
IDEAS Workshops
The power of an idea (it's not what you think!)
Day 1 - 4:45pm - TikTok Learning Hub
Ideas can change the world. But there's a huge difference between having a good idea and building a successful business. This powerful and inspiring session is for anyone looking for business ideas, or who has an idea and wants to create a plan to make it happen.
Hosted by Richard Liew from NZ Entrepreneur Magazine and Startup NZ Entrepreneurs Programme
Employee share schemes: tackle the talent war
Day 2 - 2:50pm - SME&E Classroom
We'll guide you through the key questions to consider and steps to establishing an effective employee share scheme, that motivates key people in the company without fighting on wage. A workshop designed for owners or key decision makers in private companies.
Hosted by Luke Smith from Orchestra and Georgina Toomey from LegalVision

Taking Kiwi business to the world
Day 2 - 11:35am - Main Stage
In this workshop we will cover how your business can grow and expand overseas with the help of a range of free tools and insights available with Google.
Hosted by Ellyn Ricketts & Nathan Laing, Google

TikTok small business success stories
Lunch Session - Day 1 - TikTok Learning Hub
Join us for a discussion with SME leaders, who will talk about the challenges they've faced throughout their entrepreneurial journey, and how they've overcome them and found success leveraging TikTok. We'll discuss how to reach new customers, save time and resources on marketing, and effectively grow your business on TikTok.
Hosted by Ben Panther & Bethany Rao-Davies from TikTok

Sustainability: Brace for impact
Day 2 - 10:40am - SME&E Classroom
Sustainability is arguably the biggest challenge of our time and it’s set to impact on us in a big way. Our response to a ticking time clock needs to be impactful.
At this workshop, learn about what sustainability is and why it is such a key challenge along with some tools and actions you can begin to take on your journey.
Expect fun, interaction and to co-create this experience together.
Hosted by Lauren James from Business NZ

Intent is not enough when incorporating Māori Culture – EXECUTION is key!
Day 1 - 11:40am - SME&E Classroom
As a Māori Business who helps organisations build and execute their cultural strategy, we often see the intent is genuine, but the execution still looks like a tick box exercise.
In this 45 minute wānanga with Michael Moka and founder of Indigenous Growth Limited we will demistify 3 beliefs - that get businesses who care in trouble:
- The Snow Ball Effect: Starting small and hoping to gain momentum
- Top down approach: Developing the leaders and owners first
- Cultural Tax: Using your Māori staff
At the end of this wānanga you will get a simple model that will help you know what your role is in incorporating Māori Culture into your business and the first step to executing your strategy with excellence. Executing your Intent Excellently!
Hosted by Michael Moka from Indigenous Growth Limited

"Xero is thrilled to sponsor the SME&E Festival. Small business is the backbone of Aotearoa and events like SME&E Festival are crucial in providing a space to learn, connect and foster this community. We are passionate supporters of small business owners, entrepreneurs, side hustlers and everyone in between, and look forward to attending what will be an awesome event." - Xero