Business commentator Tim McCready joins Summer Times to forecast some big changes for Auckland in 2026 with the opening of the much-awaited City Rail Link and International Convention Centre, some international trade agreements to watch out for, and what’s happening in AI.
Prizes courtesy of Air New Zealand and Silver Fern Farms
Katy Riddell, Summit Event Director
Sam Winstanley, Senior Manager Corporate, Government & SME Sales, Air New Zealand
Tim McCready, Summit MC
The 2025 China Business Summit was held on 18 July 2025 at Cordis, Auckland.
Brought to you by NZ INC. and Auckland Business Chamber.
David Downs, CEO of New Zealand Story, unpacks the latest China Market Perception research from New Zealand Story, revealing how Chinese consumers view their nation, and how this shapes their perception of other countries, including New Zealand. David covers what the research shows for sectors like education, food and beverage, and tech – including the need to leverage our strengths in safety and innovation, emphasise our technical capability, and tell stories that resonate with Chinese consumers.
Moderator: Tim McCready, Summit MC
The 2025 China Business Summit was held on 18 July 2025 at Cordis, Auckland.
Brought to you by NZ INC. and Auckland Business Chamber.
Tourism and international education were among the hardest-hit sectors during the pandemic. While global travel has largely rebounded, New Zealand’s recovery in the China market continues to lag behind.
What’s holding us back, and how do we turn it around?
In this session, Lisa Li MNZM (China Travel Service), Professor Dawn Freshwater (Vice Chancellor, University of Auckland), Carrie Hurihanganui (Chief Executive, Auckland Airport) and Jessica Miao (United Media Solution) share insights on how the landscape has shifted, explore strategies to reignite growth, and discuss what a sustainable rebound to pre-pandemic levels looks like.
Moderator: Tim McCready, Summit MC
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The 2025 China Business Summit was held on 18 July 2025 at Cordis, Auckland.
Brought to you by NZ INC. and Auckland Business Chamber.
Nick Mowbray took us inside the “Just in Time” building revolution that Zuru Tech has sparked to disrupt the manufacture of homes and commercial buildings for international markets. Zuru Tech’s flagship product, DreamCatcher, is the world’s first BIM software directly connected to automated production systems, enabling users to design, price, and manufacture buildings with unprecedented efficiency and precision.
It’s the latest chapter in the Zuru story, which began over two decades ago in Guangzhou with a toy company founded by the Mowbray siblings, now a global powerhouse in innovation and scale.
Moderator: Tim McCready, Summit MC
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The 2025 China Business Summit was held on 18 July 2025 at Cordis, Auckland.
Brought to you by NZ INC. and Auckland Business Chamber.
Tim McCready and Renata Blair of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei get the China Business Summit underway.
The 2025 China Business Summit was held on 18 July 2025 at Cordis, Auckland.
Brought to you by NZ INC. and Auckland Business Chamber.