Reflections on APQO Conference 2016
It is not often that we get a chance to put New Zealand on the global stage, in our own country, and exceed all expectations in terms of running a challenging and successful event.
That is exactly what the New Zealand Organisation for Quality and Asia Pacific Quality Organisation (APQO) teams did in Rotorua on 20–23 November 2016, for the 22nd annual APQO Conference.
This was the biggest International Quality Conference ever held in New Zealand, involving over 350 delegates from 23 countries (including the 18 APQO Council Member countries, plus a few more).
I was honoured and privileged to be the MC for this event, which was a real pleasure and a great experience for me. The last (and first) time New Zealand hosted such an event was in Auckland in 1991—25 years ago. As I was overseas at the time and did not attend, I am unable to make any comparison between the two events. However, by all accounts, the 2016 experience and outcome was far and away above the 3rd APQO Conference in Auckland, in 1991.
I have chaired and MC’d numerous NZOQ meetings and events in the past 20–30 years and having been ‘out to pasture’ for a few years since retiring from professional life and leaving the NZOQ Board, it was great to be back amongst colleagues and friends and to meet up with and make so many new friends amongst the conference participants.
Rotorua put on some great weather during the conference, plus The Conference Company event team, Energy Events Centre venue team and the hospitality and welcome provided by Te Arawa, Rotorua District Council and Rotorua as a whole, made this most enjoyable and it was a superb and memorable occasion overall.
Involving Te Arawa and Lynmore School children in a Powhiri, plus opening and closing ceremonies, along with the Awards and Gala Dinners was an excellent opportunity to share our world-renowned culture and warm hospitality and pride with our overseas guests. They all enjoyed this immensely and led to many taking the opportunity to extend their visit and tour many related cultural and scenic sites within the ‘volcanic plateau’ area.
The conference programme was extensive and varied, with many excellent speakers and workshops. Out keynote speakers all delivered a great message about the fact that quality in all its guises is still valid and pervading everything we do today, as it ever was. This is maybe in an updated and more modern form, along with the lessons learned from earlier years and together with advances in technology that have occurred in recent times.
As the Conference Convenor and NZOQ President (and now APQO President-elect) Abraham Fenn said in his welcome, “We live in interesting times and find that the Quality field keeps continually changing its characteristics and demands on society and industry year after year. Like change, it is a constant in everything we do and an ever-evolving theme in our lives”. I believe the conference focused on many of these aspects and changes and was a great platform to share in the ideas and thoughts across Quality, Health and Safety, and the Environment. The current APQO President, Harnek Singh from Singapore and APQO Chairman, Chuck Aubrey from the USA, both spoke of similar challenges in their respective welcomes and presentations.
At the Business Excellence and ACE Team Awards Dinner, we managed to squeeze in the presentation of no less than 65 awards—what a crazy record we set for that most enjoyable evening. Let’s not try to do that ever again, as I know that it challenged everybody’s patience and expectations, but we did it and still managed to enjoy the meal and company on the night!
Representation and attendance from the various delegations and participating countries was also interesting, as there was an almost even split between New Zealand attendees and those from overseas. The Indonesian delegation was some 67 strong — what an incredible contribution to both the ACE Team competitions and the conference.
Some of my lasting memories will be the tranquil walk through the thermal area of the Government Gardens en route between the hotel accommodation and the Energy Event Centres on calm, cool, clear early mornings, along with the culinary delights of the extensive food presentation and our overseas guests actively participating (women in a Maori poi dance and gents in a haka) at the Gala Dinner at the Stratosphere Restaurant at Skyline Rotorua. The Te Arawa cultural group were most flexible and generous in their hospitality and extension of time to cater for our wild programming that evening.
I have no doubt that all attendees thoroughly enjoyed the conference, certainly as much as I did. Thank you NZOQ for this great experience and opportunity. Let’s all look forward to Manila in November 2017, for the 23rd APQO Conference.
Joe Hollander
Honorary Member & Lifetime Award Receipent, NZOQ
MC, APQO Conference 2016
