PROJECT 2014-2015:

Ten events. Two cities.

Multiple opportunities.

Following on from the success of earlier events and this years two-day Project: Digital Disruption conference, AUT University, the US Embassy and SMNZ are partnering again to deliver the Project event series.Through Project Connect, a new quarterly networking event series and the annual Project 15 conference, the Project event series will provide a platform for diverse people and networks to converge, collaborate and catalyse something new and different.

In 2015 the Project will focus on taking New Zealand innovation global. Over two days, 16 - 17 April, at the flagship Project 15 conference, more than a dozen international and local presenters will come together to share their knowledge and expertise around how New Zealand Inc can continue to develop and export diverse and unique products and services to global markets.

Its been 10 years since the Facebook phenomenon and only a few years since YouTube was purchased by Google for $1B. Much has changed over that time and that pace of change continues to accelerate. Technology has reshaped the look and form of 21st century business. What will the business landscape look like in two, three, five years and what do you need to do now to prepare for this uncertain future? The rise of SMAC-smart companies (Social, Mobile, Analytics (Big Data) and Cloud) is changing the way businesses and consumers use software applications. The co-creation economy is shifting how we purchase versus share goods and services. And, The Internet of Things (IOT) will change how we manage everything.

The Project event series will delve into the near future of all these trends. How will they continue to shift? How will they evolve and change? And what will we see coming our way over the next few years as new technologies, new business models and new market strategies emerge?

Whatever your industry or interest, the Project offers a rare chance to meet business people working on the next cutting edge and to learn from their successes and failures. Together, we can make better business sense of our shifting and evolving digital world.

Lets continue to connect the dots and see what we can create.

Warm Regards,

INTRODUCTION

Programme Chair

HAL JOSEPHSON Programme Chair Project 15

KEY DATA

Series Format

Equal parts inspiration and enlightenment, the Project event series provides valuable insights that will help New Zealand companies take their ideas to the world.

Attendees will hear from, connect and network with world-class international and local speakers. They will meet future business partners, collaborators and co-conspirators and be exposed to ideas that will re-invent their approach to everything.

PROJECT CONNECT QUARTERLY EVENTS

In December 2014 we will launch the Project Connect quarterly event series in Auckland and Wellington. These quarterly presentation and networking functions will focus on different aspects of the theme for Project plus provide the opportunity for the greater Project community to come together. These events will foster dialogue forward and build the Project community in the lead up to mid-Aprils annual thought-leadership conference.

PROJECT 15 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The Project 15 annual conference will take place 15 -17 April 2015.

On Wednesday, 15 April, Project 15 will begin with a speakers-meet-sponsors half-day welcome function. This will include short presentations and a roundtable followed by a VIP reception for all attendees plus invited guests. Additionally, in the evening, key sponsor contacts and all speakers will be invited to a get-to-know each-other-better hosted welcome dinner.

On Thursday, 16 April, Project 15 will deliver a one-day thought leadership conference event focusing on taking New Zealand innovation global. Past themes have included social media, the rise of the mobile, internet and digital disruption. Project 15 speakers will focus on the issues and challenges entrepreneurs, companies and industries face as well as key success factors and lessons learned. At the conclusion of the programme, attendees will gather in the main forum area of the Sir Paul Reeves Building for the Connecting the Dots networking function. Over canaps and fine New Zealand wine and beer, conference

attendees will discuss the highlights of the day and make more connections than a super-sized Lego set.

On Friday, 17 April, selected presenters will deliver a series of workshops and seminars where attendees can delve more deeply and interactively into specific areas of interest plus have more dialogue time with Project 15 presenters.

This years unique structure will allow for more interaction with presenters as well as opportunity to delve deeper into specific action plans and next steps. By bringing together innovators, entrepreneurs and world-class minds

from the Pacific Rim and further afield, our goal is to create new synergies, initiate new strategies and fashion great new ideas into practical plans that will benefit New Zealand.

ABOVE: A mixologist from Stolen Rum preparing cocktails at the Connect The Dots networking cocktail function // April 2014

The Audience

The Project event series targets the change agents that are putting New Zealand on the map when it comes to the strategic, creative and commercial implementation of digital technologies and business innovation which offers sponsors a rare opportunity to connect with early adopters, innovation drivers, vanguard thinkers and pioneering spirits from a diverse range of industries and backgrounds.

From bold young start-ups to established businesses, from ICT executives to technology entrepreneurs, from marketers to manufacturers, from app developers to investors, the Project brings together a unique audience, hungry for a better understanding of todays opportunities and tomorrows possibilities. The Project will foster putting global trends into action, to enable New Zealanders and the

companies they lead to innovate and prosper on a global stage.

Each Project Connect quarterly event will attract an audience of 150+, with the Project 15 conference in April 2015 expected to attract an attendance of 400+.

350+ REGISTERED ATTENDEES IN 2014.

TRENDED WORLDWIDE ON TWITTER.

9 OUT OF 10 DELEGATES WOULD RECOMMEND THE EVENT TO OTHERS.

Sir Paul Reeves Building, Governor Fitzroy Place, Auckland, NZ

KEY DATA

Venue

The Project will make the most of the state-of-the-art facilities on offer in Aucklands newest conference venue, including two stunning lecture theatres and a massive 5m x 3m video wall. The Project is a one-of-a-kind event series that will have attendees buzzing long after the conference is over.

Designed to reflect what students around the world want from their learning spaces, the Sir Paul Reeves Building and the areas within it are flexible, contemporary and invite collaboration. It reflects AUTs position as The University for the Changing World, and features one of the most contemporary media teaching and learning spaces in this hemisphere.

With its impressive 12-storey tower and glass-roofed atrium, the Sir Paul Reeves Building is right at the heart the AUT city campus, connecting the surrounding buildings, including the Business School, by way of Governor Fitzroy Plaza. This building is rich with student-centred learning and social spaces and houses the most advanced communications school in the country.

AUT University and the event partners have a large, well connected audience and marcomms infrastructure that will be utilised to engage with potential prospects online, socially, through direct marketing channels and via a concerted PR campaign. Partnerships with relevant media organisations will provide further exposure in the lead up to and during events in the series.The 2014 Project: Digital Disruption conference enjoyed widespread media coverage. Highlights included live interviews with four of the highest profile speakers on TV3s Firstline breakfast show, interviews with keynote speaker Cameron Gawley in NBR and Stop Press and interviews with another of the keynote speakers, Macon Phillips, on Nine-to-Noon and Public Address.

#Projectdisrupt was trending on Twitter in Auckland by 10.30am on Day One and was trending in New Zealand by midday. It eventually trended at number one in New Zealand and went on to trend worldwide on Day Two.

Overall, The 2014 Project: Digital Disruption conference reached many hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders through a variety of media channels, including:

TELEVISION AND ONLINE

Four separate interviews with keynote speakers on TV3s Firstline breakfast show in the lead-up to the conference

Mediaworks online campaign on 3 News, TV3, George FM, Mai FM, RadioLive and The Edge delivering more than 325,000 total streams/impressions (total ratecard value $6,500)

Idealog online and solus EDM campaign more than 50,000 impressions (total ratecard value $500)

Public Address campaign delivering more than 180,000 impressions (total ratecard value $3,500)

Mi9 network campaign delivering more than 390,000 impressions (total ratecard value $7,500)

Campaigns on Facebook, LinkedIn and Google Adwords (total spend $4,000)

Widespread coverage on key online news outlets and blogs including NBR, Idealog, Stop Press, Stuff and Public Address.

RADIO

Interviews with keynote speakers on Nine-to-Noon and RadioLive

A Mediaworks radio campaign on George FM, Mai FM and RadioLive (total ratecard value $11,395).

Right, from top: Volunteers, delegates, and the main auditorium in the Sir Paul Reeves Building, AUT University // April 2014

Marketing & Media Coverage

THE PROJECT 2014 WAS AN AMAZING EVENT FILLED WITH ABSOLUTE EXPERTS WHO

REPRESENTED A GOOD CROSS SECTION OF GLOBAL THINKING. WELL DONE!

Kathy Cunningham, Director, Empire PR, Auckland Jean Walker, AUT University Library

THE HIGHLIGHT FOR ME WAS THE VARIETY OF BACKGROUNDS AND DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES THE SPEAKERS

HAD IT ENCOURAGED INTERESTING DISCUSSION AND PROVIDED A RICH LEARNING EXPERIENCE.

Rebekah Foote and Guy Thompson interact with Hungry Pixels by T.J. Grieg //April 2014

RIGHT: Speakers and Sponsors VIP reception and dinner at Four Seasons // April 2014

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

All Events

DECEMBER

First Project Connect events (Dec 03 Auckland/Dec 04 Wellington) w/Dr. Alvy Ray Smith, (co-founder Pixar)

Pre-holiday 2-for-1 early bird ticketing promotion

First speaker announcement for Project 15 conference

JANUARY

Marketing campaign across radio, online and direct begins for Project 15 conference

FEBRUARY

Marketing campaign across radio, online and direct continues for Project 15 conference

Final speaker announcement for Project 15 conference

Marketing campaign begins for second Wellington Project Connect event

MARCH

Marketing campaign across radio, online and direct continues for Project 15 conference

Marketing campaign continues for second Wellington Project Connect event

APRIL

Marketing campaign across radio, online and direct continues for Project 15 conference

Marketing campaign continues for second Wellington Project Connect event

15 - 17 APRIL PROJECT 15 CONFERENCE - AUCKLAND

Sponsors/VIP event and dinner (15 Apr)

Project 15 conference day 1 (16 Apr)

Connecting the Dots networking function (16 Apr)

Project 15 conference day 2 workshops (17 Apr) 17 APRIL SECOND PROJECT CONNECT EVENT - WELLINGTON

MAY - DECEMBER

Further three Project Connect quarterly events in Auckland and Wellington

2014 PARTNERS

AUT UNIVERSITY THE U.S. EMBASSY SOCIAL MEDIA NZ

Y & R NZ SAMSUNG 2 DEGREES Mi9 MEDIAWORKS

KEA THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE NZ INNOVATION COUNCIL NZ TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

IDEALOG

GENCOM

Foundation Partners

Premier Partners

Associate Partners

Media Partner

Technology Partner

NZ TRADE & ENTERPRISE

THE FOUNDATION PARTNERS

AUT UNIVERSITY

AUT University is a university for the changing world; an increasingly powerful force for learning and discovery that promotes the wellbeing of people and their environments, and provides them with opportunities to expand and achieve their aspirations.

AUT is committed to having active relationships nationally and internationally with communities, industry, businesses and the professions, in the creation and exchange of knowledge and in the application of learning and research. A strong advocate of innovative approaches to teaching, learning and research, AUTs learning environment encourages interaction between students and with their lecturers.

AUT has four campuses: City (Auckland CBD), South (Manukau), North Shore and Millennium Institute in Albany.

THE U.S. EMBASSY

The U.S. Embassy in New Zealand is one of the leading proponents of the U.S. Governments global digital outreach strategy. The term 21st Century Statecraft is a philosophy developed by Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It involves complementing traditional foreign policy tools with new instruments of statecraft that fully leverage the networks, technologies, and demographics of our interconnected world.

The Project 15 event series will further the Embassys efforts to achieve the Obama Administrations goal of advancing U.S. foreign policy diplomacy and development by bringing diverse communities together to network more efficiently and productively.

SOCIAL MEDIA NZ

SMNZ is one of Asia Pacifics leading and most credible resources for social media, tech and digital news and opinion. Their website is a gathering place for the regions sharpest minds to discuss, share, learn and push into the digital frontier. With a diverse set of industries and disciplines represented in discussions around different digital issues, SMNZ sets out to make sense of the digital era.

CONTACT DETAILS

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Martin Bell

T: 09 921 9999 (ext 6705)

E: mabell@aut.ac.nz

W: www.the-project.co.nz

PROGRAMME CHAIR

Hal Josephson

T: 021 158 9072

E: haljo@me.com

W: www.the-project.co.nz

EVENT CO-ORDINATOR

Emily OHara

T: 09 921 9999 (ext 6246)

E: eohara@aut.ac.nz

W: www.the-project.co.nz