Nestle announces succession plan for board chair
Global food company Nestle’s chair Paul Bulcke will step down at its next annual meeting in April 2026.
Nestle New Zealand has scooped the Supreme Site Award at this year’s National Fieldays being held at Mystery Creek in Hamilton.
New Zealand National Fieldays Society customer account manager Joanne Poka says the Nestle site, located in the Rural Living outdoor area, is unmissable, with multiple levels of signage and branding.
"The well-thought-out site layout, customer engagement, clear messaging, and activation areas made Nestle New Zealand a standout site," says Poka.
Nestle is thrilled with the award.
The conglomerate’s New Zealand’s corporate brand and sustainability manager Amanda McDermott says they were overjoyed and delighted to be given this award.
“We love coming to Fieldays and the award is appreciated by our team who have put so much time and effort into the build,” says McDermott.
“We’ve been exhibiting at Fieldays for 20 years, showcasing our brands. We get really good product insights from being face-to-face with our consumers and we appreciate their feedback.”
The Fieldays Site Awards take place each year, and judges evaluate their assigned areas against criteria such as visual display, innovative design, customer engagement, and overall outstanding features.
Judges commented that the Nestle site did a good job of telling its brand story and showcasing the end-user consumer products derived directly from primary industries.
Sustainability also featured in the judges’ decision, which commends Neste for its staff knowledge and promoting environmentally responsible behaviour.
The Best Large Outdoor Site award went to Brandt NZ, with its impressive display of green machinery, branding, and onsite activations for visitors of all ages.
Specialist vehicle and machinery engineers Active VMA won the Best Small Outdoor Site for their tidy and cohesive site.
Snackachangi was awarded Best Indoor Site with its recognisable range of chips that appealed to the crowds. Judges said that the matching team uniforms, the grab machine and the free samples were standout features.
Food vendor Get Loaded was recognised as the Best Food Vendor Site, and the Commitment to Sustainability Award went to supply co-operative Ravensdown.
Judges praised Ravensdown for its well-designed food and waste management in its shareholders' hospitality area. "It is possible to minimise waste if you invest time in planning an event," said Alisha Black from environmental organisation Instep.
“The Ravensdown team ‘reduce’ waste by using real crockery, ‘reuse’ with cups made from sustainable products that can be taken away and reused by the visitor, or cleaned onsite, and ‘recycle’ by completely separating waste.
“In addition, their team could tell their sustainable story, and the technology and initiatives described throughout their site were communicated with excitement,” said Alisha.
"It's exciting seeing the creativity of our exhibitors," said New Zealand National Fieldays Society Chair Jenni Vernon. "Despite the challenging times, they have maximised their presence, and it's fantastic to see it all come together after months of planning and preparation".
"Thank you to all our exhibitors, and congratulations to our winners".
Fieldays 2024 Exhibitors Site Award Winners:
Supreme Award - Nestlé New Zealand
Best Indoor Site- Snackachangi
Best Outdoor Site: Small, less than 200m2 - Active VMA
Best Outdoor Site: 200m2 to 400m2 - Nestlé New Zealand
Best Outdoor Site: Large over 400m2 - Brandt NZ
Best Food Vendor Site - Get Loaded
Commitment to Sustainability Award – Ravensdown
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