P U B L I S H E R ’ S D E S K
THE SHOW MUST GO ON…
The headline says it all; and it doesn’t just pertain to
the 40th Anniversary edition of EMEX.
EMEX2020 may have at one stage been a perfect
vision, plump with potential for show organiser’s
XPO. EMEX itself, with four decades of promoting
the engineering and manufacturing sectors under
the belt, should have been a May celebration of Kiwi
business at their finest and a collection of those great
businesses in one place and for an extended people of
time. You know the sort of people… those invested in
the industry and want to make a difference. The type
of people you and your business want to be among.
Enter COVID-19 and the news that the May timeslot
won’t work.
So, as we do, and as XPO did, they adapted. The
bones of the show were already in place… a success
just waiting to happen. And a success it will be, but in
October. Be there.
XPO is committed to the event. We at Engineering
News are committed to supporting XPO and the newly
scheduled October show along with it. And we’re
committed to supporting the engineering industry too,
as we all – as Kiwis - face uncertain times.
Keeping the show going is what many small
businesses will be struggling to do over the coming
HALTER LoadAssistant®
DISCOVER THE SIMPLICITY
Easy to move from one CNC machine
to another
No robotics experience required
Unique benefi ts of the HALTER LoadAssistant:
Complete plug-and-play solution for every
brand of CNC machine, new or existing
Set-up in less than 5 minutes
Please contact us for more information or to request for a workshop, we are happy to advise you!
HALTER Technology Center - New Zealand
T 07 282 7930 • h.glerum@haltercnc.com • www.haltercncautomation.com
Reliable technology
Payback period of 6-18 months
Local support of the HALTER-team
REN286
• FULL NZ SALES AND SERVICE SUPPORT
• IN STOCK FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY
• FIRST THREE ALREADY SOLD
New dates - Monday 12th - Wednesday 14th October 2020
months as COVID-19 lockdowns take effect. As I
write this, with Hayley Media staff scattered across
all sections of Auckland in isolation, I look to a future
where for four weeks we shut down. As ‘pen dries
on paper’, New Zealand will shut down in 48 hours
for a month albeit for essential services. And we
are scrambling. Prior to lockdown we will have all
facets of people that are involved in the production of
Engineering News pulling strings to meet the publishing
deadline. And I’ve absolutely no doubt we will because
I have good people…. great staff. Just like you; the
type you want by your side in any ANZAC-like trench.
I only have to scan the many articles I’ve written on
engineering companies throughout New Zealand to see
that this sector has great people, and the priority point
to take is that so do you. You have good people. And
that makes all the difference in the toughest of times.
Welcome to our April issue that also doubles as
a EMEX showbag issue in October. Words I’d not
thought I’d ever wright before the virus hit our shores.
COVID-19 may be able to bring the nation to its knees,
but we all here at NZEN wanted to show you that our
show too, indeed, must go on. One week ago there
was a slim chance we’d make deadline. Then, just
like you all, the carpet was ripped from under our feet
with news of a total shutdown. But with the carpet
now gone, we didn’t crawl into a little ball. There was
no shaking in fear of any oppressed future. There’s
a reason why so many people want to live in New
Zealand… and it’s for that very reason that doors of
schools, bakeries, cafes – everything non-essential –
will close. Some, sadly, for good. We protect our patch
in the world.
But… the show will go on. The earth will orbit and
expose the morning light. Business will rebound and
even among all the carnage there is often plenty of
opportunity too for the smart entrepreneur or businessperson.
COVID-19 has its fingers stretched around the necks of
many in New Zealand… it’s likely to take lives (none at
the time of print thank goodness), it will take jobs and
it will take time for life to get back to normal. But things
will return, the same but different. Maybe quite a little
different, and definitely a lot wiser as with many of the
previous recession periods that we’ve learnt from.
But, on we will go. Resilience is in Kiwi DNA.
Engineering has always been a strong part of Kiwi
culture… we make do, we make things work and we
fix what’s broke.
Let’s start fixing together, because although you may
be in isolation now as a Kiwi you’re never alone.
GregRobertson
www.engineeringnews.co.nz 3
/www.haltercncautomation.com
/www.engineeringnews.co.nz
link