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Tuning your Production Engine

May 28, 2025 @ 9:00 am – 6:30 pm

We invite you to attend the

New Zealand Manufacturing Industry Conference

Tuning your Production Engine

In conjunction with SouthMACH 2025  – May 28, 2025 – Wolfbrook Arena, Addington, Christchurch

Wolfbrook arena

55 Jack Hinton Drive, Addington
Christchurch, 8024 + Google Map

For our conference this year we are taking a different approach. The primary target audience will be operational leaders – operations, production and manufacturing managers, but also, and quite specifically, team leaders – especially those with ambitions to take on greater responsibility. That doesn’t mean top-level managers and business owners aren’t welcome, but substance and form of the conference programme will be tailored to engage with the target audience. What that means:

• Emphasis on contributions ‘from the coal face’ – war stories from those with scars on their backs
• Emphasis on tangible outputs –what worked, what didn’t, and what are the measurable results?
• Most presenters will have been directly involved in the work they will report on
• We’ll create opportunities and encourage the audience to interact with the presenters throughout each session.
For our workshops with have chosen three related topics:

  1. Leading through change, keeping hearts and minds onboard
  2. Improving productivity through raising levels of engagement
  3. Using digital tools to improve productivity on the shop floor

Ticket prices include catering and a social hour at the end of the function

• Top-tier leaders (MD/CEO/GM): $485+GST
• Tier-2 leaders (operations, production, manufacturing managers, etc) $340+GST
• Tier-3 leaders (team leaders and equivalent) $220+GST
• Full Paid-up members of MAKE│NZ receive a 15% discount on the above – click here to register

• For more than four registrations per company, please contact us for a special offer: dieter@makenz.org

Conference Programme

9:00-10:00Welcome to SouthMACHSouthMACH opens at 9 a.m. – Feel free to come in early and see the exhibits at SouthMACH
9:00-10:00Check-in and day registration
10:00-10:10MCWelcome and introduction
Theme 1: Leading through change
10:10-11:10Rebecca Phillips & Ben Rae (Comfort Group)The Comfort Group is in the middle of a major move -shifting its operations from Auckland to Ohinewai (Waikato). Ben & Rebecca will share their experience with managing that transition
11:10-11:40Tony Smale (FORTÉ Management)Motivating people – how to get it right in different cultural contexts
11:40-12:10Panel discussion – Convenor: Natalie Smith (Kiwicare)On the Panel: Natalie, Rebecca, Ben and Tony
12:10-13:00Lunch Break and ability to see the exhibits at SouthMACH
Theme 2: Raising levels of engagement
13:00-13:30Lucien Thiele & Natalie Smith (Kiwicare)Improving engagement at all levels – how we got that to work, and what the impacts on our business are
13:30-14:00Sara Ogier & Michael Anderson (Wyma Engineering)Achieving and maintaining high levels of genuine engagement – the Wyma experience
14:00-14:30John Eatwell (Strategic People Group)Engagement. What is it really about?
14:30-15:00Panel discussion – Convenor: Rebecca Phillips (Comfort Group)Panel discussion – Convenor: Rebecca Phillips (Comfort Group)
On the Panel: Rebecca, Lucien and Natalie, Sara and Michael, John
15:00-15:20Afternoon Tea and networking (with presenters)
Theme 3: Making the boat go faster
15:20-16:20
Nathan Hay (Argus ManuTech)		Argus has recently put a lot of effort into adopting digital tools that help them to improve productivity. Nathan will share how they got there, and what mistakes to avoid
16:20-16:50Carl Broxup, (CHC Engine Centre)Getting ERP to work with lower-level manufacturing process management software – we FINALLY got it to work!
16:50-17:20Panel discussion – Convenor: Ben Bainbridge, CHCECOn the Panel: Ben, Carl & Nathan
17:20-17:30MC Wrap Up
17:30-18:30Social hour – Drinks and Nibbles

For MAKE│NZ Community members, there’s a 15% discount on tickets. If you’re not yet a member we’d love for you to sign up HERE

Tickets

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If you’re having any trouble getting a ticket or would like to enquire about discounts for sending four or more of your team, don’t hesitate to reach out to dieter@makenz.org or sabine@makenz.org.