SAM MACKWELL IN BANGKOK 2011

Friday the 17^th of June found me on a bumpy plane flight to Auckland, where I was to spend the weekend competing with 74 students from around the country. To get to Auckland, I was selected along with four other students from the Canterbury region to compete in the national Young Enterprise challenge. This challenge was hosted by Massey University in Albany, sponsored by FedEx, and organised by the Young Enterprise Trust. The Young Enterprise Trust is also responsible for the scheme that teams from St Thomas' compete in each year. The school has been particularly successful over the years. I am involved in the scheme this year and am responsible for the product development and design in the Advanced Clean Energies team. We have developed The Lion Generator which will be available to purchase shortly.

Auckland, interesting place, I hadn't been there since I was four years old and I had never realised that it was built on so many hills! Once in Auckland, those from around NZ were billeted out to families in the city. I ended up 30 mins north into the country side, quite similar to where I live in Canterbury. The family was very good to me and I had a fantastic time staying there. I never quite saw their house because the 'light' hours were spent at Massey Uni competing in the challenges, so it was always dark when I arrived or departed.

Saturday involved meeting the team and mentors that I would be working with for the next 48 hours. I was Team Russell Investments, one of the best teams in the competition of course ;). The first challenge handed to the teams was to come up with a wool based product that could be exported to Sweden, devise a business plan, make a cardboard prototype, and pitch it all to the judging panel. We had from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm to prepare the presentation. At 9.00 pm, Saturday night, we were presented with the second challenge, an international challenge that we needed to complete by 6.30 pm on Sunday. The challenge was to conceptualise a space exhibit that celebrated 50 years of space flight, and looked forward to the next 50. We spent the day (7.00 am until 6.30 pm) at the Russell Investment offices, which was located in the ASB building near the Sky Tower. I wanted to have people flying around in Jet packs at the exhibit. Understandably the team decided that targeting the B-R-I-C countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and bringing spaceflight exhibitions to those who might not be able to afford those in the US, was more feasible.

After the Sunday challenge had been completed, teams were asked to vote a team member for the finals, from which six students would be selected to represent NZ in Bangkok. The fourteen finalists were announced a short time later, must have been around 8.30 pm. The mentors and members of the Young Enterprise Trust also had a say in the votes. To my surprise, I was called up the front as one of the finalists! This meant one last and very stressful individual challenge later that night on Sunday. This final challenge for the fourteen finalists would determine the six students to represent NZ in Bangkok at the international Trade Challenge.

The final challenge went something like this: Lee Davies is going to buy Whitcoulls; he has hired you as a business consultant. Make three key recommendations that will help him turn the business around in the next 12 months? 15 minutes to prepare, 2 minutes to present and 3 minutes to answer questions. Now, please understand, I am not a business man, I am a product man! So I took the path that I knew I might have a chance with. I made recommendations that embodied my passion for clean energies. My recommendations involved looking forward to the future, where should Whitcoulls be heading? I began with paperback books that charge cell phones with the energy generated when your turn the page. I also recommended inventing and selling a pair of sunglasses that have an e-book reader integrated into them which is powered with the heat radiated off your head - I got some funny looks. The final six selected were to be announced the following morning at breakfast.

Monday morning came; I wore casual clothes, jeans and the like.  I ate too many chocolate coated raisins the night before, so had some severe issues stomaching breakfast. It came to the announcements of the six NZ representatives. I won't drag it on too much, my name was called out and there I am standing awkwardly in front of everyone, in my jeans and causal shoes (Everyone else was dressed up in formal gear). But jeans aside, I was very glad to be going, and still am. It will be a fantastic experience.

My one recommendation to students, which is also something that was recommended to me by STC boy, Logan Elliot, when I started the school - Put your hand up for everything.

If you are interested in the Lion Generator feel free to contact me at: inventor051@gmail.com

LOUIS O'BRIEN and THE GLOBAL ENTERPRISE CHALLENGE 

Congratulations Team New Zealand - World Champions for 2008

Eighty senior secondary school students from Kerikeri to Invercargill assembled at Massey University's Albany Campus this year to prepare for this challenge.  The Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Helen Clark, launched the New Zealand challenge and warned that the competition would be tough and challenging. 

The New Zealand students, who were all directors of student companies participating in the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme competed against England, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Norway, Phillippines, Poland, Singapore the might of the United States of America, as well as Scotland, Wales and Australia.

The 24-hour challenge issued by the international judges said: Water is Planet Earth's most precious resource that is becoming scarcer by the day. Your challenge is: "to produce a working model of an innovative product, process, service or plan that will reduce the impact of growing demand on the world's dwindling water resources."

The judges chose a team that developed a product called "LillyPod" a stand-alone, floating saltwater farm, growing Salicomia (a plant grown in salt water). The aim of the team was to develop a world wide commercially viable sea based farm which reduces the impact of crops relying on fresh water. This team then went on to represent New Zealand and made their presentation via an internet link to a panel of international judges based around the world.

Students from 15 countries submitted a three-minute video presentation and written business plans via web-link to a panel of international judges based around the world, to compete for the right to win first place in this year's Global Enterprise Challenge. The overall winner was New Zealand, with Australia taking second place and Wales third.

In a web-streamed announcement of the winners, the GEC's judge coordinator, Len Norman said, "it has been an exciting event and the work quality has been absolutely outstanding. Creativity is extremely high. Business plans were very detailed and believable and the standard has improved year on year". The title was fiercely contested with working prototypes of sonic dishwashers, sophisticated mock-ups of advertising campaigns and other inventive presentations.

Dr Neil Pellis, Chief Scientist at NASA announced the winners of the event, with first place being awarded to Team New Zealand, whose members are:

Adam Botterill, Westlake Boys' High School

Ben McNab, Rangiora High School

Kristina Clarke, Long Bay College

Matthew Holt, Long Bay College

Louis O'Brien, St Thomas of Canterbury College

Brigid McLeod, John Paul College

Melissa Eade, James Hargest High School

Michelle Panzer, Garin College

Stacey Kenzelmann, Orewa College

"For New Zealand students to compete in a global arena and more than hold their own should give us great confidence in our future generation" said Tony Caughey, Chairman of the Enterprise New Zealand Trust.  "Given the time constraints and pressure, our students were outstanding", he said.

Well done, Louis.