Lantern Festival the launchpad for business relations
A forum on business relations between New Zealand and China will take place during the Auckland Lantern Festival – New Zealand’s largest Chinese cultural festival, which attracts more than 200,000 people.
The inaugural ASB Lantern Forum business trade event on Thursday 9 February aims to capitalise on the Auckland Lantern Festival’s profile and build bilateral investment opportunities.
Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), on behalf of Auckland Council, is working with ASB and the Asia New Zealand Foundation to organise the forum, which will connect around 200 delegates, political leaders, migrants and business people.
Patrick McVeigh, ATEED General Manager Business, Innovation and Skills, says the ASB Lantern Forum is part of ATEED’s work to increase investment, luxury tourism and trade between Auckland and China.
“New Zealand’s trade relationship with China has nearly tripled over the past decade. Two-way trade between the two countries totalled $18.8 billion in the year ending December 2015,” he says.
“China is Auckland’s second-largest export market and there is huge potential for further growth.”
The ASB Lantern Forum follows on from the Tripartite Economic Summit 2016 held in May, another of ATEED’s initiatives aimed at increasing Auckland’s connections and business with China, which resulted in millions of dollars being invested in the local economy.
The ASB Lantern Forum will be held at the Auckland Museum Event Centre and will be followed by the Auckland Lantern Festival opening ceremony in the Auckland Domain.