Wellington's ICT Companies Go Speed Dating
The speed dating skills of more than 40 Capital Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Cluster members were put to the test to identify winning sales pitches on Tuesday evening.
Sponsored by Positively Wellington Business (PWB), the objective was for participants to work out their “elevator pitch”; a description of a company’s products and services that could be delivered during a thirty second elevator ride.
“We called the evening Speed Dating for Beginners to reflect the fact that people make the most important decisions about a new contact within the first few seconds of meeting them. People only retain a few key ideas, so there is no point in boring them with a lengthy mission statement and strategy. If you can articulate your offering clearly in 30 seconds you have a much better chance of achieving your goals,” says Andre Russell of Lucent Technologies, Co-Chair of the cluster and one of the organizers. “Developing a compelling elevator pitch or value proposition is also a great tool for businesses to focus R & D and recruiting and training efforts, attract finance and retain staff.”
The evening concluded with a competition for the best “elevator pitch” which was judged by guest speaker, MP Mark Blumsky, former CEO of Creative HQ, Positively Wellington Business’s incubator and Wellington Mayor, Cluster Steering Committee Member Paul Spence of Genius.Net and Chris Lipscombe, General Manager Creative, Business and Technology, PWB.
Winner Mary Hancock with guest Speaker MP Mark Blumsky
Mary Hancock’s winning entry impressed judges through the clarity of her message and her memorable conclusion, “my aim is to ensure that my clients don’t leave this world with the music still in them”. Hancock & Associates is a licensee of Genratec, a New Zealand-based learning and development organization which provides a way for people to achieve their potential through a structured programme based on the concept that people have more potential than they think.
Runners-up were Katy Philips from Telecom and Verve Consulting’s Richard Holstein.
Capital ICT Cluster meetings are held bi-monthly with a focus on common business issues and providing members with strategies and tools to address them.
“This event was excellent both as a learning and a networking experience. I found the format great as people were encouraged to talk to those they didn’t know, to test out how they describe their business and to get feedback from potential clients. I have attended a number of events and this one was a stand out for me because people really talked to each other as the structure of the event removed the barriers people commonly have,” says Mary Hancock who is a new member.
The ICT sector has been identified as a key one for regional economic development in the Wellington Region and the ICT Capital Cluster was formed under the auspices of PWB in 2002.
“When we consider global hotspots that have undergone economic transformation, it is clear that social networks play a critical role in the innovation systems that drive regional economic development efforts. Social networks catalyse change and draw together people, financial capital and good ideas. This is especially the case in the technology sector. The ICT Capital Cluster aims to build levels of trust and social capital within the local ICT community in order to facilitate collaborative project outcomes and concentrate economic returns," says Paul Spence.