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 European Union Stand at Fine Food NZ, June 2010
Taste of Europe presentation has successfully advanced EU agenda in New Zealand
The European Union Delegation to New Zealand in cooperation with the New Zealand Europe Business Council [NZEBC] has showed us an extraordinary example of how to effectively support EU exporters. EU participation at the Fine Food New Zealand 2010 exhibition held in Auckland, from 13 to 15 June, deserves full praise and acknowledgement.
The Taste of Europe presentation was remarkable for its original concept that has successfully advanced EU trade agenda in New Zealand. The EU delegation and NZEBC have created such user friendly conditions for EU companies interested in doing business in New Zealand that participating EU member countries achieved great results with minimal risks and costs.
I would like to mention two specific outcomes that I see as especially remarkable - effective support to small and medium size EU companies in opening new overseas markets and promotion of EU access for raw milk cheeses to the New Zealand market.
First of all, the project of Taste of Europe stand at Fine Food NZ 2010 has offered to EU companies a very easy, simple, safe and inexpensive way to present them in New Zealand. Companies had several options to participate with various levels of costs. For example EU companies interested in participation at Taste of Europe presentation could rent a five level Shelf Unit for approximately 300 Euros. This shelf unit was fully sufficient to display one company range of products for New Zealand. This option has provided great opportunities especially for the European small and medium companies with completely minimized costs and risks and with excellent chances to find high quality overseas importers, agents and distributors for their products.
Two Slovakian companies, Rona a.s., with their new glassware assortment for hotels and restaurants and company Karloff s.r.o., with their innovative natural liqueur Tatratea have utilized this valuable trade opportunity in full. With the support of the Commercial Counsellor of Slovakia who came to Auckland from Canberra to present Slovakian companies during the Fine Food Show and Mr. Peter Kiely, The Honorary Consul of Slovakia, Slovakian companies had established top class contacts with local importers, agents and distributors in New Zealand just for the cost of 300 euros plus transportation expenses for delivery of their samples and catalogues to Auckland.
Because of the Slovakia -New Zealand World Cup football match happening during the Fine Food New Zealand exhibition, Slovakian exhibits at EU pavilion attracted the attention of New Zealand media. On June 15, New Zealand television filmed the Slovakian participants and also filmed also the whole Taste of Europe pavilion giving wide exposure to new EU products including the promoted European raw milk cheeses presented for the first time in New Zealand.
The EU Delegation, the New Zealand Europe Business Council and all other stakeholders of EU participation at Fine Food New Zealand fully deserve praise for their strategic thinking, extraordinary creativity and team work that offered new opportunities for EU companies. If this initiative of EU Delegation and New Zealand Europe Business Council is replicated in other overseas markets, it would considerably boost European exports, especially sales from the European small and medium sized companies.
Dušan Horniak, Counsellor, Embassy of the Slovak Republic, Canberra, June 16, 2010
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