Venture Taranaki Trust

Calling all business owners – The Icehouse Business Owner Programme is returning to Taranaki, providing practical workshops to help you drive progress, lead with impact, and redesign your business for the future. The programme includes 3 full-day workshops (11 February, 11 March, 8 April), and is intended for established businesses with annual revenue between $1M and $3M. Cost: $5,970 + GST per person, or $7,200 + GST for two people from the same business ✨ You may be eligible for co-funding. Email our Enterprise Team at 📧 business@venture.org.nz, to express your interest with the subject line: Icehouse Business Owner

A bumper summer of events is coming to Taranaki. ☀️ Summer Feastival, 12 –16 Feb ☀️ AmeriCARna, 19 – 22 Feb ☀️ Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga, 25 Feb – 1 March ☀️ WOMAD Aotearoa, 14 –16 March Check out our feature in the latest Live Magazine for all the action, and if you’re a business owner make sure you’re ready to capitalise on the huge influx of visitors we’re expecting in region. Te Matatini Society Incorporated, largest celebration of traditional Māori performing arts excellence in the world, is expected to attract an audience of up to 40,000 over the six days of the festival. Be prepared. Lights on, shelves stocked, workforce ready. Link in comments below to read the full article 👇

Taranaki is growing as a hot spot for interns and graduates! According to Summer of Tech, student interest in Taranaki grew by 17% last year, with 543 students looking for summer internships or graduate roles in the region. However, only two employers in Taranaki had registered on the popular Summer of Tech platform. There is particular interest from traditional engineering students (electrical, mechanical, process etc.) and UX/UI designers, so if you're a business who is considering hiring young talent, we encourage you to read this article (link in comments), or get in touch with us to learn more. Hiringa Energy, Energy Resources Aotearoa, Tasman Medical Trolleys and Equipment, OMV

Major Events Fund - Annual funding round opens soon. Save the date as the Major Events Fund is set to open for applications mid-January 2025 and will close Friday 28 February 2025. If you own or manage a significant event with the potential to bring economic, social, cultural, and marketing exposure benefits to the Taranaki region, we encourage you to apply for funding. To be eligible for funding your event must be delivered within the 2025/2026 financial year, 1 July 2025 – 30 June 2026. Find out more here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gcEZSdRG

Meri Kirihimete 🎄 The Venture Taranaki office will be closed from midday Friday 20 December, reopening from 8.30am Monday 6 January. Have a safe and happy holiday.

Gift a Business Mentor 🎁 Support a Taranaki Business Owner this Christmas by gifting 12 months of valuable mentorship. For just $295+GST, you can help a small Taranaki business grow and succeed. Choose the recipient of your gift, or Venture Taranaki can gift it to a business owner in need on your behalf. 📧 kayleen@venture.org.nz to find out more. Business Mentors New Zealand

The Silver Nova cruise ship is scheduled to dock at Port Taranaki at 8am tomorrow, Sunday 15 December. 🛳 Measuring 244m, the Silver Nova will bring 728 passengers to our shores and is the second cruise ship arrival of the season. The seaside markets will also be on at Ngāmotu Beach to add to our city’s vibrancy. Head down to Ngāmotu Beach or the Lee Breakwater to join us in extending our warm hospitality to these visitors. 👋

We're excited to have collaborated with Juno Gin to produce a small batch of Branching Out gin, named "Milestone 7".   Using angelica grown from our Branching Out trials, the gin represents the project's first "paddock to product" success and celebrates collaboration between local farmers, landowners, and product manufacturers.    While the gin isn't for sale, it showcases the high-quality and unique attributes of Taranaki-grown angelica.   Read more here (link in comments). 👇

📢 We are excited to announce the establishment of the Taranaki Applied Innovation Centre. Led by Venture Taranaki, the Centre will act as a regional hub to elevate the region’s existing innovation potential and provide a launchpad to help initiate a new biotechnology industry. Part of the newly launched Tapuae Roa 2025/26 Action Plan, the Centre aims to position Taranaki as a highly desirable region for researchers, entrepreneurs, and startups. 🔬🧪 The Taranaki Applied Innovation Centre will be in an establishment phase for the first year, with a focus on delivering regional coordination of scientific research, developing a suite of programmes to build local STEM expertise, and building a strategy to attract biotechnology startups to the region. This project is supported by New Plymouth District Council, Taranaki Regional Council, and the Toi Foundation. To read more about this exciting announcement below 👇

Last week, we welcomed over 170 business events industry delegates to Taranaki for an unforgettable 2024 Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) conference, hosted at The Devon Hotel.   The BEIA conference presented a fantastic opportunity to showcase Taranaki as a vibrant destination, allowing delegates to experience our unique venues and suppliers. Highlights of the conference included a guided cultural hikoi of Te Henui from Ngāti Te Whiti, and a themed dinner, like no other on the iconic Bowl of Brooklands stage.   Business Events play an important role in the Taranaki economy, bringing economic benefits that extend beyond the conference rooms as delegates experience our accommodation, dining, transport, and memorable activities around the Maunga. Learn more about our mahi as the Taranaki Convention Bureau via the link below 👇