Waikato Business News October/November 2022
Waikato Business News has for a quarter of a century been the voice of the region’s business community, a business community with a very real commitment to innovation and an ethos of co-operation.
Waikato Business News has for a quarter of a century been the voice of the region’s business community, a business community with a very real commitment to innovation and an ethos of co-operation.
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Fieldays is entering its 54th year as the Southern Hemisphere’s largest<br />
agricultural event and it’s expected to be a terrific summer event. Like<br />
many other organisations, Fieldays was massively affected by COVID,<br />
leading to a change from its original date in June to a sunnier date at the<br />
end of <strong>November</strong>. Because of this, visitors will have the added benefits of<br />
longer daylight hours, warmer days and organisers will enjoy an increased<br />
interest from international visitors from the Northern Hemisphere. Although<br />
the date of the event has changed, the classic Fieldays atmosphere hasn’t<br />
so visitors can be excited for tan lines and good times this <strong>November</strong>.<br />
Resting on its 3 pillars of education, innovation, and globalisation, Fieldays<br />
will be packed with many things to see and do. This year, the event is<br />
celebrating forestry with the opening of a brand-new Fieldays Forestry<br />
Hub. A collaboration between Fieldays and an advisory group comprising<br />
of Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service, Forest Growers Levy<br />
Trust, Scion, NZ Forest Owners Association, Red Stag, NZ Farm Forestry<br />
Association and Future Foresters, this will be a large-scale exhibit of the<br />
entire Forestry industry, including science, careers, and the value of wood.<br />
This hub will give visitors the chance to explore the many facets of the<br />
forestry and wood processing sector and how the sector has a vital role in<br />
mitigating climate change.<br />
Fieldays will also have their Fieldays Innovation Hub and accompanying<br />
Innovation Awards. Designed to help innovators in their journey to<br />
accelerate the growth of their products, the Innovation Awards give keen<br />
innovators the opportunity to show off their innovations in the hopes of<br />
winning their chosen category. The Fieldays Opportunity Grows Here<br />
Careers Hub has been developed further to be aimed specifically at people<br />
of any age who are keen to have a career in the Primary sector. Sponsored<br />
by the Ministry of Primary Industries, visitors will be able to talk to people<br />
working in primary industries such as farming, apiculture and aquaculture<br />
and get further information from experts. The Hauora Taiwhenua Health<br />
& Wellbeing Hub is set to be three times bigger than previous years,<br />
and visitors and exhibitors will have the opportunity to get health advice,<br />
check-ups and connect with health support groups, all under one roof. The<br />
goal of this hub was to reach people that usually wouldn’t receive regular<br />
check-ups or health care.<br />
‘We believe that the most important asset on your farm is you’ NZ National<br />
Fieldays Society Chief Executive Peter Nation says.<br />
‘We know that workers in the primary industries aren’t great at looking<br />
after themselves – both physically and mentally. What we’re doing here is<br />
making healthcare accessible and easy because everything you need is<br />
under one roof. We’ve helped many people over the years through this hub<br />
and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s going on this year.’<br />
Fieldays will be running Fieldays TV again this year in tandem with their<br />
physical event. Fieldays TV proved to be such a success that organisers<br />
felt it needed to be reinstated to stay connected with people that couldn’t<br />
physically attend the event. The online digital content continues the<br />
conversations happening at the physical event, celebrating NZ food,<br />
education in the kitchen and topics that are on the minds of those in the<br />
primary sector.<br />
Chief Executive Peter Nation says ‘Unfortunately, some exhibitors won’t be<br />
in attendance due to ongoing issues from supply chain and resourcing.’<br />
‘But rest assured if you’re planning on attending Fieldays this year, it will<br />
still be the place to meet your friends and bag a good bargain. We’ll have<br />
the same event with the same atmosphere at the same venue but this time<br />
it’ll be at a different time of the year. Fieldays in summer – same, same but<br />
different!’<br />
Fieldays allows people to come together to connect and learn and<br />
organisers are preparing for a huge turnout. This year will be unique as it<br />
will be a one-off opportunity to see what a summer event will be like and<br />
Fieldays looks forward to welcoming visitors through the gates of Mystery<br />
Creek on the 30th <strong>November</strong>.<br />
SAME SAME<br />
BUT<br />
DIFFERENT<br />
BUY TICKETS<br />
fieldays.co.nz<br />
30 NOV-3DEC