Wanaka business organisations Ignite Wanaka and Lake Wanaka Tourism have just announced their business support calendar of events for the remainder of 2020 to help Wanaka businesses navigate the new operating environment post COVID-19.

Based on feedback from businesses, via a recent online survey and through direct communications, the organisations have developed a tailored plan for educational, training, business support and networking events across the next six months targeted at all sectors of business and the wider community.

Over 128 businesses responded to the survey, with business owners and managers highlighting a number of key areas of need such as: Business to business collaboration, learning from business leaders who’ve experienced recessions and economic crises, networking events, understanding and adapting marketing to a domestic only market, as well as continued regular communications, data, insights, research, and travel trends sharing to then inform business planning and strategy.

Ignite Wanaka Executive Officer Naomi Lindsay said the approach to the revamped events plan took a ‘hyper-local’ focus, learning from local leaders and business experts where possible.

“We have amazingly talented and experienced people in our community that we can learn from and we’ll be tapping into that knowledge, while also ensuring we utilize the best experts from across New Zealand as well as off-shore, particularly in sector-based training”, says Naomi.

Building on the organisations’ pre-COVID strategy for an increased events calendar to support businesses, there will be a mix of opportunities to learn, connect and share thinking with potential to adapt and change as needed.

Lake Wanaka Tourism GM James Helmore said the schedule was designed to help businesses work through the logical steps of business planning, strategy, and operations over time, responding to the challenges businesses currently face.

The events will be largely co-hosted by LWT and Ignite Wanaka, working with other organisations, to share ideas and resources to ensure businesses have access to the best opportunities available, playing to each organisation’s strengths and relationships regionally, nationally and internationally.

A full list of events to date can be found online here: https://www.ignitewanaka.co.nz/events-training/event-calendar/

Dates and further speaker details will be distributed via the LWT and Ignite newsletters and through Ignite’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/IgniteWanakaChamber/