New Zealand – From Our Land To Yours

Posted by admin • February 26, 2009 • Category: Press Releases

Singapore, 26^th February 2009 – From 26^th March to 9^th May 2009, New Zealand brings its cuisine, culture, and creativity to Singapore under the theme ‘New Zealand – From Our Land to Yours’. Included in the exciting schedule of events for the season are arts-related performances, food and beverage promotions, and insightful business discussions.

Organised by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) in collaboration with the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce and the New Zealand High Commission, the season promises an exciting mix of events and aims to strengthen trade links between the two countries.

Some notable highlights from the arts scene include three films which will make their Singapore debut as part of the Singapore International Film festival. These films; Second-Hand Wedding, Dean Spanley and Rain of the Children will be screened in cinemas across Singapore from the 14^th to 25^th April.

From 26^th to 28^th March, Strange Resting Places, a theatre production by Taki Rua will see the multi-award winning company perform in English, Te Reo Maori and Italian. The production tells the stories of the Maori Battalion in Italy during WWII and explores the cultural connections between the Italians and the Battalion, particularly in kai (food), waiata (song) and whanau (family).

New Zealand food and beverage, much loved by the world for its freshness and quality, will be showcased during several tantalising promotions by some of the top restaurants, hotels and clubs here in Singapore. ‘Taste New Zealand’ will offer New Zealand-inspired menus, beer and wine, cooking classes, cheese-tasting and buffet spread at places such as The Cellar Door, Jack’s Place, Harry’s, Jones The Grocer, Raffles Hotel Singapore, Grand Copthorne and much more. Wine enthusiasts can look forward to an Around The Vines tour, which will take them around Singapore via chartered bus to sample the best New Zealand wines at a number of locations.

From a business perspective, The New Zealand Business Forum will feature a high-level dialogue on innovation, sustainability and the sharing of best practices. Experts from Singapore and New Zealand will gather at Biopolis on the 22^nd April to showcase excellence in biotechnology and innovation.

New Zealand’s Trade Commissioner to Singapore, Alex Matheson commented, “New Zealand – From Our Land to Yours promises to be an enriching experience, filled with the prosperous, commercial, cultural and social diversity that New Zealand has to offer. We are looking forward to strengthening the working relationships between New Zealand and Singapore-based companies and hope to find further opportunities where our two countries can work together.”

Singapore’s bilateral trade with New Zealand has grown from NZ $1.0 billion in the year ended June 2000 to NZ$3.2 billion in the year ended June 2008, a compound annual growth rate of 15%. In the year ended June 2008, Singapore was New Zealand’s eighth largest export destination, behind Indonesia and ahead of Malaysia.

About New Zealand Trade & Enterprise

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) is the New Zealand government’s primary agency for stimulating economic and export related growth. The New Zealand Health IT Cluster engages directly with NZTE who has a representative on the Cluster’s Executive Management Board.

NZTE assisted the Cluster with infrastructure funding through its Growth Services – Technology Collaboration Fund. NZTE has contributed funding towards The Microsoft Collaborative Health Showcase Cluster project, which has showcased New Zealand Health IT talent around the world.