During August, Amotai with support from Whāriki held a ‘Meet the Buyer’ event. Set along the waterfront in Ōkahu Bay, Amotai businesses had the chance to connect with 14 buyer organisations including:

• Aspect Furniture
• Auckland Council
• Auckland Transport
• Beca
• Dempsey Wood
• Downer
• Hawkins
• Icon
• Kiwi Rail
• McConnel Dowel
• Ministry of Education
• Naylor Love
• NZ Defence Force
• Watercare
• WSP

It was a packed house with over 200 people in attendance and for the Buyers, it is a chance to tap into new and diverse talent as well as create positive social change with their ‘buying power’.

“There is huge value associated with diverse supplier collaboration – we are leaders and educators in the construction industry and if we can upskill and work successfully with a wide range of suppliers then we all benefit – it’s not about a one-off project relationship – it’s about the long-term sustainability of the industry and the communities that benefit from the engagement” says Philip Haycock, Group Design Manager from Naylor Love Commercial Construction company.

“It was very useful – a good vibe and a great relaxed way to start dialogue with potential partners. It can mean the start of a journey with a new supplier or the reconnection and strengthening of existing supplier relationships - It is a good way to get messaging out there about current and future projects”.

For Māori businesses, it is a chance to come face to face with buyers they might not otherwise have access to. Buyers like BECA were able to talk about the kinds of services they were looking for, whereas others were able to directly share future projects coming up for tender.

For Civil Construction company Kenai, attending the event as a Supplier was very useful. “Amotai did a great job hosting us all, it was a great location, great kai and even better people to meet. A lot of Suppliers turned up and we found it just as useful meeting them as it was the Buyers. The short introductions made by the Buyers made it easy for us to get in front of the right people in the evening and start forming what we hope to be long term relationships” says Kenai Managing Director Caleb Male.

Likewise, tech entrepreneur Brittany Teei from 3 Bags Full comments “It was great to meet with so many companies that are committed to working with Māori and Pasifika businesses. We made some good connections that will hopefully eventuate into new business relationships and opportunities”.

Amotai is Aotearoa’s supplier diversity intermediary and provides Māori and Pasifika businesses with connections to Buyers who recognise the added social value buying from Māori and Pasifika businesses can create in our communities.

Event organiser and Amotai Manuhuia (Relationship Manager) Jarrad McKay says “the turnout was wall to wall with 267 people registered, and I appreciated the support from the wider Amotai team. Their tautoko on the day was crucial in delivering a successful event. A week before ‘Meet the Buyer’, we sent the attendee list out to Buyers and they started reaching out to Suppliers to encourage them to connect at the event. They even went as far as sending tender documents to those they wanted to work with”.

Whāriki is the largest Māori business network in Aotearoa, and for them this collaborative effort was about bringing together their whānau of Māori business owners and professionals working amongst some of the most exciting corporates in Aotearoa.

“Ko te whanaungatanga tētahi ki tētahi te kaupapa matua” says Whāriki Chair Heta Hudson. “Events like this are all about increasing access to opportunities and building new relationships. The Amotai ‘Meet the Buyer’ events provide a unique opportunity for Māori businesses to meet kanohi-ki te-kanohi with potential buyers, introduce their businesses in person, and find out about potential projects in the pipeline.

“We all know that successful business is about strong relationships built on trust and mutual value. Put simply, it is whanaungatanga in action. Therefore, putting a ‘face to the name’ of the people behind the projects is invaluable. From a Whāriki perspective, we want to see more collaboration on initiatives like this, with government, private sector and Māori businesses coming together to create long-term and sustainable opportunities.”

Special thanks to our partners at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited. Keep an eye on Amotai and Whāriki socials and websites for future ‘Meet the Buyer’ events.