Marketing, Sales & Customer Engagement for Connecting with Rural NZ

19-20 OCTOBER 2026
CROWNE PLAZA, AUCKLAND

Rural Connect Forum

Rural marketing is changing faster than most organisations are ready for.

The relationships that built your business are under pressure. Digital is reshaping how rural customers discover, evaluate and buy. Costs are rising. Audiences are fragmenting. And the next generation of farm owners and operators thinks and behaves differently from the last.

The strategies that worked five years ago are no longer enough.

Rural Connect Forum is New Zealand’s only dedicated event for marketing, sales and customer engagement professionals working in the rural sector – two days of expert insight, real-world case studies and peer connection designed to help you lead what comes next.

WHAT WE'LL EXPLORE

Two days. The issues that matter most.

From understanding how your rural customer is evolving, to leveraging the tools and strategies that will define the next era of rural marketing and sales

The changing rural customer
Understanding shifting buyer behaviour, complex decision making structures and the next generation of farm owners and operators.
Connection in a digital world
How to digitise relationships, navigate fragmented media channels and build authentic trust and brand credibility in rural communities.
Data, AI and commercial growth
Practical approaches to customer intelligence, campaign performance, ROI measurement and future-proofing your team.

Agenda

Day 1

8:30	Registration and Coffee
9:00	Welcome and opening remarks from conference MC
9:10	Rural New Zealand 2050 – The future customer, farm and marketplace Understanding the critical role of the primary industries in the nation’s economic development strategy and supporting the capacity and capability of NZ’s largest productive sector to deliver increased economic performance Providing a strategic outlook on the key themes that are driving change in primary sector and rural markets Exploring succession, consolidation, technology adoption, demographics and changing decision-making structures Understanding key drivers for change in the primary sector to align marketing investment with long-term industry trends Preparing for the next generation of farm owners and operators Anticipating and preparing for shifts in customer expectations and buying behaviour Todd Charteris, CEO, Rabobank NZ
9.50	Primary industry leader’s panel: Mapping the issues that matter to farmers and primary sector businesses Mapping the mood of farmers, producers, processors and the wider primary sector Assessing the specific growth drivers across the different sectors of the primary industries – what opportunities do these present for suppliers to the rural sector? Where are the future development opportunities within NZ agriculture that will enable us to create additional scalable value chains – how can the broader supplier eco-system support delivery of these ambitions? What are key the challenges that farmers and producers need to address and how can you support them to achieve their goals - productivity, growth, sustainability and wellbeing Better understanding rural values, motivations and behaviours Hamish Gow, Sir Graeme Harrison Professorial Chair in Global Value Chains and Trade, Lincoln University Mike Borrie, Chief Farm Solutions and Engagement Officer, DairyNZ
10:30	Morning break
11:00	Who really makes the buying decision? From family-owned farms to corporate operations – recognising the diversity of rural customers Exploring how and why decision-making has become increasingly complex Mapping modern rural buying committees and influencers Creating strategies that engage multiple stakeholders across generations Building campaigns that resonate with diverse decision-makers
11.40	Achieving the great balancing act: How to digitise relationships without losing the human connection Exploring the need to transition from previous relationship focused sales and marketing models and maximise the value of digital capabilities Recognising the increasing pressure to reduce service costs while maintaining highly personalised relationships - reducing cost-to-serve while maintaining customer loyalty Delivering scalable customer experiences without sacrificing trust Examining how to combine digital engagement with relationship management
12.30	Lunch and networking
1.30	Beyond the trends: Turning insight into strategy Every organisation can see disruption coming. The harder challenge is deciding what to do about it. As customer expectations shift, technology accelerates and resources become increasingly constrained, strategy has become less about predicting the future and more about making deliberate choices. This session explores how leaders can make strategic decisions in response to an uncertain future, balancing immediate needs with long-term resilience and opportunity. Including: Why strategy is fundamentally about choices and trade-off Turning customer insights and market trends into practical decisions Balancing short-term value with long-term outcomes Avoiding the trap of trying to do everything The role of evidence, customers and stakeholders in shaping strategy Freya Hill, Head of Strategy and Commercial Partnerships DairyNZ
2:10	NZ Rural Media Panel: Mapping the changing landscape of New Zealand rural media Evaluating the changing role of traditional media, digital channels, outdoor advertising, niche publications and emerging platforms How to improve channel selection and budget allocation Understanding the best media mix to reach fragmented audiences more effectively Bryan Gibson, Editor, NZ Farmers Weekly
2.50	Exploring the trends shaping digital, social media and content marketing to rural audiences Breaking down the latest social media platform evolutions and algorithm changes, and how rural brands can adapt to stay ahead Mapping the effectiveness if different channels across rural audience demographics Creating content that connects - Aligning with your audience for maximum impact Creating content that captures and converts at every stage of the journey Adapting content across platforms while maintaining brand consistency How to supercharge your campaigns by integrating AI and automation to reduce your social content production cost Amber Carpenter, Director, Grass Root Media
3.30	Afternoon refreshments
3:50	Rural influencer panel: Influencers, communities and trusted voices The panel will bring a selection of leading rural influencers, advocate and who will provide and specialist rural content creators, who will provide insights into the issues and motivations of the farming communities they represent. Identifying trusted voices within rural communities Building advocacy and influence programmes Learning how to leverage community engagement to strengthen your brand credibility Cheyne Gillooly, Chief Executive Officer, NZ Young Farmers Delilah Flavell, Dairy Farmer & Content Creator Holly & Jonah van Dam, Dairy Farmers & Content Creators
4:30	In it for the long haul: Supporting rural communities in good times and bad Examining the power of long-term commitment Investing in the creation lasting relationships with rural communities Exploring how some brands continue to dominate rural markets through consistency, sponsorship and sustained investment in local communities Building long-term brand equity through alignment and relationships How to best maximise the value of sponsorship and partnership investments Supporting communities in good times and in bad Pete Frizzell, Chief Marketing Officer, Farmers Mutual Group
5.10	MC summary remarks for end of Day 1, followed by networking reception

Day 2

9:00	Welcome back from the conference MC
9:05	AI, search and the future of rural customer acquisition Exploring How AI is changing discovery, trust and purchasing behaviour Understanding AI's impact on search and visibility Learning how to optimise your content for AI-driven discovery Preparing for the next generation of farm owners and operators Positioning your brands for future customer journeys
9.50	From sceptics to advocates: Building trust when everyone is watching As audiences become more fragmented and AI increasingly shapes how people discover information, reputation has become one of an organisation's most valuable assets. Drawing on lessons from experience state-owned enterprise Pāmu Landcorp, this session explores how organisations can build trust, strengthen their social licence, and create advocates who speak positively about them when they're not in the room. Recognising that as algorithms increasingly prioritise trusted sources, reputation becomes a strategic asset Exploring how to turn customers into advocates Examining how you can build reputation across different channel Analysing mechanisms to improve your visibility in AI-assisted search environments Privacy, data governance and customer trust - balancing personalisation, compliance and customer expectations Kara Tait, Head of Communications and Engagement, Pāmu \| Landcorp
10:30	Morning break
11:00	From data to decisions: Building rural customer intelligence to deliver effective customer engagement In this session two commercial leaders will share different perspectives on customer data and intelligence in the rural sector: Exploring practical approaches to customer data, insights and market intelligence Extracting greater value from your existing customer data Building more accurate audience segmentation Improving campaign performance through better targeting Nadim Truter, Head of Commercial and Strategy, STIHL Simon Taylor, Insights Partner, Tracta
12:00	Will sales and marketing EVER get along? A bridging strategy for both How to become a student of human psychology Harness human decision-making heuristics and biases to your benefit Learn sales psychology concepts you can use and apply in your sales and marketing immediately Can marketing or sales make the other superfluous? How to integrate sales and marketing seamlessly so you win more market share St John Craner, Founder & Owner, Agrarian - Rural Sales Success
12:40	Lunch and networking
1:40	Sharing the insights gained through Fieldays that can help shape more effective rural marketing, engagement, and customer strategy Supporting New Zealand's primary sector by connecting businesses with rural customers Understanding how people engage with the Fieldays, what motivates their attendance and how exhibitors measure success Exploring valuable lessons for organisations looking to better connect with rural customers Examining the evolving expectations of rural audiences Making the strong case for the continued role for live and experiential events within the marketing and sales mix of those looking to target rural customers Exploring the role of Fieldays as a national strategic asset creating economic and social benefits that extend well beyond the event Driving success in our primary industries and those the work with them by fostering innovation, creating a platform for knowledge exchange and delivering international programmes Brett Beagley, General Manager - Commercial and Marketing, New Zealand National Fieldays Society
2:20	Case study: Launching a new rural brand Exploring our journey at Farmlands towards the creation of the Rural Never Rests brand Analysing the launch and the brand campaign Bringing the brand to life through partnerships and marketing Aligning the brand with Farmland existing partnerships and community commitments supporting rural mental health and wellbeing through the Rural Support Trust and our support of Provincial Rugby Loren Aberhart, Head of Brand and Communications, Farmlands
3:00	Rural commercial leaders panel: What will separate winners from everyone else? Discussing the capabilities, technologies and strategies that will define commercial success over the next decade Exploring how to prioritise the opportunities that matter most and the investments that will deliver the greatest impact Building more collaborative marketing, sales and customer teams As expectations increase, how can teams deliver more with limited resources? Developing a practical roadmap for future growth Brett Morris, Head of Marketing and Community Engagement, Rabobank NZ Kurt Sandtmann, Managing Partner, Tracta Nicole Scott, Head of Retail Sales and Marketing, Gallagher Animal Management Lynda Coppersmith, National Sales and Marketing Manager, CRV New Zealand
3.45	MC closing remarks and end of conference

Speakers

More to be confirmed

Lynda Coppersmith

National Sales and Marketing Manager

CRV New Zealand

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Freya Hill

Head of Strategy and Commercial Partnerships

DairyNZ

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St John Craner

Founder & Owner

Agrarian - Rural Sales Success

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St John Craner is an international rural sales psychology coach based in NZ who works with agri-clients in Australia, NZ, Canada, US, Ireland and the UK. St John has taught and trained Bayer, DeLaval, MSD Merck, John Deere, DeLaval (North America), CNH, CRV Ambreed, Nufarm, AGnVET, Nutrien and Elders to name a few. He is an author of three published books on rural sales and runs the #1 rural sales podcast (The Rural Sales Show). He comes to us here at Rural Connect Forum highly recommended as a former speaker and Chair.

Nicole Scott

Head of Retail Sales and Marketing

Gallagher Animal Management

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Lisa Sutherland

Head of Farmer Communications and Marketing

DairyNZ

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Loren Aberhart

Head of Marketing, Brand and Communications

Farmlands

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Loren transitioned is Head of Marketing, Brand and Communications at Farmlands Co-operative Society, New Zealand’s largest rural supplies company. In this role she leads brand, marketing, partnerships and sponsorship, the Farmlands Card go-to market plan, and both internal and external communications – most recently launching Farmlands new brand “Rural Never Rests”, securing Farmlands’ national partnership with all 14 NZ Provincial Rugby Unions and developing RST ignite, a digital platform delivering free online mental health and wellbeing sessions to rural communities.

Nadim Truter

Head of Commercial and Strategy

STIHL

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Nadim is an accomplished commercial and strategic advisor who brings a unique breadth of experience across industries, markets and functions. He has held senior roles in leading organisations across Oceania, including STIHL, Nestlé, Lion and Spark, consistently driving value creation for customers, suppliers and internal teams. He is passionate about helping organisations make better, faster and more confident decisions by leveraging modern data ecosystems, technology and analytics to lift insight quality and strengthen customer outcomes.

Mike Borrie

Chief Farm Solutions and Engagement Officer

DairyNZ

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Mike is the Chief Farm Solutions and Engagement Officer at DairyNZ, joining the team in February 2026. His role includes leadership and oversight of our farm solutions, regional engagement, and on farm advisory functions, ensuring strong connections with farmers and delivering practical solutions that support dairy businesses across the country. Mike brings extensive leadership experience from a long career with Fonterra, where he held senior Regional, National, and General Management positions, including roles at Executive level within Fonterra Farm Source. He has led large, geographically dispersed teams, driven business plans that strengthened market performance, and championed innovation across retail, milk supply, and sustainability. With a deep understanding of the dairy sector, Mike has developed strong relationships with farmers, industry partners, and internal teams. His experience in guiding complex businesses through change and growth, along with his passion for supporting people and rural communities, strongly aligns with DairyNZ’s purpose.

Simon Taylor

Insights Partner

Tracta

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Kurt Sandtmann

Managing Partner

Tracta

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Delilah Flavell

Dairy Farmer and Content Creator

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Delilah Flavell is a Dairy Farmer from Otaua, South Auckland, who is passionate about sharing an authentic insight into life on farm and the people behind modern agriculture. Managing a 150 cow dairy operation, Delilah has a hands on understanding of the realities, challenges and opportunities that come with farming today. Before returning to full-time farming, Delilah worked as a Large Animal Veterinary Technician, developing a strong foundation in animal care, health and welfare. This experience continues to shape her approach to farming and her belief in the importance of responsible, transparent and practical conversations around agriculture. Through her online platforms, Delilah has built a strong connection with audiences both within and outside the rural community by sharing the realities of farming in an honest and relatable way. She is passionate about bridging the gap between consumers and producers, showcasing the dedication, innovation and care that goes into modern farming, while encouraging the next generation to engage with agriculture and share their own stories.

Brett Beagley

General Manager - Commercial and Marketing

New Zealand National Fieldays Society Inc

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Amber Carpenter

Director

Grass Roots Media

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Amber Carpenter is a dairy farmer, digital marketer and rural sector leader who brings a practical understanding of both farming and communicating with rural audiences. Together with her husband Fraser, Amber farms just under 500 dairy cows in Paparimu, South Auckland, and leases two beef farms. Her hands on involvement across multiple farming systems gives her a grounded understanding of the realities, pressures and opportunities facing farming businesses today. Amber is also the owner and director of Grass Roots Media, a digital marketing agency working across New Zealand’s food and fibre sector. Grass Roots Media partners with rural, regional and agribusinesses to create practical marketing strategies and authentic content that builds trust, strengthens connections and helps rural businesses communicate their value. Alongside farming and business, Amber is actively involved in industry leadership. She has served as National Chair of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards and is the current Chair of DairyNZ’s Dairy Environment Leaders network, a Farmstrong Ambassador, an Escalator graduate and a Kellogg Scholar. Amber is passionate about strengthening the connection between rural businesses and the people they want to reach, while helping the food and fibre sector share its stories with honesty, confidence and purpose.

Brett Morris

Head of Marketing and Community Engagement

Rabobank NZ

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Cheyne Gillooly

Chief Executive

New Zealand Young Farmers

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Cheyne Gillooly is Chief Executive of New Zealand Young Farmers and a passionate advocate for the next generation shaping the future of New Zealand’s food and fibre sector. His career spans capital markets, government, governance and rural leadership, including senior roles at NZX and the Ministry for Primary Industries. Cheyne brings a practical, future-focused perspective to the opportunities facing farming, from succession and access to ownership to technology adoption, workforce development and new sources of investment. He believes the sector’s future depends not only on what happens behind the farm gate, but on creating genuine pathways for talented young people to lead, innovate and build enduring rural businesses and communities. Through NZ Young Farmers, Cheyne works alongside emerging rural leaders, industry partners and government to help ensure New Zealand agriculture remains ambitious, adaptable and globally competitive.

Pete Frizzell

Chief Marketing Officer

Farmers Mutual Group

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Pete is a passionate supporter of the mutual model and how FMG is striving to help grow strong and prosperous rural communities. Joining FMG in 2010, he is responsible for our Marketing and Propositions team and Chairs the Farmstrong Governance Group – the rural wellbeing programme co-founded by FMG. Pete’s role also involves overseeing sustainability, focussed on ensuring the Mutual can continue to provide support for another 120 years. Prior to joining FMG, he completed a PhD in Operations Research at Massey University and has worked in a number of technology-based management and consulting roles across various industries in New Zealand Aotearoa and the United Kingdom

Kara Tait

Head of Communications and Engagement

Pāmu

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Kara Tait is Head of Communications and Engagement at Pāmu, New Zealand’s largest farming business. She leads communications strategy, reputation management, media and government relations, stakeholder engagement, and internal communications across a nationwide farming portfolio. With extensive experience advising boards, chief executives, Ministers, and senior leaders, Kara specialises in helping organisations build and maintain trust in complex operating environments. Her work spans crisis and issues management, social licence, community and stakeholder relationships, sustainability communications, and the growing intersection between reputation, technology, and public expectations. Kara has a particular interest in how artificial intelligence is changing the way people discover, assess, and trust information. She is exploring how organisations can strengthen their reputation signals, increase visibility in AI-assisted search environments, and turn stakeholders and communities into authentic advocates. Kara brings a practical perspective drawn from leading communications in a highly scrutinised primary sector business operating at the intersection of food production, environmental stewardship, public policy, and community expectations.

Bryan Gibson

Editor

AgriHQ

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Bryan is managing editor at AgriHQ, and has led the team that produces Farmers Weekly for 12 years. He previously worked as a communications adviser at Massey University and as a reporter at RNZ. Bryan is passionate about sustainable food production and always has an eye on the horizon, looking at new ideas and innovations that can help NZ farmers stay at the forefront of farming. As well as helping produce Farmers Weekly, Bryan hosts the Farmers Weekly and Ideas That Grow podcasts. He was awarded the Ravensdown Agricultural Communicator of the Year Award in 2022 and in 2024 he and his colleagues won the Rongo – the supreme award for agricultural journalists in NZ. He has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons), a Graduate Diploma in Journalism and a Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Management, all from Massey University. Bryan has also completed the Kellogg Rural Leadership programme, gaining a Postgraduate Certificate in Commerce from Lincoln University. Away from work, Bryan can be found battling it out on the bowling greens or making an unholy racket in his post-punk band.

Hamish Gow

Sir Graeme Harrison Professorial Chair in Global Value Chains and Trade

Lincoln University

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amish is the Sir Graeme Harrison Chair in Global Value Chains and Trade at Lincoln University.

He has spent the past 30 years working globally in industry, government, and academia riding the waves of market liberalisation around the world.

He passionately applies design-led innovation to assist farmers and regional SMEs build innovative customer-focused business models and value chains that can successful launch agricultural, food, and technology products and services into local, regional and international markets.

He founded the International Business Immersion Program at University of Illinois, Food Safety Knowledge Network at Michigan State University, and Global Markets Program at Global Food Safety Initiative.

He was seconded to the Meat and Livestock Australia Donor Company as their business design in residence where he led the Australia Young Food Innovators program.

He also supported the Producer Innovation Fast Track program at the World Bank where he led the establishment of the Global Food Safety Partnership.

Hamish holds a BCom (Ag) from Lincoln University, New Zealand, and a MS in Agricultural Finance and Ph.D. in Marketing and Food Distribution from Cornell University, USA.

Previously, he was on the faculty and staff positions at Massey University, the University of Illinois, Michigan State University and Cornell University in the USA, KU Leuven in Belgium, Slovakian Agricultural University in Nitra, Slovakia, and Managing Director of Partnerships for Food Industry Development – Fruits and Vegetables at USAID.

He is currently supporting the Supply Chain Integrity Program for the Ministry of Primary Industries.

Todd Charteris

CEO

Rabobank New Zealand

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Todd has headed Rabobank, New Zealand’s only specialist food and agri bank, since January 2018. He leads a team of more than 500 banking professionals, backed by a global research team of 75 experts, supporting food and agri producers through a network of 30 offices and offering online retail savings and deposit services. Todd served more than 15 years in regional roles in New Zealand and as a former National Manager of Country Banking in Australia. He brings a wide knowledge of diverse farming systems, the realities facing producers and the importance of sustainability for the sector as it responds to a changing environment. Todd grew up on a sheep and beef farm in Otago. He joined Rabobank in 2000, following his Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) studies at University of Otago and early career experience as a livestock agent, and in investment banking in London.

Why your school will value this investment:

The Kura Conference is designed for maximum institutional impact, tailored specifically for Primary & Secondary School Leaders, HODs, Lead Teachers, and Educational Innovators.

Because this is a multi-streamed event covering curriculum, tech, and wellbeing simultaneously, the most effective strategy is to send a leadership cohort to divide and conquer the program. By customising your team’s experience and swapping between streams, your school will walk away with a comprehensive return on investment:

Actionable Curriculum Blueprints:

Your curriculum leads and HODs will gain ready-to-implement frameworks for the refreshed national curriculum, moving seamlessly from policy to classroom practice.

Workload Reduction through Tech:

Your educational innovators will discover verified AI and tech use cases specifically vetted to give teachers time back and streamline administration.

Strategic Alignment & Value Protection:

Your senior leadership team will acquire the change-management tools needed to align incoming national priorities with your school’s unique local values.

Staff Resilience & Wellbeing:

Your leadership cohort will bring back practical, systemic strategies to combat teacher burnout, navigate complex student behaviours, and support neurodivergence.

National Networking:

Your staff will connect and collaborate with primary and secondary peers from across Aotearoa who are successfully navigating the exact same transitions.

Tickets Opening Soon — Register Your Interest

We are currently finalising our ticketing tiers, including exclusive early-bird rates and team package discounts. Register your interest below.

This event is ideal for:

Executives and leaders: Those responsible for driving strategic change and organisational transformation.
Change management professionals: Individuals who specialise in managing and leading change initiatives.
HR professionals: HR leaders and practitioners interested in fostering a culture of change and employee engagement.
Consultants and advisors: Professionals who support organisations in their change and transformation journeys.
Anyone seeking to develop their leadership skills and ability to navigate change.

Venue

The location and how you can get there

Address

Crowne Plaza
128 Albert Street,
Auckland

Tickets

$ 1499 + gst Price Per Person

Must be from the same organisation & book at the same time. For valid tickets, payment by 19 October, 2026.

$2199

$ 1699 + gst

For valid ticket, payment by 31 August, 2026.

$2199

$ 1899 + gst

For valid ticket, payment by 21 September, 2026.

$ 2199 + gst

For valid ticket, payment by 19 October, 2026.

$2199

$ 1499 + gst

For valid ticket, payment by 24 July, 2026.

Registration Conditions

Ticket Terms
All prices are in New Zealand dollars ($NZD)
A surcharge of 2.5% + GST applies to credit card payments on top of the total amount.
Pre-Sale Tickets are valid only for the specific event for which they were purchased and cannot be transferred to other events. To remain valid, Super Saver and Early Bird tickets must be paid by date quoted.
Group ticket options are valid for registrations from the same organisation, booked at the same time.
By selecting any special pricing offer for classes of organisation, sector, or individuals or using any promotion code, you are asserting to the organiser your right to claim any such pricing offer, and acknowledge the organiser’s right to audit such claim and, if in the opinion of the organiser using its sole discretion the conditions for special pricing are not met, reject any registration.

For full terms & conditions, please visit https://www.brightstar.co.nz/terms-and-conditions

Thanks to our Media Partners

Supporting Organisation

Align Your Brand with Rural Marketing Leaders
Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities

Connect your brand with the people shaping the future of rural marketing.

Rural Connect Forum brings together New Zealand’s leading marketing, sales and customer engagement professionals from across the rural sector. It’s a unique opportunity to align your brand with the conversations, ideas and innovation driving how agribusinesses connect with farmers.

A limited range of sponsorship opportunities is available, offering meaningful brand exposure before, during and after the event, along with opportunities to engage with a highly influential audience.

If your organisation wants to be part of New Zealand’s leading rural marketing event, we’d love to discuss how we can create a sponsorship package that works for you.

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Live B2B events are your chance to shine. Showcase your thought leadership, solidify your market position, and forge valuable connections with potential customers – all at once.

This exclusive event puts you in front of a highly skilled audience hungry for insights. Get ready for meaningful engagement that drives results.

Plus, we have some unique opportunities to put your company, products, and services in the spotlight.

Ready to take your brand to the next level? Contact us today to learn more or secure your spot at this leading event.

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