ExpoNZ is a Virtual Expos New Zealand Limited event

Virtual Expos New Zealand Ltd (VENZ) was formed in recognition of the fact that virtual events technology has now reached a level of sophistication that makes it a genuine alternative to physical events.  The technology may be virtual, but the people driving it and the results that can be achieved are patently real.  We believe virtual events software will transform how people everywhere approach international relationship building and servicing.  It’s not that ‘going virtual’ will entirely replace physical travel and meetings, but it’s a great tool to pre-qualify leads and to help companies work smarter and more productively so that they can allocate resources where they will be most effective. 

Vision

Our vision is to use this ground-breaking breaking virtual technology to support New Zealand’s businesses and organisations to become more competitive, productive, sustainable and connected - in other words more successful nationally - and  for people all over the world to find an entry point wehre they can experience the best our country has to offer. 

Mission

Our mission is to inspire people to produce virtual events offering fantastic visitor experiences for tangible and cost-effective results.    We will also develop and stage a range of our own trend-setting events including our flagship ExpoNZ – the world’s first national, virtual expo.

Find out how to produce and run your own virtual trade show, job fair or conference

Meet our team

Frances Manwaring

Chief Executive Officer

 

Frances has more than twenty years of business experience at senior management level across a range of disciplines including international media, venture capital, economic development and retail. For most of the last decade she has run her own successful communications business offering a diverse portfolio of private and public sector clients marketing and business development services, including the development and management of a range of highly successful events. Originally from Scotland, Frances was London-based for 14 years before moving to New Zealand in the mid-nineties. Her role with Virtual Expos NZ is a natural extension of a career-long commitment to helping great ideas reach the world, and a desire to be at the cutting edge of what's happening in business. Talk with Frances about marketing, online community building and event management.

 

Marie-Claire Andrews

Vice President and Head of Sales

 

Marie-Claire is experienced in business development, sales, brand awareness, facilitation, business planning and strategic networking. She has excellent, far reaching networks across New Zealand and is immediate past chair of Unlimited Potential, the country's largest ICT network. As business development manager for the Wellington regional economic development agency, assisting over 200 companies in the region to grow their businesses was a career highlight. Others include generating sales significantly in excess of targets for an international ICT company, and being a key part of its sales team at CeBIT 2006 (the world’s premier ICT Trade Fair), as well as line management roles within government. Marie-Claire is our Gen Y team member, keeping us connected to the technology shifts happening around us. Talk with Marie-Claire about technology, sales and creative business development opportunities for your business, using virtual event technology.

 

Roz Paterson

Creative Director

 

Despite a successful track record in graphic design, Roz is by inclination an illustrator and her work has been published in New Zealand and overseas. Throughout her career, she has incorporated illustrative influences into a range of design disciplines including creating sets for theatres, themes for events, magazine layouts, exhibitions, web front end skins and sandblasted and stained glass, as well as corporate identity and brand development. Key skills include a vivid imagination, idea development, project direction, and making vibrant images on any scale from small and personal to large and dramatic to achieve business outcomes. Talk with Roz about graphic design, video production and creating the right 'vibe' at your booth.

 

John Lumsden

Chairman

 

John is a Board Member and immediate Past President of the Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce and is a Director of Grow Wellington, the regional Economic Development Agency. He holds a range of other directorships in the private sector and was the initial Chair of Aviation NZ for the year it took to develop the capability to support the aviation industry’s export activities. Until early 2007 John was the Chief Executive of the Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited (MetService), a position he held since it was established as a State Owned Enterprise in 1992. Under his leadership a world class meteorological service was developed that now provides services to customers around the globe, one being the BBC. He served on the Executive Council of the World Meteorological Organization, a UN Specialised Agency, from 2003 to 2007.

 

Before MetService, John’s work experience started as an engineer with ICI in the UK, then continued with Alcan in Jamaica and Canada. He held senior executive positions with Unilever Canada, and Labatt Breweries of Canada. His particular areas of interest are organisation development, innovation, new product development and marketing, negotiations, services exporting, and now governance and sustainable development.

Steve Strickland

President and Founder of Expos2

 

Steve develops and guides the overall direction of Expos2, the software platform Virtual Expos NZ represents. He manages the strategic integration and global development of the company and its projects. He is a shareholder and Director of Virtual Expos NZ Ltd. Steve has owned and successfully run BMSE, a natural health expo company for the last 22 years. With more than 35 events annually across the US and Japan, it is the largest holistic living expo company in the world and generally considered the first expo of the modern “green” movement. Prior to starting BMSE, Steve managed political campaigns in Florida.