Auckland Small Business Expo Puts AI and Marketing on the Kiwi Growth Agenda
Summary
The New Zealand Franchise & Small Business Expo will bring AI and marketing into a major Auckland event for owners and entrepreneurs. More than 1,600 attendees, 60 exhibitors and 75 speakers are expected in September. Its practical sessions aim to help small businesses apply technology to marketing, productivity and growth decisions.
Our Analysis
• We believe the Expo reflects a shift from AI curiosity toward practical adoption among New Zealand’s owner-led businesses.
• In our experience, small firms need marketing tools demonstrated within real workflows, not isolated technology showcases.
• Our team sees the strongest opportunity in connecting content, customer acquisition and productivity under one commercial plan.
• The event’s free, capped format could make practical digital capability more accessible beyond major corporate marketers.
Full Story
New Zealand’s small business community will have a new national forum for practical discussions about artificial intelligence, marketing and growth when the New Zealand Franchise & Small Business Expo opens in Auckland in September.
The two-day event, announced on August 25, is expected to attract more than 1,600 attendees, alongside more than 60 exhibitors and 75 speakers. It will be held at Due Drop Events Centre on September 18 and 19, bringing together business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, franchise buyers, advisers and commercial service providers.
While the Expo covers the wider challenges of running and growing a small business, artificial intelligence and marketing are prominent parts of the programme. Organisers say the event will address issues currently occupying business owners, including cash flow, finance, AI, marketing, sales, staffing, leadership, productivity, succession planning and preparing a business for sale.
The programme includes 93 workshops, seminars, demonstrations, panel discussions and hosted roundtables. One session, titled “Everyone Has AI. The Difference Is You”, is designed to move the conversation beyond general awareness and towards how businesses can apply technology in ways that reflect their own operating models, customer needs and competitive position.
Justin Flitter, founder of AI New Zealand, is among the featured speakers. His participation gives the event a direct link to the country’s expanding business technology ecosystem, while other speakers include Auckland Business Chamber chief executive and former National Party leader Simon Bridges, former Food and Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich, New Zealand Businesswomen chief executive Carolyn Banks, Icehouse chief executive Olivia Blaylock and Business Mentors New Zealand chief executive Sarah Trotman.
For digital marketers, the Expo’s significance lies in its focus on implementation. Small businesses are often expected to manage customer acquisition, content, social media, sales follow-up and brand development with limited staff and budgets. By placing AI and marketing alongside financial management and productivity, the event reflects how these functions are increasingly connected in day-to-day business operations.
The Expo’s organisers say the event has been built around the decisions business owners make under time and information constraints. Co-founder and Exhibition Director Rachel Hobbs-Price says attendees should be able to ask specific questions, see useful tools demonstrated and leave with ideas they can apply immediately.
The event is supported by the Auckland Business Chamber, the Franchise Association of New Zealand and Franchise New Zealand. ASB is sponsoring the NextWork main stage, while Zoho is the event technology partner. Entry to the Expo and its business sessions is free, although registration is required and attendance numbers are capped.
The September gathering offers New Zealand’s small business sector a practical setting to assess how AI can support marketing, productivity and commercial decision-making. Its emphasis on demonstrations and direct advice suggests that the next phase of adoption will be judged less by novelty and more by whether tools help owners save time, reach customers and build sustainable businesses.