Kea and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise would like to thank the following sponsors for the significant contribution they make to the success of this prestigious annual event.

With more than 10,000 offices in 82 countries and territories across the globe, HSBC is the World's Local Bank. It offers an extensive range of financial services including personal and corporate banking services, trade finance, treasury and financial markets, and corporate finance.

Gen-i is a leading ICT provider in New Zealand and Australia, with a capability that spans the technology and telecommunications sectors to provide clients with seamless and integrated ICT solutions. A member of the Telecom Group, Gen-i employs 1600 people across 15 locations throughout New Zealand and Australia, providing services and solutions to over 3000 corporate, government and business clients. Gen-i is at the forefront of helping clients take advantage of the convergence of IT and telecommunications, and the new opportunities this provides. Gen-i's success has seen it consistently ranked as the number one ICT company in New Zealand for both mindshare and marketshare, according to the IDC Brand Awareness survey and IDC IT Services Tracker.

Merck Sharp & Dohme (NZ) Ltd is the New Zealand subsidiary of Merck & Co Inc, a global research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first. Merck discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets medicines and vaccines to address unmet medical needs. Alliances with innovative partners are an integral and essential part of Merck's long-term business and research strategy. More than one-half of the company's sales are from alliance products and patents and in 2006 Merck established 53 major research collaborations and technology transactions globally to augment internal research efforts. These were across a range of therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular disease, neuroscience, diabetes, novel vaccines, obesity, infectious disease and oncology.

Wellington = New Zealand's Capital of Creativity and Innovation. Wellington City Council aims to promote Wellington's reputation as New Zealand's centre of creativity and innovation in order to attract and retain smart, innovative people and creative, forward-looking enterprise.

BDO Spicers is one of the top five Chartered Accounting and Business Advisory firms in New Zealand with 14 offices, more than 65 partners and over 650 employees nationwide. The company is proud of its hands-on personal approach and its partners' active involvement at all times. BDO Spicers has a strong local presence throughout New Zealand and offers businesses the support, opportunities and benefits of being part of a cohesive global network. It has the unique combination of international strength and local excellence.

Provenco is a New Zealand-founded technology company operating globally with customers in over 23 countries and offices in Australia, Malaysia, China and South Africa. Provenco creates and delivers smart technology for business which is reflected in each of its business areas: forecourt solutions for the international retail oil industry; EFTPOS payment and retail technology in the domestic New Zealand market; and
distribution of retail, barcoding and mobile and wireless technology in Asia-Pacific.

Enterprising Manukau promotes and facilitates economic growth in the region by working with businesses to improve their management capabilities. Moreover, working to promote Manukau as the leading destination in which to live, invest and conduct business. Enterprising Manukau has a team with a wide range of vocational and business experience. The dynamics of this team environment are incredibly progressive and continue to provide businesses and individuals with the tools required to facilitate economic growth and prosperity.

The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology is the largest of the public sector investment agents for research, science and technology. It manages investments of approximately $450 million a year, amounting to nearly 70% of the government's investment in research and development. The Foundation works with research organisations, universities and businesses to maximise the benefits of their research for New Zealand - economically, socially and
environmentally.