These are interesting times for us all, and this year’s Bizzone Business Expos will provide you with the solutions for all of your current business issues. Whether you are looking to connect with new suppliers, network with other business owners, up-skill yourself on anything from smart marketing to cashflow, or get a dose of inspiration from one of our successful keynote speakers, the Bizzone Business Expo has it all under one roof.

Smart marketing, the theme of this year’s Business Expo, is a concept Bizzone Managing Director Sarah Trotman believes has yet to be fully explored and understood by many small businesses in New Zealand. It is essential that everyone learns to get ‘smart’ and market ‘smart’ given these times she says.

On the back of this she is giving away a smart marketing prize worth $100,000 to one lucky person who visits the Business Expo. The prize, one of the largest ever to be offered by a New Zealand business, will be drawn from everyone attending the Bizzone Business Expos in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch.

The Bizzone Business Expo was established as part of a business support package that comprises the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards and New Zealand’s largest circulating business magazine.

The ‘Smart Marketing’ prize will comprise marketing mentoring, expert advice, design services, Marketing Association courses, and advertising.

“The Bizzone Business Expo will provide business people with a host of smart marketing ideas and The National Bank Seminar Series, free to all expo visitors, will have a dedicated smart marketing morning. People can also get advice from some of the country’s top marketing experts.”

There will be a New Zealand Herald Smart Marketing Zone at the expo and a smart marketing school comprising smart marketing workshops each day of the expo from marketing expert Dave Wild, one at 11am and one at 2pm. Attendees can register for this by emailing office@bizzone.com

Sarah Trotman says there are six simple ways for businesses to market more smartly and there will be experts discussing all of these issues at the Bizzone Business Expo which in Auckland is sponsored by the New Zealand Herald, The Marketing Association, The Press, OGGI, Newstalk ZB and Auckland City Council:

• Focus on your business plan to drive your business forward
• Believe in your offering
• Invest in your marketing strategy
• Invest in experts to challenge your thinking
• Develop the culture of your business
• Execute your smart marketing plan with an anything-is-possible and excellence-only attitude!

The Bizzone Business Expo is held annually in New Zealand in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and 13,500 business people attend the event each year.

The Bizzone Business Expo is on:

Auckland 27-29 May

Wellington 22-24 July

Christchurch 5-7 August.

Free for you at the Bizzone Business Expo;

• The National Bank Seminar Series, with over 40 expert speakers is the ideal place to learn from experts on topics ranging from cashflow to email marketing, from sustainability to business planning. Click here to register for a seminar and get free entry into the Business Expo.
• The New Zealand Herald Smart Marketing Zone where you can speak face to face with marketing experts, learn about new marketing opportunities such as texting and online, and find out about courses to help you and your staff GET SMART.  
• Meridian Energy Sustainability Zone is the place to go to find out what you can do to ensure your business’ long-term survival, sustainability is not just a green issue, it is an opportunity to improve your efficiency and cut costs and the experts in this zone will explain how.
• Statistics NZ Business Information Zone will offer you valuable information to help with business planning and growth plans.
• MED Business.govt=Online Services Zone will demonstrate the fantastic free support from the new online portal www.business.govt.nz
• Unlimited Business Mentoring is an opportunity to work ‘on’ your business with experienced business mentors.
• Smart Marketing School, hosted by Dave Wild, will offer you interactive workshops to simplify and clarify your marketing approach. Workshops will be held on all three days of the expo at 11am and 2pm. To book in please email office@bizzone.com
• And of course over 300 providers of products and services to help drive your business forward.