Conference25 wrap-up

Conference25 in Taupo (August 6th – 8th) was another awesome reminder of why FCANZ conferences are worth showing up for, if you haven’t yet.

With a theme of “It’s not just WHAT you know, but WHO you know”, the event provided delegates with ample networking opportunities, a fantastic speaker lineup, superb food and some great entertainment.

The official 3-day programme could not have started better, thanks to the stunning, if somewhat chilly, Waikato weather for the National Fencing Field Day on the Wednesday. Sadly, it deteriorated over the week, but that made for a very cosy final dinner on the Friday evening. Here’s an overview of what delegates experienced at this year’s not-to-be-missed event.

WEDNESDAY

The fifth annual FCANZ National Fencing Field Day was literally held in a paddock just out of Wairakei. Thankfully, with people still traumatised by the weather in Stratford in 2023, Taupo put on a beautiful, if chilly, day for the event.
With around 200 attendees, there was plenty to see and do with various competitions scattered around the exhibits, alongside the annual FCANZ Games of hammer throw, guess the strainer weight, distance pacing, and guess the staples. Secondary students from the local area joined Primary Industries Academy students from Geraldine High School for a fencing competition training session with fencing comp legends Owen Petersen and Shane Bouskill, assisted by Phil Cornelius and about half a dozen other fencers keen to teach a few tricks. The afternoon finished with a “Clash of the Bangers” competition, which provided great watching and a bit of hard work for the competitors!

At the same time, nine lucky ladies attended the annual Ladies Who Lunch event – exploring iconic Taupo spots and sampling some pretty delicious fare, finishing with a wee gin tasting session. Keep an eye out for Conference26 info, as the next Ladies Who Lunch event is likely to sell out fast!

Wednesday evening saw us heading to Finn’s on their burger & beer evening for our famous Mix & Mingle dinner. The space was buzzing with old friends catching up and new acquaintances being made during a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

THURSDAY

Thursday was a full day – the longest in the Conference programme. FCANZ Executive Director Jaime Bigwood was MC for the day and delivered the Association update, providing attendees with an overview of what had been worked on since the last Conference. This was closely followed by the Association’s Annual General Meeting, which saw an increase in the maximum number of Board Officers from seven to nine, the retirement of Nick Terry and the addition of Scott Heasley, Burne Maxted and Ruben Connelly.

The theme of ‘It’s not just WHAT you know, but WHO you know’ meant a focus on connecting people and sharing information. The first session of the day had former American Fence Association President, and long-time business consultant, Tony Thornton dial in from Texas to talk through his ‘7 Strategies’ for fence contractor business success. The session with WorkSafe was next up, with some fascinating insights, and it was great for attendees to be able to ask questions about how the inspection process works, particularly with their current focus on reducing harm in the Agricultural sector.

Unfortunately, ‘Bad News Brad’ wasn’t available this year to give us the economic update. However, we were lucky enough to have his boss, Gareth Kiernan, provide the annual sector insights thanks to Infometrics. Maybe we’ll wait until there is better news before we have them back again!

After a VERY generous lunch, we came back to an update from Wiggy on the work he is doing in the rural mental health space – when he once again reminded delegates just how passionate he is about saving lives. This was followed by a very quick pivot, to have Wiggy run our ‘speed networking session’: lining up all the delegates in two rows facing each other. The hum of people getting to know each other in only 5 minutes was delightful, and we’re pretty sure some new connections were made (before heading off for beverages together at the end of the day).

Throughout the day, we were delighted to give away $2,500 worth of Strainrite gear across five lucky attendees, and one very lucky contractor won a massive $7,126 wire and tools prize thanks to Farmlands.

Awards Dinner

Our fourth annual industry awards gala dinner was incredibly well attended, and some of the outfits were superb! Once again, the Constable Kitchen catering team outdid themselves with plenty of delicious food. Congratulations to all nominees and finalists – you can read all about them in later pages.

FRIDAY
Activities Day

We tried something different this year with a “mix & match” approach to the Friday activities. Delegates were able to choose which activities they did from mini golf, tenpin bowling, a games arcade, a ninja course and a scavenger hunt. At the same time, there were two tours of the PermaPine site offered, and feedback on the visit was excellent, with one delegate saying it was the highlight of his Conference. Most delegates chose to avoid the rain and instead build on the connections they had made over the previous two days. A social bunch all met up for lunch at Mavericks before heading on their way to the next adventure.

The ‘Last Hurrah’ Dinner

The final dinner of Conference was also held at the Lake Taupo Yacht Club and once again the food was plentiful and delicious. It was a brilliant evening, full of impromptu action, including a member feedback session where the group were able to ask all their burning questions. The organising team were then blown away when an impromptu auction raised more than $8000 for the Lean on a Gate programme delivered by the Whatever with Wiggy Charitable Trust. Rookie auction master Janine Swansson did a great job, and there was much hilarity at the bidding rivalry and some of the prizes (which shall not be discussed here!). Thank you to all those who donated items for auction and those who placed bids.

NETWORKING GALORE

We’re told time and again that the most valuable (and enjoyable) part of every conference for members and industry partners alike is the networking opportunities. Catching up with old friends and making new connections is a key component of every FCANZ event, and therefore, we make sure to factor in as much of this as possible at Conference.
Our pre-conference unofficial dinner on Tuesday night was held this year at firm favourite Lone Star, and saw more than 40 people attending (over a third of our conference attendees!). Wednesday evening’s informal ‘Mix & Mingle’ dinner was another great chance for everyone to catch up over delicious food, regardless of where they were staying.

Multiple networking/socialising opportunities were available on Thursday, particularly during the extra-long breaks, thanks to being well ahead of schedule for much of the day. The free time on Friday was also well used by many delegates to connect and interact. Board and Ops team members alike were delighted to see new friendships developing, and all in all, it seemed that new Conference attendees were like old friends by the end of the week.

FINAL WORD

A huge thanks to Association partners and sponsors who supported the Conference and exhibited at the NFFD, and to the members who attended and made the Conference the success it was. We look forward to hosting you again next year.

Written by Jaime Bigwood