It’s show time!

We’ve all heard the expression ‘the show must go on”. For North Port Events the shows have been going on for 25 years – helped along by a dynamic mother and daughter combo. 

For Dona White the curtain went up on her trade show business in 1993, with what was known back then as The Parent and Child Show and would later go on to become The Baby Show. 

The California-raised and Auckland-based entrepreneur had spent five years working on the Hospitality Trade Fair, which had given her an appreciation for the power of face-to-face marketing. Businesses in the foodservice and hospitality industries were having a sales field day. 

“Then suddenly I was having my own babies and it struck me that the same concept could work for expectant and new parents. So why not start a show around that?” 

Dona changed the name of her consulting business North Port Consulting to North Port Events and, with husband Gavin’s support, entered the ‘show business’. 

In the early days the toughest challenge was gaining customer trust. “I had to sell like my life depended on it,” she recalls, “to create trust, belief and passion in our exhibitors’ minds that they’d find the whole experience of exhibiting at the new event, business generating.  

“The nature of the exhibition industry is that everyone pays before the show, so you can imagine how daunting that was to some companies in the early 1990s.  

“It was me saying, ‘trust me; I’ll deliver a highly-engaged customer group who’ll buy your stuff – and it’ll beat the pants off any other marketing and advertising you do’.” 

Luckily Dona’s hunch was spot-on – people came and people bought.  

It was also a period of change, as New Zealand fostered closer economic relationships with Australia. “Where once you could only get a few brands of car-seat or pram in New Zealand, suddenly trade was freed up and we had a larger pool of products to access in terms of exhibitors.” 

The next show in Dona’s portfolio was The Food Show, launched in 2000 and catering for the heightened interest in eating, drinking, cooking and entertaining. Food magazines were on the rise and new local food and beverage products starting to emerge – along with additional wine labels. 

“People were experimenting with food and drink and dinner parties were all the rage,” remembers Dona. “It still is. Our unique selling proposition is that face-to-face marketing, aka three-dimensional, creates all sorts of marketing and selling opportunities that simply cannot be equalled by static or digital media. 

“Sales at the show were significant and retail sales spikes post show went crazy. Lifelong customers were and are still made at The Food Show,” says Dona. “This was a significant ‘ahah’ moment for us and changed our small company into a bigger one.” 

Twenty-five years have provided numerous business lessons for Dona and her team, but the biggest, she says, is to always give more than you take. 

“It’s imperative for event organisers to constantly think how they can improve the fortunes of exhibitors, and focus on making the visitor experience unmissable. Both customer groups are equally important; you can’t have one without the other!” 

So are shows like those managed by North Port Events still as popular as ever? Dona has the numbers to prove that they are. 

“Consumer exhibitions and B2B trade shows continue to be critical to the marketing mix for businesses and that’s why our shows are in such good shape,” she says. “It comes back to that premise that showing your product or brand, three dimensionally, to a mass targeted audience over a few intense days and in a professional trade environment, has huge power to – and opportunity to – grow your business.    

Dona says the Internet and social media have helped enhance and develop the events industry. “Communities of people passionate about a show subject can interact and meet up and feel connected all year, not just at the event.” 

Like mother, like daughter 

Having daughter Hayley join the business was through perfect timing, and it created a unique family culture within the business. 

Hayley had been working in the exhibition industry in London and Istanbul on international art fairs.  

“We’d just bought Auckland Art Fair (AAF) and were aware of the unique challenges of this type of show,” says Dona. Fortunately Hayley had the right credentials for it.  

“We asked if she’d consider returning to New Zealand to take it on,” says Dona. “Luckily she’d met a boy who was also a Kiwi and they were both ready to come back.” 

At first the relationship was tough, she admits. “Hayley is strong, smart and suffers no fools. I was taken aback by her strength but also impressed with her capability, she was a game-changer in the marketing/communications role and a total natural with art and art fairs.  

“We were then lucky enough to cross paths with Stephanie Post who co-directs AAF with Hayley and the two are quite simply magic together.  

“Hayley’s strong work ethic combined with her capable nature allows her to also hold the role of group marketing and communications manager.” 

Dona was confident enough in Hayley’s skillset to give her free rein and her daughter’s approach to marketing and communications has saved money and achieved excellent results 

“Hayley also has the great fortune of having a wonderful team to work with, including the leadership team – all wonderful, strong women who contribute to mentoring and developing her,” says Dona. “Not her mother!  

“They’ve huge respect for Hayley’s talent, but being just a bit older and strong women themselves, they contribute to her professional growth.” 

Hayley feels fortunate having such a unique relationship with her mum. “We can be honest and direct with one another and, at the same time, enjoy lots of laughs and a stiff gin and tonic. “We’re both incredibly passionate about what we do and I feel honoured to be a part of something that mum has worked so hard over the years to build.  

“I’ve always admired my mother and what she’s achieved. I hope the old saying is true and that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!” 

Nowadays Dona and Gavin are having less to do with the business and finding more time to travel and do the things they never had time for when growing the business. 

Dona marvels at her young team’s drive and cleverness. “We’ve got ideas for new events and building elements into our existing shows – there’s just so much opportunity.  

“In fact, we’ve just launched an Autumn Baby Show after a few years researching the viability and need. It’s going off!”