We’ve got a spare seat in the Hummer limo tonight. If you want to come and party with us, rolling like gangstas in the Hummer, please comment on this post and tell us why you love Fruitbowl.

We will select the person who writes the best comment. You’ll need to be at the Mogul office by 5pm today. Then the limo will take us to a hotel where we have a $200 bar tab courtesy of the Rock radio station. (Please note: you’ll need to make your own way home from Napier).

So let’s see some comments!

I own two businesses that specialise in Audio and Visual products/technologies. One being a nationwide distribution company the other a retail operation (both based in Napier). We are looking for a business mentor that can help us take both companies through the next stage of growth.
Can any company / anyone on Fruitbowl recommend someone that they have had a GREAT experience with? or maybe there are business people here on Fruitbowl that can / or do offer this service.

For a great coffee, chat (and exciting challenge) I can be contacted on 8336925 or email jason @ krome .co .nz

Thank you,
Jason Lake

Because the helicopter reached Burton within a four-hour time frame, he was able to be given a drug which dissolved the clot before the worst damage from the stroke had compromised him.

Burton was the subject of a video produced by local production house Indelible that was shown at the Mid-Winter Sparkle Charity Fundraiser.  Burton’s story helped the Trust raise over $80,000 at the event.

We share the video here in hopes that those who did not attend the event might still be inspired to donate to the trust.

Stuff Article

TVNZ Article

Earlier Fruitbowl Article

You might remember back in April, Louie’s logo design was chosen to embellish the sharp end of The Rock’s project car, the Folden. When I put our name in the draw for the Speedy Signs Hell Hump Day Shout yesterday the thought that we were responsible for the Folden badge and that we’d never received any recognition was definitely in the back of my mind.  Imagine my surprise this morning when I got a phonecall from Hayden at The Rock and he told me they weren’t bringing us Pizza tonight but instead we’d won the Friday Workplace Shout!!

So after work on Friday night, the team is being collected from the office by the Hummer Limo and driven to the Bluewater Hotel where they’re putting $200 on the bar for us!  Karma (or is that Carma?) is awesome.  Thanks a million to The Rock and Motordrome Tyre & Auto Services (the prize sponsors) for getting our weekend off to a brilliant start!

“The mentality doesn’t work,” says the arts marketing expert.  “Artists create for myriad reasons – it’s not just about money or the profit motive.  A lot of marketing stuff doesn’t gel, and you need to understand that to market it.”

Suzette is fascinated by connections and applications of business philosophy to creative endeavour without compromising artistic integrity.  Most of her career has been based on that field.”

Now she is keen to apply her 15 years of academic and business experience to assisting EIT graduates find their place in New Zealand’s flourishing creative industries.

Suzette sees this as a team goal and, with that in mind, she wants to harness the “phenomenal talent” of staff at EIT’s School of Arts & Design.

Part of her role, as she sees it, is to make the connections between EIT’s Arts & Design School and the arts and design industry.   She also wants to see the school establish a strong sense of its own identity.

And all of this, says Suzette, is a real adventure.  “It’s a challenging position that combines my strengths and my passion for arts and design.”

“The mentality doesn’t work,” says the arts marketing expert.  “Artists create for myriad reasons – it’s not just about money or the profit motive.  A lot of marketing stuff doesn’t gel, and you need to understand that to market it.”

Suzette is fascinated by connections and applications of business philosophy to creative endeavour without compromising artistic integrity.  Most of her career has been based on that field.”

Now she is keen to apply her 15 years of academic and business experience to assisting EIT graduates find their place in New Zealand’s flourishing creative industries.

Suzette sees this as a team goal and, with that in mind, she wants to harness the “phenomenal talent” of staff at EIT’s School of Arts & Design.

Part of her role, as she sees it, is to make the connections between EIT’s Arts & Design School and the arts and design industry.   She also wants to see the school establish a strong sense of its own identity.

And all of this, says Suzette, is a real adventure.  “It’s a challenging position that combines my strengths and my passion for arts and design.”

Also the cheap flights are much less business friendly than they used to be.  So even a 30% discount to a massive fare doesn’t do it for me. It’s still a punitive fare.

I’m the target market for this  product and I’m not keen at all.  It seems that Air New Zealand is getting the best of both worlds.  Cash up front, but a price they can set at anytime in the future. Doesn’t seem like a win win to me.

AirNZ is protesting strongly about Auckland Airport buying Queenstown Airport because Airport companies crank up all prices and making flying more expensive.  Well this is the next step in the chain.  Expensive flights slow economic development and increase the friction of doing business out of region.

The number one thing for getting people out of region to relocate here is price certainty of flights.

Starfish does’t deliver that.  Anyhoo, here is the full release.  What do you think?

Massive 30% discount for frequent regional flyers

Air New Zealand has further boosted its commitment to regional New Zealand, by offering the opportunity for frequent flyers to slash the cost of their travel.

The airline’s new Starfish Card will see customers receive an automatic 15% or 30% discount on all regional airfare types, including the ridiculously low grabaseat fares.

The new Starfish card, which is valid for one year from date of purchase, will initially be on sale for a two month trial period.

“Our frequent regional flyers have told us they’d like the option of getting even more value for money in recognition of their travel needs,” says Air New Zealand Group General Manager Australasia Bruce Parton.

“I’ve visited customers in twenty towns and cities over the past couple of months listening to this feedback and as a result at the end of next month we will launch the new Starfish card giving big discounts.”

This is one of several regional customer initiatives that the airline will be rolling out over the coming year.

“The Starfish card will appeal to the tens of thousands of customers who travel frequently to and from regional New Zealand. Small to medium businesses will find this card particularly attractive as they start to recover from the effects of the global recession,” says Mr Parton.

“We expect to see stimulation in demand as customers maximise the opportunity to travel at lower costs than ever before.”

Frequent flyers can purchase from two discount options, costing $200 for a 15% discount or $800 for a 30% discount, which applies across all regional airfares including grabaseat, Smart Saver and Flexi Plus fares.

The product will be available for purchase exclusively online through www.myairnz.co.nz from the end of August, with all flight bookings made by logging onto your account via www.airnewzealand.co.nz or www.myairnz.co.nz automatically receiving the discount for one year.

The Starfish card applies to Air New Zealand regional flights, which are defined as originating from or departing to the regional airports:

Blenheim
Gisborne
Hamilton
Hokitika
Invercargill
Kaitaia
Kerikeri
Masterton
Napier
Nelson
New Plymouth

Palmerston North
Rotorua
Taupo
Tauranga
Timaru

Wanaka
Wanganui
Whakatane
Whangarei
Westport

Services between the main city ports of Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, Christchurch and Queenstown are not included.

“The 15% discount card will provide value for money for those regional customers who currently spend more than $1,400 per year with us, or for those who spend more than $4,000 per year the 30% discount card will be ideal,” says Mr Parton.

Anyone can purchase the card and non-Airpoints members will automatically be provided with an Airpoints membership with the joining fee waived.

Customers will continue to earn Airpoints and Status Points in the same way they do today, based on the fare purchased, and Airpoints can be used to purchase flights.

Ironically I’m writing this from the Koru Lounge in Wellington on the way to Oz and was greeted personally by the fantastic Caroline with an upgrade as they have a full flight. I love Air New Zealand!

The grant is a combination of paid work in the territorial forces and study at EIT.

The grant, sponsored by Geon Print and Communication Solutions and The Services Charitable Trust, is being offered to Hawke’s Bay high school and EIT students who train in the volunteer force and study at EIT. Neville Smith, Geon’s General Manager – Central North Island and Lieutenant Commander of the Royal New Zealand Navy Volunteer Reserve, says “this is an opportunity for students to kick-start their military service while staying in Hawke’s Bay and getting an education.”

Successful applicants will do 52 days recruit training in Waiouru and then pick up studies at EIT. They will also be required to put in 20 days a year working some weekends with the reserves. Territorial Force personnel receive a daily rate of pay for any training attended.

The $2000 grant is to be paid in four staged allocations.

Applicants must be aged 17 years or over and meet entry criteria for the reserves and for their selected programme of study at EIT. Women and men are eligible and must live in the Hawke’s Bay region – from Wairoa to Dannevirke.

Applications close on 10 September and the successful grant winners will be announced on November 1.

The grant winners will be assigned to the 7th Wellington Hawkes Bay Battalion based in Napier. The recruit training can be completed between mid November to January (with a break for Christmas and New Year’s) or from February to April at Waiouru. Upon graduation they will be fully fledged members of the 7th Wellington Hawkes Bay Battalion, an infantry battalion that can trace its history back to 1863.

 Lieutenant Colonel Jeremy Harker of the New Zealand Army’s 7th Battalion, based in Napier, said “the grant gives the recipients a chance to have it all.”

“Combining tertiary study with army training while living at home in Hawke’s Bay is unique to the region and is a great opportunity for students.”

 The training, physically demanding and with an emphasis on team dynamics, problem solving and adventure activities, will be followed by EIT study in the second semester.

After completing study at EIT, applicants will be able to apply to any of the services within the Defence Force.

There are three grants available per year for the next three years.

A project MUST be defined for the student, general work experience is not acceptable and the project must have a technological focus.

Project

• Project MUST have a technological focus e.g. Engineering, Food & Beverage, IT, Agriculture, Horticulture, Viticulture, Winemaking, etc.
• NOT be accounts, sales, business or marketing focus.
• Project does not have to be novel R&D. Can be project, process, efficiency focussed.
• Project MUST be defined, not just general work experience.
• Must have benefit for business and student.

Student

• Project MUST be appropriate to the student’s qualification.
• 3rd or 4th year for a degree undergraduate.
• Diploma must be NZQA Level 7 or above.
• If you have not identified a student we can assist by supplying contact details for universities with suitable qualifications.

TechNZ are inviting companies to submit a 1 page expression of interest by mid August 2010. The one pager will ask for an outline of company details, brief overview of the project and benefit to your business.

TechNZ will select projects based on quality of the company (good R&D environment for student) and project. We will then select companies who we will pre-approve to go ahead and find and engage a student.

Please contact me if you have any questions or are interested in pursuing this and we can discuss your project.

Kind Regards,

Jenny Brown
Portfolio Manager

Venture Hawke’s Bay
Tourism House, 64 Dickens Street
PO Box 123, Napier 4140
New Zealand

P: +64 6 833 5895
F: +64 6 834 0299
M: +64 27 210 0253
E: jennyb@venturehawkesbay.co.nz
W: http://www.hawkesbaynz.com/

Bring some friends and make up a table!
$15, Tickets available from Liz Remmerswaal,

Email lizrem@gmail.com or ph 8777596, or 027 333 1066
Concessions: Seniors $10, Kids $5