About POAAL 2007 National Conference
What a Conference!
Fantastic guest speakers, interesting site visits, great social functions and prizes galore – the 2007 POAAL Conference had them all!
Delegates met in Christchurch, New Zealand, over Easter to learn more about their business, network with their colleagues, and have a great time!
The weekend started with a Welcome Reception on the Friday night. Delegates, Guest Speakers and Exhibitors got to know each other over a quiet drink during a relaxed pre-dinner function. After the function, one group of Delegates adjourned to a local restaurant for dinner where they were treated to an impromptu pipe organ recital!
Conference drinks
On the Saturday morning the serious conferencing began. POAAL’s Chairman opened the Conference and introduced all the POAAL Board members present.
Guest speaker Graeme Halperin, POAAL’s solicitor, gave an excellent presentation on capital gains tax and superannuation reform. And judging by the overwhelming response from Delegates, Graeme’s presentation really struck a chord. Graeme was mobbed at morning tea and at the Conference Dinner by Delegates keen to find out more!
Graeme Halperin
After morning tea, delegates boarded buses headed for the brand-new Christchurch Mail Centre. The Mail Centre is located near Christchurch Airport – a more convenient location than its present site in the centre of Christchurch.
A group of NZ Post employees and a couple of NEC technicians from Japan kindly gave up part of their Saturday to give guided tours of the new facilities.
Conference Mail Centre visit
The first-ever international LiPOMS Workshop was held on the Saturday afternoon. Delegates took the opportunity to ask many questions about LPO payments.
Campbell Prentice, Secretary of the NZ Post Franchisees Association gave Delegates an overview of the postal industry in New Zealand, which served as an excellent precursor to the site visits to some franchised post offices (the NZ equivalent of LPOs) on the Sunday morning.
Four NZ Post franchisees opened up especially for our Delegates – a great effort on Easter Sunday – and gave Delegates a guided tour of their businesses. The franchisees were then peppered with questions. It was a learning experience for franchisees and Licensees alike!
Conference Visits
Cameron Bott, Managing Director of insurance brokers GWS Genco Group gave a thought-provoking presentation on the topic of managing risk. GWS Genco Group also gave away a selection of NZ wines to one lucky Delegate.
Lynley Ducker from the Postal Industry Ombudsman gave an informative and entertaining presentation on the role of the new Postal Industry Ombudsman. Lynley was also part of the panel discussion that chewed over a number of current issues in the postal industry.
But no POAAL Conference would be complete without a fantastic Conference Dinner. And this time, we may have set a new standard!
Staged in the Christchurch Town Hall – a living monument to the 1970s – the POAAL Conference Dinner was a Seventies Spectacular! Delegates dressed in their finest 1970s costumes. There were original safari suits, kaftans, flares, big lapels, and some outrageously large hairstyles!
During pre-dinner drinks – which were sponsored by GWS Genco Group – Delegates tried to work out just who was under each wig!
And after dinner the dance floor was packed. Cameron Bott demonstrated that GWS Genco Group will bend over backwards and do somersaults for POAAL members!
Conference Dinner
All in all, one of the most memorable POAAL Conferences ever.
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