SBN Business Trip event to strengthen ties amongst Samoans

​Twelve Samoan owned and operated businesses from overseas will be descending upon Apia to take part in the official Samoa Business Network Business Trip Event opening tomorrow at the Taumeasina Island Resort.

The S.B.N Business Trip is a three day event that aims to bring a group of New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii and American Samoa based S.B.N members to scope and make business to business connections in Samoa.

Leading the delegation will be the Samoa Trade Commissioner, Magele Mauliliu Magele and the programme features the provocative motivational speaker and former New Zealand Rugby League player, Sione Faumuina who is also a business coach, author and trainer.

Samoa Chairperson for the S.B.N, Afamasaga Jackie Curry said that Faumuina is one of the few Samoans who have gone into the field of motivational speaking which is a profession most popular in America and Australia.

In the tradition of well-known transformational speakers like Tony Robbins or Robin Sharma who have been known to mobilise entrepreneurs through their highly sought after seminars, Faumuina will be delivering an entrepreneurial workshop which is aimed at challenging as well as motivating people to overcome limiting self-beliefs that inhibit the growth of their businesses.

“ This will be a unique workshop” said Afamasaga “ we don’t have many of these kinds of speakers come to Samoa and we specifically brought him over for the purpose of disrupting mindsets that keep people from taking their businesses to the next level.”

The concept of the S.B.N Business Trip event is not a new one but the difference will be that the 12 businesses attending from New Zealand are driven by Samoans who are not only looking to make business transactions but also looking for ways to use their unique set of skills and knowledge to make an impact in Samoa through social enterprise partnerships and community development.

“These 12 businesses that we are bringing to Samoa are run by people who think globally and collaboratively” said Afamasaga “ They are looking to make profit as well as positive social and environmental impact. We hope that they will also be committing to community projects and become impact investors and choose to invest in small businesses and be able to support them to move to the next level.”

The diversity of the business delegation will appeal to a variety of multi-level local exporters, the agriculture sector, Information and communications technology businesses, fashion industry, Non- government organisations and social enterprises.

Award winning New Zealand based businesses will include We Accounting and Arbez who are looking to make connections with local immigration consultants, society of accountants, local training institutions and the agriculture department as well as real estate groups.

There are opportunities for up to 10 local businesses to showcase their products and services to the overseas delegates alongside governmental agencies and local organisations.

If you are interested to showcase or register for the Samoa Business Trip Event, send your Name, Business/organisation, Contact phone number to tyra@emdsamoa.com. Please register before 12pm Tuesday 13 th November. All payments to be made at the E.M.D office, Lotemau Building or call 22843.