ICCNZ Trip To Europe

ICCNZ President, Mario Leonti, conducted several meetings to foster relationships with diplomatic, political and business institutions. Dott. Luca De Leonardis organized meetings for him in Rome, Modena, Parma, Reggio Emilia, Forli, Treviso, Milano, Val Di Comino, Frosinone, San Gimignano, Siena, Torino and Mondova with very promising results.

They introduced the idea of New Zealand becoming a hub for Italy in the South Pacific reaching as far as Chile, China and Singapore. The concept was very well received.

In Rome they met with the NZ Ambassador, Laurie Markes and had a very enjoyable lunch with him. They discussed ways of assisting medium to small NZ businesses develop markets in Italy and of raising the quality of service in the NZ tourist industry. Dott. De Leonardis also arranged an introduction to Dott. Antonio Romano of Assocamerestero, in charge of the Network of Italian Chambers of Commerce worldwide. Dott. Romano was encouraging about the likelihood of ICCNZ being accepted by Assocamerestero and offered many useful suggestions to strengthen our eligibility. In Emilia-Romagna ICCNZ member Ascor Chimici very generously hosted us at the Castle of Diegaro. We much enjoyed their justly famed hospitality and cuisine. We also met with Sig. Valentini, owner and founder of Ascor Chimici and were shown over their facilities by their Export Area Manager Sig. Pandolfini. It was lovely meeting them again and hearing of the successful outcomes of the meetings ICCNZ organized for them in NZ in 2007.

Their next visit was to the Chamber of Commerce of Modena to meet with Sig. Zanni, Director of Promec and Signora Bisi Manager for Asia Africa and Oceania, exploring possible cooperation. They had a dinner meeting near Treviso with Dott.ssa Lucy Kuzminowa, Manager of Internship and International Projects of the University Ca' Foscari of Venice. We discussed the possibility of interns from the university coming to ICCNZ.

The next morning they went on to Parma for a meeting with Dott. Andrea Zanlari, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Parma and of the Combined Chambers of Emilia-Romagna, who treated us to a beautiful lunch at the prestigious restaurant La Greppia. They discussed the participation of NZ delegates to Italian Trade Fairs such as the important local fair CIBUS, of delegations to NZ with presentation and tasting of regional products, and of a Mission from the Parma Chamber headed by President Zanlari to see the country and evaluate joint projects and possible investments combining Italian high technology with NZ prime materials. They also discussed the possibility of organizing educational projects for young New Zealanders and Dott. Zanlari offered to arrange a visit to the Alma International School of Italian Cooking in Colorno. Reggia di Colorno - ALMA He also organized a very interesting visit to the SLEGA prosciutto factory in Langhirano where they were shown around by one of the owners, Sig. Massimo Borchini.

The following day they had a meeting with NZ Consul Bruce Gadd and his staff in Milan. They organized a business lunch with some of the companies who had been on a Trade Mission to NZ, including Dott. Beretta of Coldiretti and Dott.ssa Magro of Agriteam.

After lunch they continued our meeting at the NZ Consulate. They discussed collaborating with Dott.ssa Fara of Future Film Festival Production House and Marcello Hinxman-Allegri of NZTE. The Consul and I both expressed a strong interest in a NZ representation at the wine fair, Vin Italy, organized by ICCNZ member Verona Fiere, and agreed to cooperate on related events.

In the evening they visited the Fiera del Mobile di Milano and spoke to Mr David Trubridge, furniture & lighting designer and Ms Clare Mora of Essenze, marketers of NZ artists abroad.

The following day the Consul invited us to accompany him on a visit to Jeffrey Chilcott, a New Zealander and the Cellarmaster for Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy in Barbaresco for a wine tasting of some of the best wines of Piemonte and a delightful lunch.

In Mondovi, Piedmont, in relation to proposed major road works in NZ, Mario Leonti met with Dott. Vinai of Conicos one of the largest road makers of Italy whose company, Codelfa was involved in tunnelling for the hydro works near Turangi.

In May Leonti and De Leonardis were lucky to be pampered guests of ICCNZ member Hotel Villa Grancassa of San Donato Val di Comino, Lazio. Their hospitality was exceptional. They discussed ways to encourage New Zealanders to visit Monte Cassino, Roma and Naples from the base of their superb facilities, in tranquil surroundings near the stunning Abbruzzi Lazio e Molise National Park. They organized a meeting with Dott. Mario Papetti, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Frosinone, and members of the Council. This was followed by a meeting with Dott. Leopoldo Papetti and Dott.ssa Barbara Zorzin of the Consorzio Turistico Terre Ciociare to foster bilateral tourism.

A few days later they had a delicious lunch as guests of another ICCNZ member, Hotel Sovestro near San Gimignano, Siena. Sig. Failli, the owner, organized a meeting with Dott. Borri President of the Associazione Industriali della Provincia di Siena. After various follow up meetings in May, Dott. De Leonardis organized further meetings for me in June.

They met again with the NZ Consul in Milano for further discussions on Vin Italy 2009. ICCNZ member Sig. Barbieri introduced us to a group of businessmen from Milano who are planning to invest in a permanent "Made in Italy" Exhibition Pavilion in New Zealand and have offered their existing building, Revel, in the centre of Milano to New Zealand businesses wanting to showcase their products in Europe. With Sig. Galvan they also discussed the export and distribution of electronic products in NZ.

They returned to San Gimignano and Siena where they discussed projects relating to tourism and to the importation of furniture into NZ. Hotel Sovestro is interested in collaborating to promote the Province of Siena, offering their hotel as a centre for New Zealanders visiting Toscana. Our final visits were in Parma.

They met with Sig. Tanzi who is interested in developing a centre of excellence in NZ for the South East Pacific, seeing the 2011 Rugby World Cup in NZ as giving it additional momentum. With President Andrea Zanlari of the Camera di Commercio di Parma they had further talks on joint projects in the near future. He brought us for a very interesting visit to the Alma cooking school. They expressed a strong interest in enrolling NZ students in their courses and invited the cooperation of ICCNZ. President Zanlari asked us to give a presentation on the activities of ICCNZ to a forum of exporters including Confindustria, Consorzio del Parmigiano Reggiano e Consorzio per Prosciutto di Parma. The event was a great success.

Lastly, the ICCNZ President met with President Ferruccio Dardanello, of the Chamber of Commerce of Cuneo, Piemonte, who was very interested in collaboration and in an investigative visit to NZ.