YES 2009

The alluring smell of baking, colourful clothing and goods and some innovative service ideas attracted plenty of shoppers to the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise (YES) Trade Fair at The Palms Shopping Centre over the weekend.

Nine different secondary schools had companies displaying their goods and services and Core Education’s Canterbury YES Coordinator Sonia Eustace, says the Trade Fair was inspiring and enjoyed by both students and shoppers.

“It was a wonderful opportunity for the students to get an insight into what the public thought of their wares.  Shoppers were amazed with the variety and complexity of the goods and services on display,” Sonia says.

Freshly baked muffins and fudge samples drew crowds to view the mouth-watering cookbooks on sale from both Avonside Girls High and Kaiapoi High Schools.  Among the products displayed were multi-coloured tie-dyed T-shirts and ‘kiwi and proud’ silicone wristbands both from Papanui High School; Rangiora High School’s personalised hoodies and funky wheat sacks and cushions; Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti Schools ‘laptop skins’; an innovative noise control device designed by St Thomas of Canterbury, and a USB Flash Drive from Rangiora High School.

Christchurch Boys High School catered for security-conscious shoppers with their ‘kill switch’ designed to quickly immobilise your car; and a high tech anti-etching device designed to prevent vandalism and window etching.  Rangi Ruru Girls displayed vividly coloured hooded tops designed to keep wearers ‘seen’ and safe in the water.

Rangiora High School promoted an event organising service; while Christchurch Boys High School promoted an eco-friendly trading service specifically designed for the hospitality industry.  Another Rangi Ruru Girls team had shoppers’ convenience in mind, offering stylish magnetic ‘key katchers’ ensuring shoppers would no longer need to go hunting through their handbags looking for keys; and a compact ‘car companion kit’ containing all the emergency equipment usually spread throughout a car.

Ross Sheppard from Display Solutions put his expertise to good use judging the stalls for:

•    Best customer service
•    Best YES promotion award
•    Best product/service award
•    Best stall award

Winners will be announced on Thursday 20 August at the D&A College.

YES Canterbury has attracted more than 300 students grouped into 60 companies from 16 secondary schools including:   Ashburton College, Avonside Girls High School, Catholic Cathedral, Christchurch Boys High School, Christchurch Girls High, Greymouth High School, Hillmorton High School, Kaiapoi High School, Kaikoura High School, Papanui High School, Rangi Ruru Girls School, Rangiora High School, St Andrews College, St Margarets College, St Thomas of Canterbury and Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti.

Through the scheme, the students have formed companies, come up with ideas for a product or service, generated start-up funds, produced business plans and prepared their goods for the market.

In October YES teams enter regional awards assessed on a combination of marks from the business presentation competition; annual report; their progress in running their business throughout the year.  As well as a trophy and cash prize, the Canterbury winner then goes on to compete in the national awards in Wellington in November.

Student Directors of 35 YES companies pitched their Company's products to a panel of local business men and women at the 'Dragon style' business presentation competition at the Copthorne Hotel Durham Street on June 3rd 2009.

Winners

Christchurch Boy's High School - Revolution

Christchurch Boys' High School - Gaffree

Runners-up - COPE Co

Microfilm digital print biz card competition winners 2009:

'Revolution' - Christchurch Boys' High School

'Wear It' - Ashburton College

Thanks to all teams who entered the Microfilm Digital Biz Card Competition.  The judges had a very difficult decision coming up with the two winners.  There was an exceptionally high standard of entries this year.

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