"Showcasing Sustinable Practice" is an Expo run by the Queenstown Lakes Sustainable Business Programme and is open for all to attend.

The Expo is on Friday 5th November 2010 from 9am-4pm at Memorial Hall, Queenstown.   It will include exhibitors showcasing their products & services, a keynote speaker series and a discussion panel.  There will be a free prize draw for every Expo visitor to enter. 

Click here for the Expo agenda (items and speakers are being added regularly, check the page for updates).  The Expo Handbook is available here.

The event will support and showcase local businesses and community organisations operating in the Queenstown Lakes District who are delivering sustainable practice through their products and services.

It will showcase the district as a leader in best sustainable practice by capturing, sharing and celebrating success stories from individual businesses and organisations.

The Expo is free to attend with a nominal fee of $80 +GST for business display stands to exhibit.  Community organisations can display stands free of charge subject to available space.

For more information please email sharon.schindlerop.ac.nz

Paula McCallum joined Qualmark as General Manager in September 2010. She is responsible for leading and managing Qualmark NZ Ltd, the New Zealand tourism industry's official quality assurance organisation. All accommodation and tourism businesses that carry the official quality mark have been independently assessed by the Qualmark team as being trusted providers of quality service.

Based in Auckland, Paula divides her time with the industry and operators and spending time with her Qualmark Team both in the office and with the assessors around the country. Paula's background is in sales, marketing, business and operational management, including a successful career in both the private and public sectors. She is passionate about quality assurance and delivering visitors a world-class experience.

Rachel Vaughan is the Environmental Planner with the Kaikoura District Council who are the lead agency for sustainability in the Community. Rachel's talk at the Showcasing Sustainable Practice Expo will cover Kaikoura’s path to sustainability and what can be done for future proofing the Community.

Kaikoura is traditionally a seaside village with a population of just 3600 people. The Kaikoura community supports a visitor population of up to 900,000 people a year. Kaikoura has adopted several initiatives to ensure protection of the pristine natural environment and ensure that the community is protected for future generations.

Rod Oram has more than 30 years' experience as an international business journalist.  He has worked for various publications in Europe and North America, including the Financial Times of London.

Rod and his family emigrated from the UK to New Zealand in 1997.

He is currently a columnist for the Sunday Star-Times and Good Magazine; a regular broadcaster on radio and television; and a frequent public speaker on business, economics, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, in both NZ and global contexts.

Rod is an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Creative Industries and Business at Unitec, a leading tertiary institution in Auckland.

Penguin published in 2007 his book on the New Zealand economy, Reinventing Paradise.

He was named the Landcorp Agricultural Communicator of the Year for 2009.

This year, Rod was the winner in the individual category in the 2010 Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards and was Columnist of the Year in the consumer category in the national magazine awards.

Karen is the Chief Executive of Envirocomp Ltd., the world's first nappy composting solution, and nationally recognised award winners based in North Canterbury. 

Karen will be sharing her story of sustainable solutions designed to reduce the negative environmental impacts of cloth and disposable nappies.