The candidates – North Shore mayor Andrew Williams, anti-smacking protestor Colin Craig, comedian Ewen Gilmour, Mayor of Auckland City John Banks, Manukau City Council Mayor, Len Brown, water campaigner and actor Penny Bright and actor and theatre director Simon Prast – will participate in the third and final session of The Unitec Forum For the Future- “Super City – Win or Lose?”

The three-evening series around the impending Super City has attracted some of the country’s top local government experts as panelists who have taken the opportunity to inform the studio and online audience about the pros and cons of Auckland’s new local government structure.

The first two sessions held in the past two weeks have created a vigorous debate amongst the guest panelists and the live audience.

Rod Oram, business journalist, commentator and adjunct professor at Unitec’s Department of Management and Marketing, is facilitating the series of discussions.

“This is probably the first time all the mayoral candidates have come together to discuss their intentions for the Auckland Super City so it should make for some very interesting discussions,” says Oram.

“We are hoping the seven mayoral candidates can leave the point scoring and politicking at home and come to the forum and address some of the central issues that have come out of the first two sessions.”

The focus of each forum is tackled in a series of three lively 90-minute live studio debates bringing together the community, business leaders, academics and students in front of a live audience.

The event is streamed live on Twitter and the online audience can tweet questions to the panelists before or live during the event.

The first forum looked at why there was need to change regional governance structures, while the second forum held earlier this week looked at what could be done to make the new system work.

Next Tuesday’s discussion will focus around how the new Super City system can best perform for Auckland and New Zealand.

“The Unitec Forum for the Future- Super City Win or Lose? aims to stimulate thinking and debate on how we can make the new Super City structure work for the community of Auckland and New Zealand as a whole,” says Oram.

To view video clips from Session 1 (already up) and Session 2 (these will be up during this week); comments from live streaming on Twitter or to tweet your questions for the 3 August session go to www.forumforthefuture.unitec.ac.nz

For further information or interviews with Rod Oram or Robert Davis (rdavis@unitec.ac.nz) please contact:  Rod Oram: on oram@clear.net.nz or mobile 021 444 839 or Andrea Rush on andrea@360connect.co.nz, DDI 09 918-7712 or mobile 021 962 349

George Hickton TV3

“Unitec’s Future Forum this week discusses tourism and what role it can play in boosting New Zealand’s economic performance.

Yesterday there was some good news from the tourism sector as inbound visitor numbers rose nine percent in September.

Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton talks about the future of the industry.”

View the video on Tv3 (Thu, 22 Oct 2009 7:53a.m.)

The October 22 session (6.30pm- 8.00pm) will explore the Tourism sector’s strategic response. The two guest speakers will be Graeme Osborne, chief executive of Tourism Auckland and George Hickton CEO of Tourism NZ will be guest panelists along with Rod Oram as Chair, Dr Ken Simpson http://bit.ly/3Jp9SD along with business students Tonya Wright and Sven Damm.

Please come along and ask our panel questions. If you aren’t able to be there send us a question via twitter using the hashtag #UnitecFTF and follow the discussion on twitter @UnitecFTF

The venue is Unitec Performing and Screen Arts, Theatre , Building 6, Entry 1, Carrington Road. The shortened map URI is http://bit.ly/xA9cB Entry Gate 1 is near the Pt Chev end of Carrington Road.

It would pay to be early as this is the 3rd session of 3 and that would give you time to get your video and TV face ready (only kidding.)  Each programme will be filmed and edited for the web by students from Unitec’s Department of Screen and Performing Arts.

Unitec forum – how to raise NZ’s economic performance – Video

Unitec students Tonya Wright and Svenn Damm

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 8:01a.m.

Auckland’s Unitec Institute of Technology continues to run its Forum for the Future, looking at ways to raise New Zealand’s economic performance.

Unitec students Tonya Wright and Svenn Damm share their ideas for enhancing New Zealand economy.

Watch this mornings Video here or use this short URI http://ow.ly/urss to let your friends know about it.

Video from NZI Business October 14: Rod Oram discusses closing the NZ-Aust gap (3:57)

The short URI is http://ow.ly/ugf0

The government’s economic goal of lifting living standards to those of Australia by 2025 is being put under the spotlight in a series of debates hosted by Unitec this month.

Business commentator Rod Oram discusses the issues and leadership required to
get productivity in motion.

Next session tomorrow night on Dairy Sector’s Strategic Response with Rod,  John, Penno, Tim Mackle other panellist from Unitec and you? For the tweet sized updates follow us @UnitecFTF use #UnitecFTF to ask us questions also.

“Business leaders and students will be getting their heads together over the next couple of weeks to discuss how New Zealand’s economy can catch up with Australia’s by 2025.

Business leaders and students will be getting their heads together over the next couple of weeks to discuss how New Zealand’s economy can catch up with Australia’s by 2025.

The forum has been organised by the tertiary institute Unitec. Business journalist and Unitec professor Rod Oram spoke to Michael Wilson about the forum.

People can participate in the Unitec Forum for the Future via blogging and Twitter.”

Associate Professor, Dr Robert Davis will be speaking about the first session tomorrow morning (Thurs Oct 8th) on ASB Business LIVE just after the 6.30am news so make sure you tune in.

If you want to follow the discussion on Twitter check the hashtag #UnitecFTF and/or follow @UnitecFTF on twitter

Update: Here is the video link from 3 News this morning http://ow.ly/tggb