Amotai Summit 2023

Last week Tessa and Anton had the pleasure of attending the Amotai - Supplier Diversity NZ annual summit, Navigate 2023.

You know it’s a big deal when a shirt like that makes it out and about.

The summit links over 250 buyers and suppliers from around Aotearoa for a day of learning, connecting and inspiration. Hoffcon director, Tessa Flaws shares her reflections on the day:

“I observed that while there's some (and growing) engagement with Māori and Pasifika businesses in the construction sector, it's mainly in physical works like labour hire, scaffolding, and concreting. Professional services are a significantly smaller slice of the pie. How do we (as an industry and society) support/provide the space for Māori and Pasifika businesses here?”

Fantastic question. The man with the fantastic shirt has also come back to the office pumped up and would love to see more Māori and Pasifika kids exploring careers in the STEM fields. He’s got some exciting ideas on how to do that, and we hope to share those with you soon.