It’s Pasifika week in Auckland.
Billed as the world’s largest Polynesian festival showcasing its culture, food, music and merchandise, this year the event returns to the city’s picturesque and popular Western Springs venue – the festival’s traditional home. (Last year it was moved to South Auckland as a precaution against a biosecurity measure that was operating at the time around Western Springs.) More than 100,000 visitors are expected to throng the festival over this weekend (March 12-13). As in previous years, there will be hundreds of stalls and booths selling and displaying all things Pasifika, besides fun, games, music and dance performances and of course plenty of options for food and drink.
This year Pacific Islands Trade & Invest (PT&I) NZ is helping 21 companies from 4 island countries – Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga – exhibit their wares at the festival. Six are from Tonga and five each from Fiji, PNG and Samoa. Also featured will be representatives of the investment promotion agencies of these countries.
“We are delighted to have coordinated four inward trade missions from these four countries, which, indeed, is the culmination of our delivery of the Path to Market Programme in each of these countries in 2015,” PT&I NZ trade Commissioner Michael Greenslade said.
“Their visit to New Zealand involves a capacity building workshop as well as business to business meetings in addition to exhibiting at Pasifika and meeting prospective clients,” Mr Greenslade added.
Among Samoan participating companies are I. H. Carruthers, one of Samoa’s major trading merchants since 1929, which will be displaying Elei garments and also launching “a few in house labels for Home and Sports,” according to the company. Samoa Mamanu Design, a group of women engaged in making a range of handicraft and textile products will display and sell its wares while Nissi Samoa Design will display men’s women’s and children’s apparel.
Participating from Fiji will be Essence of Fiji, which will display sea grapes, cosmetics and vodka; Green Golden Kava with Fijian kava; Soqoiwasa will display its Fijian styled footwear, especially its ‘Lako Tu’ brand of shoes; Allied Print Design with Pasifika printed bamboo textiles and Island Express with Fresh and frozen Fijian produce.
PNG’s Buna Treks & Tours will showcase their many ecotourism packages while Banz Coffee Fectory will display a range of coffee products; Top Choice Investments will display cured vanilla beans and the country’s investment promotion agency (PNG-IPA) will showcase the range of investment opportunities available in the country and what the government can do to assist investors.
Among the companies from Tonga will be Kenani, which manufactures coconut based products Fofola Limited, which will display Tupu’anga coffee from the Kingdom of Tonga.
PT&I acknowledges the cooperation of Tonga’s Ministry of Commerce and Labour, the Fiji Export Council, the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) of PNG and Samoa Association of Manufacturers & Exporters (SAME) for their partnership in helping put together the respective country delegations and coordinating efforts for their participation at Pasifika.