If there’s one thing we’re passionate about at Frank Engagement, it’s bringing people together to help regions grow.
The beauty, lifestyle, and depth of talent in Hawke’s Bay are no secret to those of us lucky enough to live here, and our region is brimming with potential. So, when we were approached to work alongside video production company, Grundy Productions, to attract international business under the Great Things Grow Here brand, it was an easy “yes!”.
The brief from Great Things Grow Here was to craft a compelling pitch that highlighted the best of Hawke’s Bay and the abundance of opportunity here.
It was aimed at a cohort of visionary entrepreneurs and international investors searching for their next opportunity, brought together by the Edmund Hillary Fellowship. As of 2021, EH fellows had invested over $21 million directly into more than 90 New Zealand businesses and helped raise $293 million in capital for Kiwi businesses – so Hawke’s Bay was keen on the opportunity to attract fellows to the region.
Regions across New Zealand were given an hour to pitch to the fellows, highlighting the potential of their region in three specific sectors of business. Hawke’s Bay opted for food and beverage, technology, and environment – playing to the region’s strength and provenance, while also targeting areas of growth.
Frank Engagement worked hand-in-hand with Grundy Productions, and designer Svetlana Suslova, to craft a high-impact pitch that blended informative slides, expert commentary and engaging case studies to showcase the lifestyle and opportunities available in Hawke’s Bay.
We worked with the local experts selected to present for the pitch – the Food Innovation Network’s Dr Nicky Solomon, Hi-Tech Hawke’s Bay head Dave France, and 3R’s Dominic Salmon. We enlisted well-known mana whenua representative, Shayne Walker, to weave together the threads of the presentation with the cultural story of Te Matau a Māui.
The combined result was an engaging one-hour video pitch that captured the essence of Hawke’s Bay and the breadth of opportunity here for growth and innovation.
Hastings District Council Economic Development Manager Lee Neville, who oversaw the Great Things Grow Here brand, said the pitch was head and shoulders above the competition.
“Through the process, we managed to attract Canadian technology innovator and entrepreneur Doug Steiner, an EHF Fellow, and wife Jasmine Herlt, a human rights lawyer, to visit Hawke’s Bay to see for themselves what the potential might be.”
“The presenters, Grundy and Frank Engagement put together an outstanding presentation. It strongly got across what Hawke’s Bay and its people are all about– the passion for our region really came through.
It was a highly collaborative team and I’m very proud of what we have all achieved together.”
