The joint Financial Services Council (FSC) and Workplace Savings NZ (WSNZ) conference scheduled for next month has “all but sold out”, according to dual chief executive, Richard Klipin.
Klipin said the 240-seat affair – the first shared conference for the two possibly-engaged partners – was well on the way to being a sell-out with just a handful of tickets left.
“We’ve also had 26 nominees across our joint awards,” he said, “with some stand-out organisations and individuals represented.”
To be held over September 7-8 at Auckland’s Hilton Hotel, the ‘Navigating change’ conference features the four inaugural FSC awards in addition to the long-established WSNZ set of industry gongs.
Last week, the FSC also confirmed keynote speakers would – one week before the national election – include political heavyweights such as: Finance Minister Stephen Joyce; Jacqui Dean, Commerce Minister; and, opposition finance spokesperson, Grant Robertson.
“Just a few weeks out from what promises to be a fascinating election, we are delighted to welcome three remarkable politicians as speakers at this year’s conference,” Klipin said in a statement.
He said Nick Sherry, who served as financial services minister under a long-since defunct Australian Labor government, had also been confirmed as a panellist for the event.
Previously, pioneering NZ music and publishing entrepreneur, Murray Thom and Eat My Lunch founder, Lisa May, were confirmed as keynotes for the FSC/WSNZ conference.
Klipin said the sponsor roster has also filled out with AMP and Guardian Trust taking the ‘platinum’ spots with a raft of banks, technology suppliers, fund managers, insurers and a legal firm in, slightly less precious metal-based, supporting roles.
FSC claims 16 full members and 14 associate members while WSNZ has a membership of just over 100. The two organisations have been flirting with merger proposals for at least a couple of years but have yet to set a date to formalise a union.
In November last year Klipin took over from interim FSC/WSNZ chief, Owen Gill, with a brief to develop a “clear vision” for the organisations.
He said in February a formal merger of the two industry bodies was still on the table.
“Ultimately, all industry associations live or die on their value propositions – members, or potential members, have to see value if they’re going to remain or join,” Klipin said at the time.