Highlights preview: the premier annual property and construction expo and summit arrive on 16, 17 and 18 August

Highlight one: a new slogan and a fresh look

 

This year, the NZIBES event brand has unveiled a new slogan: “Collaboration UP”.

 

The slogan was chosen not only because it complements the New Zealand Chinese Building Industry Association's (NZCBIA) mission of “collaboration, innovation and productivity”, but also because it reflects the steady growth achieved by the Chinese community's property and construction businesses through cooperation in recent years, despite a generally subdued New Zealand market.

 

According to the NZ Herald, Chinese investors will invest $11,000,000,000 in New Zealand property projects over the next 8 years. Yet this is a beginning rather than an endpoint. “Collaboration UP” also expresses the Chinese community's vision of working together to build New Zealand.

 

Highlight two: an enhanced speaker line-up tackles the hot topic of prefabrication

 

The NZIBES summit has long attracted considerable attention from industry professionals and those keen to learn about the latest developments in the housing market and construction industry.

 

This year's speaker line-up has been strengthened further. We have invited leading figures in New Zealand's commercial and residential property markets, Chris Dibble and Lisa Gerrard, to analyse the opportunities and challenges facing these markets in depth. We have also invited David Kelly, a prominent figure from an authoritative construction industry body, to offer his insights into the far-reaching significance of The Construction Accord.

 

Liu Gang from the China Architecture Design & Research Group, travelling all the way from China, will bring a different perspective and experience to the summit.

 

We are also particularly pleased to have invited well-known New Zealand economist Shamubeel Eaqub to deliver the opening address.

 

His distinctive insights and witty speaking style have long attracted the attention and affection of New Zealand's media. In an interview ahead of the summit, Shamubeel made a striking statement: “New Zealand's construction industry needs fundamental reform. Carrying on as we always have will not deliver the better outcomes we want.

 

We certainly face many unknowns, but for other countries, many of these have long been known. How we put their knowledge, technology, industrialisation and capital to work for us is a question New Zealand's construction industry needs to consider.” His views will surely bring further surprises at the summit.

  

The afternoon summit discussion echoes Shamubeel's views perfectly, with the theme “Off Site, Off Shore”, covering off-site construction and offshore prefabrication.

 

Leading experts from Auckland Council, GHD, Silk Road Management and Prefab NZ will engage in a lively high-level discussion on how to introduce prefabricated products to the New Zealand market.

 

New Zealand's persistently high house prices are well known. Rising construction costs are the chief culprit: government taxes, land infrastructure costs, and the costs of projects running over time and over budget are ultimately passed on to homebuyers.

 

Longstanding problems such as poor productivity and severe shortages of skilled workers have also proved difficult for both the construction industry and society. How to address and resolve these issues is a central topic for the industry and a matter of public concern.

 

We believe these problems can be resolved if prefabricated products are successfully introduced to the New Zealand market. However, bringing them in presents new challenges and questions for the industry. The summit discussion aims to identify solutions.

 

Summit seminar programme for 16 August

 

Speaker line-up: summit seminar

 

Shamubeel Eaqub, economist

 

Shamubeel Eaqub is an experienced economist, financial analyst and author. He has worked for banks and consultancies across New Zealand and Australia. He is currently a partner at consultancy Sense Partners, holds advisory and governance roles with several companies and charities, and is a longstanding media contributor. He holds an honorary doctorate in economics from Lincoln University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He has written several books, with recent titles including Generation Rent and Growing Apart.

 

David Kelly, Construction Industry Council Chair and Registered Master Builders Chief Executive

 

David Kelly is Chair of the Construction Industry Council and Chief Executive of the Registered Master Builders Association. Previously, he was Deputy Chief Executive of the Department of Building and Housing. He subsequently served as Director of the Canterbury Recovery Programme for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. David also led changes to the Building Act.

 

Lisa Gerrard, General Manager of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand

 

Lisa Gerrard is General Manager, Membership and Advocacy, and General Counsel at the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ). Before joining REINZ, she was a property and construction law partner at a prominent Auckland law firm. Lisa has extensive practical knowledge of New Zealand property and construction, and a strong interest in property development. During her time at REINZ, she has spoken at numerous property industry events on issues such as changes to laws and regulations.

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Liu Gang, architectural design expert

 

Liu Gang is Director of the CSP Research, Development and Promotion Centre at China Architecture Design & Research Group Co., Ltd. He is an executive council member of the China Association of Building Energy Efficiency, and Deputy Chair and Secretary-General of its Professional Committee for the Modernisation of the Construction Industry. He is also a project review expert for the Ministry of Science and Technology and an expert committee member of the National Technological Innovation Alliance for the Prefabricated Building Industry.

 

Chris Dibble, Director of Research and Communications at Colliers International

 

Chris Dibble is Director of Research and Communications at Colliers International, responsible for the firm's public relations and communications. At this event, he will speak about the opportunities and challenges for cooperation between New Zealand and Chinese businesses in commercial property.

  

Summit discussion

 

Scott Fisher, Chief Executive of Prefab NZ

 

Scott Fisher is Chief Executive of Prefab NZ. He has extensive marketing, business and leadership experience across public, private, non-governmental and membership organisations. His construction experience spans both professional and personal involvement, including his work at the Master Plumbers Association and extensive experience with residential renovations, extensions and new builds. Scott is passionate about design, both classic and contemporary.

 

Hamish Davies, Architectural Director at GHD

 

Hamish is an Architectural Director at GHD with extensive project experience, including leading apartment and villa projects, aged-care and healthcare facilities, police stations, offices and commercial alterations. He works with clients on major projects from briefing and concept development through to construction. His skills include concept design, managing design teams and project stakeholders, project direction and client relationship management. He excels at interpreting complex briefs and delivering innovative design solutions. Over his 23-year architectural career, Hamish has worked in both New Zealand and Australia, bringing a broader perspective and leading practice to projects.

 

John Dalzell, Managing Director of Silk Road Management

 

John Dalzell is Managing Director of Silk Road Management, bringing together resources to support major New Zealand infrastructure and property projects. He has extensive experience in project management, strategic advice, financial structuring, funding and financial management. John has broad influence and networks, including New Zealand–China business relationships and partnerships with Māori iwi. He also has considerable management experience. As former Chief Executive of Panuku Development Auckland and Waterfront Auckland, John delivered more than US$1,500,000,000 in private and public investment to transform Auckland's waterfront.

 

 

Jeff Fahrensohn, Council Inspections Manager

 

Jeff is Manager Inspections at Auckland Council, leading a team of more than 150 inspectors expected to complete 160,000 inspections this year. Over recent years, he has been involved in numerous projects, including collaborations with industry partners, tertiary institutions and other industry businesses. He is committed to helping the industry improve construction quality and knowledge of building standards. His inspection specialists are professionally trained to identify issues early and help builders avoid problems that could arise in later construction stages. At the summit, Jeff will discuss the challenges facing Auckland's construction industry and outline key initiatives Auckland Council plans to introduce to meet growing demand over the coming years.

 

Nicholas Caulton, construction engineering expert

 

Nick is a Building Services Group Manager at GHD with 14 years of experience in building and infrastructure projects, spanning design, construction, testing and commissioning, and delivery. He has a thorough understanding of the application of prefabricated products. Nick has worked on projects in the Middle East, Australia and Vietnam, and brings extensive project and contract management experience, site management capability and civil infrastructure design skills.

 

Highlight three: political and industry leaders gather to celebrate the industry's achievements

 

A grand gala dinner is held on the evening of the NZIBES summit every year, and this year is no exception. This rare annual networking opportunity returns once again.

 

Political speakers at the dinner include Minister for Building and Construction and Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, National Party MP and Building and Construction spokesperson Andrew Bayley, New Zealand China Council Chair Sir Don McKinnon, and Huang Yuefeng, Counsellor at the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand.

 

Meanwhile, representatives of leading industry businesses including Place Makers, Barfoot & Thompson and Sugar Tree apartments will also give speeches.

 

The dinner brings together political leaders, senior executives and knowledgeable figures from across New Zealand and the Chinese community, particularly those connected with construction. They will discuss industry development and future aspirations, seeking opportunities for cooperation and shared progress through in-depth conversations that embody the event's slogan, “Collaboration UP”.

 

Unlike previous years, this year's dinner will also feature an awards presentation to celebrate the industry's achievements. The awards cover five categories, recognising projects and businesses that have achieved outstanding results in development, design, construction, collaboration or innovation.

 

We have invited respected industry figures, including New Zealand Chinese Building Industry Association President Xu Li and BECA Architectural Director Mike Quirk, to carry out the preliminary judging. Who will receive this year's inaugural awards? Stay tuned.

 

Award categories: Excellence in Development, Excellence in Design, Excellence in Construction Management, Excellence in Collaboration, and Excellence in Innovation

 

The judging panel includes Xu Li, NZCBIA President; Zhan Feng, NZCBIA Vice-President; Pan Xin, NZCBIA Vice-President; Man Zhongzhi, NZCBIA Director; Mike Quirk, BECA Project Director; Mike Casey, Kingstons Project Director; and Paul Jeurissen, Head of Unitec's School of Architecture.

 

Gala dinner programme

 

 

Highlight four: more than 100 quality brands come together at the expo

 

NZIBES has become one of New Zealand's largest property and construction industry exhibitions.

 

The 2019 NZIBES expo will feature more than a hundred highly regarded local and international developers, builders, building materials suppliers and related businesses, including Place Makers, Sugar Tree, Fisher & Paykel, Oriental Construction Group, CIMC, Kohler and Anson Construction.

 

They will bring the latest and most comprehensive products, services and solutions. The exhibition offers these outstanding businesses an excellent opportunity to showcase their capabilities and attract potential customers, while providing a platform for accomplished industry professionals to connect and exchange ideas.

 

Sponsor acknowledgements: thank you to the following sponsors for their generous support of this exhibition. We wish the 2019 New Zealand International Building Expo & Summit (NZIBES) every success!