Trading It All In For Life In NZ
by Rachel Walsh
29 Jun 2004
She’s organised world film premieres and helped launch numerous New Zealand businesses in the UK. Now after five years, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise consultant Fiona Taag is heading home.
Fiona Taag first joined the Government organisation when it was the New Zealand Trade Development Board in a market research role as part of a university graduate recruitment programme.
She worked with the food and beverage team for two years before the lure of overseas travel brought her to the UK.
She says she was one of those people who firmly believed that it was important to gain work experience in New Zealand before heading overseas. "Of course once you get here you realise that it counts for nothing."
After some initial travelling around and the ritual temping stint, Taag joined the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (then called Trade New Zealand) team in London where she signed a three-year contract looking after a portfolio which included consumer products as well as the creative sector.
"It was really exciting being part of the creative industry" she says. "It involved working with a lot of passionate people as well as being an area the Government was pushing."
Consumer products was also an intriguing area to work in. "I was looking after products such as fishbait, kayaks, and party balloons."
With so many New Zealand individuals and businesses approaching Taag about launching in the UK market, it was no wonder she found the job frustrating at times.
"The hardest thing is when people come to you so excited about their product and their plans for it," she says. "You know that it is not going to be easy and you know some of them will fail. Sometimes they need reigning in."
Taag says while New Zealand has very strong ties with the UK and awareness of New Zealand is at an all-time high, the export market is hugely competitive. "More often than not, it is a case of people not being prepared enough," she says.
"The reality is that successes are few and far between but it’s all about knowing what you have to do to make it work. The upfront research is essential."
A significant art of Taag’s role has been establishing networks. "A lot of it is about who you know and who can help who, and the UK-based New Zealand community is hugely supportive of each other," she says.
"In the process of networking it’s been great to see a big shift in the UK mindset. So many Brits saw New Zealand as an agricultural-based economy and now they are seeing much more creative innovation."
Obviously for Taag, the release of the Lord of the Rings trilogy has been a major highlight. "It was great to be involved in the whole premiere scene, the process actually began in early 2001 before the release of the first film in December of that year.
"The whole time we were asking ourselves how can we leverage off this success." She says it was easy from the tourism angle as the scenery in the films spoke for itself in terms of promoting New Zealand as a tourist destination.
"But there were lots of other opportunities especially with promoting Kiwi wine and food at premier events and getting New Zealand products into goodie bags."
Taag says there was also a big push to get film companies to realise the extent of post-production work going on in New Zealand. "A lot of companies shoot films in New Zealand but aren’t aware of what else can be done there," she says. "The whole thing has been hugely popular and a lot of work has come off the back of Lord of the Rings." Another highlight for Taag has been working with the fashion industry. She says it has been hugely rewarding watching New Zealand fashion designers work so hard to make it on to the international stage.
"Karen Walker is now a household name in the UK and Zambesi is gradually getting a strong hold on the market here," Taag says. "These people are so passionate and creative it’s devastating to see them get knocked back but inspiring to see them being so persistent."
After five years, Taag is leaving New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to head back to New Zealand with her South African husband.
She says she will miss seeing those she has helped thrive in the UK, but hopes to maintain many of the contacts she has made.
She is, however, looking forward to getting home, and catching up with family and friends.
"I can’t wait to get to the beach and the mountains as well as unpacking all the treasures I’ve has collected in the past five years.
