitement and that he hopes it will become a permanent addition to the show.
Diane Holmes of Lakeside On The Spot in Te Anau on the South Island was the lucky winner, and although she wasn’t there for the draw, the C&I team was able to give her a call to let her know, and she was absolutely thrilled.
“It’s just so exciting. We’re from a small tourist town on the South Island and Covid just ruined us,” Holmes told C&I. “Trying to find money for stock has been such a challenge as all our money has gone into keeping staff, so we are just so thrilled.
“We really are over the moon. This stock is going to be such a great help to us coming into Christmas. We’ll have to have a big staff party to celebrate because our staff has been so wonderful and stuck with us through the last few years.”
C&I’s de Valois was delighted to give Holmes the news, and her reaction brought a tear to the eye of the whole C&I team, who were delighted for the prize to go to such a wonderful person and deserving business.
“We’d like to thank all of the sponsors who have supported the C&I NZ Expo and donated to the Great Retailer Pallet Giveaway, valued at more than $20,000,” said de Valois.
“We have had such a great response to this giveaway from attending retailers and can’t wait to do it again at the next C&I Expo.
“A big congratulations to Diane Holmes of Lakeside On The Spot Te Anau who was the winner of the $20,000 worth of stock.”
Another major giveaway at the C&I NZ Expo was from Pump TV, which gave one lucky attendee a prize of $20,000 worth of digital hardware for their petrol station forecourt.
Lewis Preston from NPD Retail was the lucky winner who walked away with the Pump TV prize.
Vern Brickman, Principle of Pump TV, congratulated Preston and provided some wonderful feedback about the C&I NZ Expo.
“On behalf of Pump TV, we’d like to congratulate Lewis for being drawn for this exciting digital prize and we offer all back end support to ensure that his journey into the digital age will be a smooth one,” said Brickman.
“This has been the most successful expo that we’ve been involved in for the last 10 years all over the world. We have found that the New Zealand business associations are very savvy and have adopted the digital footprint from a nice to have to a need to have. We expect to see huge growth here in New Zealand and we look forward to a new chapter with New Zealand being one of our most exciting markets.”
