1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: I've got some good news on the international investment front. 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: Where to Workshop you'll know the name. They've signed a 3 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: memorandum of understanding in m O you with Saudi Arabian 4 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: Creative Broken. The deal aims to boost creative and cultural exchange. 5 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,079 Speaker 1: It includes training and skill development and shared knowledge. And 6 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 1: David Wilts's the Way to Workshop co CEO, Chief Operating Officer, 7 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 1: and he is with us from Saudi Arabia. 8 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 2: Morning, Good morning to you, Mike. 9 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: How long? How long has this been in the pipeline. 10 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 2: We've probably been working our way through these relationships for 11 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 2: the last year, year and a half. It's obviously been 12 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 2: a journey of building, getting to know, getting to know 13 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 2: each other. But it's an exciting, exciting developments for us. 14 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: And what are the prospects? Where does this go? Do 15 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 1: you think? 16 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 2: Yeah? Great question. Look, I think really it's the history 17 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 2: of where we've come from and where we're heading. We've 18 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 2: been a company work sort of best known for the 19 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 2: work we've done in design and physical effects in the 20 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 2: movie industry, but over the years we've diversified increasingly and 21 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 2: about ten years ago when we did scale of our 22 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 2: War the Gallipoli Exhibition at Tapapa that it was a 23 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 2: bit of a crossroads for us in terms of moving 24 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 2: into immersive experiences, and that's now taken us into museums 25 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 2: and attractions and things around the world. We've been involved 26 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 2: in these sort of projects in China, in Europe and 27 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:18,960 Speaker 2: in the Middle East. We've got a couple of live 28 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 2: projects working through in the United Emirates and Dubai and 29 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,759 Speaker 2: Abadubbi and saud Arabia is sort of the next step really, 30 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 2: So the opportunities up here are significant. This country's changing 31 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 2: at a very great rate and looking for the kind 32 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,320 Speaker 2: of talents that we have. So it's, yeah, a great opportunity. 33 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: Is it the country or the region as well? When 34 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:40,119 Speaker 1: I say the region the Middle East. 35 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 2: Generally, yeah, I think it's the region. I mean, as 36 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 2: I said, it was a sort of ua that prought 37 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 2: us up here. We worked, we're very fortunate to work 38 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 2: on one of the Dubai government's pavilions for the World 39 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 2: Expo twenty twenty twenty one. It was supposed to be 40 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 2: twenty twenty and it was a twenty twenty one expo, 41 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 2: but that was a great sort of oportunity for us, 42 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 2: I guess, to sort of find our way into the 43 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 2: Middle East and start to see what the potential is 44 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 2: up here. 45 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: What role does the country play, you know, Todd McLay 46 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: trade New Zealand selling us to the world. 47 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 2: I think that's for us. It's really you know, it's 48 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 2: really helpful, especially where relationships are such a massive part 49 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 2: of how business is done here and so seeing that 50 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 2: we're being supported and part of a business delegation of 51 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 2: a whole bunch of major New Zealand companies, it just 52 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 2: sort of helps to shine your star. Not everybody up 53 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 2: here knows exactly who we are. Once we start to 54 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 2: explain our background industry and the projects and the things 55 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 2: we've worked on, it will kind of makes sense. But 56 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:41,079 Speaker 2: it just sort of helps, I think with the overall 57 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 2: brand presence for New Zealand, and you know, we obviously 58 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 2: benefit from that. 59 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 1: Fantastic David Wilkes, who's the wind to work shomp Co 60 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: CEO out of Saudi Arabia for us this morning. 61 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 62 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 2: news talks it'd be from six am weekdays, or follow 63 00:02:57,960 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.