Peter Grayell
[FYI request #28638 email]
1 November
Dear Peter,
OIA 24-25-29: NZTE Pounamu Awards Costs
Thank you for your email of 3 October to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), making a
request under the Of icial Information Act 1982 (the Act). You requested the following
information:
I am writing to request information under the Official Information Act 1982 concerning the costs
incurred by NZTE for its internal awards programme held annually (Pounamu Awards). As a
taxpayer concerned with the effective and efficient use of public funds, I am interested in
understanding the financial implications and justifications of this internal awards programme. I
understand NZTE pays for an EXTERNAL COMPANY to supply the technical and broadcast
services, using taxpayer money for what sounds like an internal awards show.
Specifically, I would like to obtain detailed information on the following:
1. TOTAL EXPENDITURE
- The total annual cost of organising and executing the internal awards programmes for the
past five fiscal years. This is to include:
A. EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS
- Details of contracts or agreements with external partners who assist in running the
technical aspects of the awards programmes, including the selection process for these
partners, contract durations, specific support provided, and the costs involved. Please be
clear on the reason an external technology partner is required.
B. BREAKDOWN OF COSTS
- Travel Expenses: Costs associated with flights, accommodation, and any per diem
allowances for participants, staff, and executives involved.
- Venue and Catering: Expenses for physical venues (if applicable) and any catering or
hospitality services provided. Include alcoholic beverages as a separate line.
- Frequency and Participation: The number of times the show is conducted annually and
duration
C. ASSESSMENT OF OUTCOMES AND JUSTIFICATION
- Provide any analysis on the Return on Investment (ROI) this use of taxpayer money
provides
- What measures, if any, have been taken to reduce costs associated with the awards
programme
- Please include discussions (texts, emails, summaries) of alternative methods considered
for recognising staff achievements that may offer cost savings
T: +64 4 816 8100
F: +64 4 816 8101
W: nzte.govt.nz
W: newzealand.com/business
Level 15, The Majestic Centre, 100 Wil is Street, Wellington 6011, New Zealand, PO Box 2878, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Understanding these costs and their justifications is important for fostering transparency about
the use of public funds and assessing the overall value these programmes bring to both the
organisation and the public. Given the significant resources that appear to be dedicated to this
show/events (including in collective employee time), it is in the public interest to ensure that
such expenditures are justified and provide tangible benefits.
Answers to your questions are as follows.
The Pounamu Awards are NZTE’s annual all-of-organisation internal recognition programme to
recognise individuals and teams across NZTE.
The awards bring all international and New Zealand offices together. They are an important
part of supporting a performance culture in the organisation by recognising performance across
NZTE’s globally dispersed teams including 620 employees, across a global footprint of 37
offices. The recognition programme did not include prizes of any kind. The costs associated
relate to supporting the format of the programme.
Since 2020, the celebration has been conducted annually via Zoom and runs for approximately
two hours. There are usually three sessions run to accommodate the international time
differences. However, this year, to reduce costs, NZTE took the approach to run only two
sessions. This meant some teams joined outside of business hours.
Note the awards typically occur a month or two following the end of the financial year and look
back over the previous financial year.
The spend on external contracts has reduced by 41% this year compared to the last time the
awards were run. The partners were selected for their expertise and experience with NZTE;
engagement terms were confirmed annually.
NZTE is conscious of demonstrating fiscal constraint and this is balanced against ensuring we
recognise our people and support a high-performance culture, to help grow exporters
internationally.
1. Please find details on contractors used to assist with the NZTE Pounamu Awards for the
last five fiscal years in Appendix One. Existing service providers were used. External tech
partners allow NZTE to ensure the awards are able to be undertaken global y. NZTE does
not have the technical hardware to deliver awards of this scale and complexity.
Specifically, to undertake the following:
• Edit video content to share across the organisation.
• Play regional video content.
• Manage live crosses with 37 international offices.
2. Please find a breakdown of costs for the NZTE Pounamu Awards by year since June
2020/21 in Appendix Two.
3. The Pounamu Awards are about recognising individual and team performance and
connecting the global team at NZTE, to support the growth of New Zealand Exporters. It is
not possible to measure a specific ROI to the event itself, however we can measure the
overall impact for export customers and employee engagement. These metrics are readily
available in our Annual Report
(Reports and publications | NZTE).
The programme is timed alongside NZTE’s Lead Team meeting schedule to ensure no
additional travel costs are incurred by this group.
For the 2024 event cost savings measures were undertaken by reducing the number of
shows from three to two.
You have the right under section 28(3) of the Act to seek an investigation and review by the
Ombudsman. Information about how to make a complaint is available at:
www.ombudsman.parliament.govt.nz or freephone: 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Melissa Trochon
Director – Board & Ministerial
Appendix One: Details of External Providers
Company Contracted Total expenditure by fiscal Specific Support
year (al including GST)
Multi-Media Systems
2020/21 $22,796
• Studio - Lighting/Lectern/
Green screen/ cameras/
NZTE started working
2021/22: $24,700
foldback monitors/ cables.
with Multi-Media
• Control room - Production
Systems in 2015. NZTE 2022/23: $24,540
computer/ laptops/audio
continued to use this
console/ lapel microphones/
company from 2020,
2023/24: N/A
switchers/vision mixing/
when it moved to a fully
foldback monitor/network/
virtual event due to
2024/25: $12,641
cables.
COVID-19 restrictions.
• Green room – LCD monitor/
laptop/ speaker system/
Contract duration starts
cables.
three months ahead of
• Labour - vision
the event and
operator/Zoom
immediately concludes
operator/camera
following delivery.
operator/graphics.
operator/audio operator/
show caller.
• Video editing.
• Other expenses – software
licensing/ health & safety
compliance/ crew meals/
data/pre-
production/equipment
insurance/ sundry.
Connect NZ (Zoom’s
2020/21 $474
• Zoom licensing.
event arm)
• Provide services to ensure
2021/22: $474
global connectivity and
enabling Multi-Media.
Virtual Event Elves
2022/23: $6,857
Virtual Event Elves lead the
delivery of the shows ensuring
Contract duration starts 2023/24: N/A
global connectivity and enabling
three months ahead of
Multi-Media to produce the
the event and
2024/25: $4,496
technical content.
immediately concludes
following delivery.
Appendix Two: Breakdown of Costs
Financial
Travel
External
Venue &
Alcohol
Total
Other
Year
Expenses
Provider
Catering
Expenses
Annual Cost Expenses
(NZD$
Expenses
Expenses
(NZD$
(NZD$
(NZD$
including
(NZD$
(NZD$
including
including
including
GST) *
including
including
GST)
GST)
GST)
GST)
GST)
July 2020 -
$519
$23,269
$382
N/A
$25,872
$1,702
June 2021
July 2021 -
$220
$25,174
$929
N/A
$30,528
$4,205
June 2022
July 2022 -
$817
$31,397
$3,592
N/A
$39,024
$3,218
June 2023
July 2023 -
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
June 2024
July 2024 -
$1,747
$17,137
$3,864
N/A
$23,202
$454
June 2025
*Note we have included the directly coded travel costs here. As noted in paragraph three
above, the programme is timed alongside NZTE’s Lead Team meeting schedule to ensure no
additional travel costs are incurred by this group.
