Tauranga businesses back day focused on increasing innovation, reports David Porter
Daybreak
Tauranga’s Daybreak event aims to get local business people focused on how they can innovate their way to a better future.
Held on Wednesday (25 February) the event is sponsored and supported by a core group of business groups and organisations, including Priority One, Waikato University, Sharp Tudhope Lawyers, LawVu and Beca.
Melissa Clark-Reynolds
“What I am there to do is help people think about the future and the possibilities of what the future might be,” keynote speaker Melissa Clark-Reynolds tells The News.
Clark-Reynolds says that people often want to know what the future is, as if there were just one future out there.
“But if we look around us, there isn’t one present – even within Tauranga there will be people that have very different circumstances,” she says.
“People have different economic circumstances, different access to technology. There will be people who don’t have smart phones, while others are at home coding [software], and using AI.”
Dave Courtney
Priority One Chief Executive Dave Courtney says the key objectives of the event include: bringing together people from a range of industries, roles and sectors, to create new and deeper connections in our regional innovation ecosystem.
“DayBreak’s distinctive role is in not having a specific audience focus, rather in aiming to attract a broad range of people,” he says. “We have startups, tech companies, teachers, marketers, local govt, HR, corporates and more. We see ‘innovation’ – doing new things that create impact – as a common theme that can bring people together. “
Priority One and the sponsors are also striving to make high quality professional development accessible, through being local and affordable.
Daybreak
“DayBreak delivers a programme, and quality of speakers that is rare in the Bay of Plenty, which makes it a great professional development opportunity for businesses in the region to offer their staff,” he says.
The programme also sends the message that being creative can create a great event experience.
“DayBreak features things like our city centre lunch (with vouchers to eat where they choose around the city centre), encore sessions (repeats of workshops so people don’t miss out sessions) and Sundowner (innovation showcase networking event).
“These have all been developed through working with attendees to try new things to keep improving the experience, not just another standard event.”
Clark-Reynolds has built a reputation as futurist and tech entrepreneur who helps leaders cut through noise and build clear pathways to tomorrow.
Trained by the Institute for the Future and appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the technology industry, she has worked with business organisations ranging from Spark and IAG to NASA and Australian Pork.
“What I am there to do is help people think about the future and what the possibilities of that future might be,” she tells the News. “I want them to think that there isn’t one future. Out there, there are multiple futures.”
Day Break
