Nicola O'Rourke
Joy Consulting
Thursday 17th September | 5.00 - 7.30pm
BNZ Partners Centre
639 Cameron Road | Tauranga
Gain real insights and tips on successfully acting with agility in a constantly changing business world.
Nicola (voted in Cuisine's New Zealand Top 50 Women in Food & Beverage in 2025) has a wealth of experience from Operations, Digital and Marketing Management roles through to General Manager and Board Directorships.
Hear about her time at brands like Lewis Road Creamery, Pics Peanut Butter, WOOP and Pals, and real-life examples from different roles of being adaptable, making decisions on the fly, and then actioning them at pace.
She'll share practical insights into what worked well and what didn’t, learnings along the way, and her biggest successes. Also, some pitfalls and watchouts — things she'd perhaps do differently if faced with the same circumstances again.
Gain tips on:
Managing or changing your mindset to act fast
Using support tools that could be helpful
Influencing and leading others when things are happening at pace
$40 + Ticketing Fee
Brand Summit
2026
Thursday 15 October | 9.00am - 5.00pm
Grand Millennium Hotel
71 Mayoral Drive & Cnr Vincent Street Auckland
Big ideas. Real brands. Honest conversations.
Brand Summit is where local and global brands take the stage to share what’s really working — and what’s not — in brand building right now.
You’ll get behind-the-scenes stories from some of the world’s most exciting campaigns, explore the trends shaking up brand marketing, and leave with fresh ideas you can actually use.
What’s in store:
Inspiring speakers from top international and Kiwi brands
Real-world case studies and unfiltered insights
Conversations on creativity, trust, purpose, and the future of branding
Plenty of time to connect with other brands and marketing pros
If you’re serious about building stronger brands, this is where you need to be.
For $150 discount, apply the code TRAVEL150 at checkout. Accommodation discounts available too!
IMAGE: Kickstarter Magazine
Heilala Vanilla
Thursday 13 August | 5.00 - 7.30pm
BNZ Partners Centre
639 Cameron Road, Tauranga
Join Ruby Grant, Head of Brand and Jennifer Boggis, CEO and Co-founder, on the story of how Heilala Vanilla used story, flavour and partnerships to challenge category leaders.
Heilala Vanilla began with a trip to Tonga following a devastating cyclone and the idea of creating sustainable employment through vanilla farming.
What started as a purpose-led business built around one of the world's most-loved ingredients has grown into an international brand loved by chefs, bakers and food brands around the world.
Competing in a category dominated by legacy brands meant Heilala couldn't outspend the competition, so it had to out-story, out-partner and out-create them instead. Through collaborations with chefs and food personalities, earned media, retail partnerships and a relentless focus on flavour, Heilala has built a brand that punches well above its weight.
The journey hasn't been linear; from challenges in the Pacific and competitors with deep pockets, to changing the conversation around imitation vanilla.
Key takeaways:
What challenger brands can do when they can't outspend the competition
How collaborations, earned media, and partnerships can create an outsized impact
Lessons from building a premium brand in a category driven by habit and price
Building a brand takes resilience, persistence and no shortage of creativity.
$40 + Ticketing Fee