Fancy yourself as the next Sebastian Vettel? Keen to thrill the crowd with your creativity and flamboyance? Think you can produce the best thing on four wheels since the Flint mobile? Then you could be on your way to Red Bull Trolley Grand Prix glory!

The Red Bull Trolley Grand Prix returns to New Zealand for the third time on April 10^th 2011 and will transform the Auckland domain into a winding race track that will test man and machine.

The Red Bull Trolley Grand Prix is looking for a new national champion who will bring to race day a healthy dose of courage, a creative trolley and have gravity as their new BFF.

Only the best 100 trolleys will make the grid but everyone is eligible to enter by heading to www.redbull.co.nz. Those keen will need to show their commitment, creativity and some imaginative flair, to get entries in by 31^st of January 2011.

Teams and their trolleys will be judged on three evenly weighted criteria; creativity (originality, innovation and design); performance (showmanship of the team before and during the race – including introduction skits, spins, crashes and costumes) and finish time (race time).

UK Trade & Investment’s UK-Market Entry (UK-ME) business competition has been launched to find and assist companies ready to do business in the UK.   UK-ME is supported by New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, HSBC and Oury Clark.

UK TRADE & INVESTMENT (UKTI)

UKTI is the UK Government’s trade development organisation with a global network of offices.  UKTI services include trade development and promotion work for UK and foreign companies.  UKTI’s Auckland office provides commercial support and advice to New Zealand companies focussed on the UK market. 

HOW TO ENTER

Companies need to register their interest online by Friday 10^th September. 

Companies then submit a 2-3 page executive summary outlining plans for UK market entry by Friday 15^th October. 

Winners will be announced early November 2010.  Companies must be New Zealand registered and have minimum 50% New Zealand ownership

PRIZE PACKAGE

The UK-ME competition provides New Zealand companies the chance to win business support packages worth up to $50,000.  These packages include:

• Complimentary return airfares to the UK
• Meetings with potential business partners, contacts and networks
• Free PAYE, VAT & Company registration and immigration assistance
• Ongoing UKTI & NZTE in-market support

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

Launch events will be held in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland in September.  Speakers will include the British High Commissioner Mr. George Fergusson, and exporters like John Heng, former CEO of Click Clack Ltd.  Guests will hear from New Zealand companies who have “been there, done that”, and entrants will be given a detailed description of the information required for the executive summary.  Check http://www.ukmenz.co.uk/UK%20Market%20Entry%20Event%20One%20Programme.html for speaker and venue details as they are confirmed.

CASE STUDY: TRADEMOBILE

In 2009, kiwi company TradeMobile received assistance from UKTI to move into the UK market.  Previously NZ-based, Trade Mobile relocated its operations to London to take advantage of the sophisticated UK mobile market. 

Jen Porter, Founder of TradeMobile Ltd, said “UKTI was instrumental in introducing us to the former Minister of Trade & Industry, Lord Digby Jones, who is now Chairman of TradeMobile.  UKTI’s involvement means we’re now enjoying rapid expansion in the UK market”.

COMPETITION CATEGORIES

UK Expansion: companies with annual revenues exceeding NZD$2million.  Prizes include complimentary return airfares, introductions to UK businesses, free limited company, UK market assessment, a range of specialist advice, guidance on company structure, UK legal and tax matters, meetings with UK regional development agencies and PR coverage in the NZ media.

UK Entrepreneur: companies with annual revenues between NZD$1000 and NZD$2million.  Prizes include complimentary return airfares, introductions to potential business partners, a range of specialist advice, guidance on company structure, UK legal and tax matters, meetings with UK regional development agencies and PR coverage in NZ media.

EVENTS (VENUES TBC)

1. Launch events will be held:

Christchurch (21^st September)

Wellington (22^nd September)

Auckland (23^rd September)

1. Regional finals will be held:

Christchurch (1^st November)

Wellington (2^nd November)

Auckland (3^rd November)

For more information go to www.ukmenz.co.uk/

Find the Page that this month’s ‘Tweet and Win’ is hidden on – retweet it and go in the draw to WIN!

Each month Etch Magazine will hide the Tweet and Win logo at the bottom of one of this month’s article posts – Find the correct page, and then retweet it by clicking on our in-house ‘Retweet’ button found at the top of each post and go in the draw to win the ‘Tweet and Win’ prize of the month.

This month’s prize is:

Phoenix Foundation’s latest album – Buffalo

Taste savvy New Zealanders will have the chance to create the next great chip flavour, Kiwi style, with DO US A FLAVOUR.

Launched by Bluebird Foods, DO US A FLAVOUR stakes are high for this New Zealand-first competition. The overall winner will receive a staggering $20,000 in cash and two percent of sales for the duration the winning flavour is sold. Three runners up will receive $5,000 each.

Entry is simple. Potential flavour creators need only submit an original flavour idea along with a creative image to www.bluebird.co.nz. Judges will select four finalists whose flavour creations become part of a limited run, on sale in supermarkets throughout the country. The New Zealand public will then get the chance to vote with their tastebuds – the ultimate winner being decided by a combination of sales and public votes online.

“If the flavour sells really well and New Zealand consumers just love it, as much as they love Salt and Vinegar, it could be worth up to $100,000 a year to the winner. We expect this to be the most popular promotion of 2010 in New Zealand,” says Bluebird Managing Director, Gerard Smith.

Fronted by TV and Radio Personality Mikey Havoc, Bluebird’s DO US A FLAVOUR competition is open for entries from 24 May to 10 July. Mikey Havoc will join a panel of independent judges including a Culinary expert and a Chip-ologist (chip connoisseur and flavour expert), who will shortlist four finalist flavours based on:

•Originality
•Creativity
•‘Delicious-ness’

The competition has already run in the UK and in Australia where they were swamped with entries; the UK received 1.2 million entries. Michelin Chef Heston Blumenthal led the panel of judges who chose young British Mum Emma Rushin as the winner with Builders’ Breakfast – a chip flavoured with bacon, sausages, tomato and egg. Australia received over 315,000 entries, with Aline Pascuzzo taking out the winning spot with her Caesar Salad idea.

Bluebird has put out the challenge to all New Zealanders: get those creative juices flowing, get inspired and ‘Do Us A Flavour’. For competition details and to enter visit www.bluebird.co.nz

Credit: Bluebird