The Maintenance Engineering Society of New Zealand (MESNZ) has announced a major new initiative on the industrial scene, the NATIONAL MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING CONFERENCE and EXHIBITION, to be held in the Waikato in November 2008. Based on the society’s hugely successful and popular Practical Maintenance Management Conference, the society has streamlined its activities to focus on one single networking conference destined to be the benchmark industry conference for maintenance engineers. The event will features two days of reality based networking and presentations by peers and experts alike as well as the opportunity to involve suppliers in discussing common issues.

On the back of unprecedented of unprecedented membership growth (150% in 2007) and a philosophy of listening to the real life issues of maintenance engineers, MESNZ has ensured the conference works hard to stay abreast of members needs. The resulting broad brush approach provides a range of technical and non-technical subjects, from preventative maintenance and maintenance management systems to health and safety, HASNO, HR and man management.

While existing events accommodate specific technical subjects or high academic/corporate approaches, an overwhelming need to provide a forum where engineers, suppliers and managers could meet, network, learn from experts and peers without exorbitant cost and spin was required. As the national society representing maintenance engineers, MESNZ takes its role and responsibility seriously and in announcing the new conference 12 months ahead of time to allow engineers plenty of time to budget, has also stressed that it will maintain the conference attendance cost below $800 (+GST) per person, something that will please potential attendees previously deterred by the high cost of commercially operated conferences.

While the new two day conference will retain the same popular networking focus and inclusive environment of the society’s previous events, a new feature will be the expansion of the exhibitor’s hall. Industry providers have always been welcomed as valid contributors to industry and this philosophy has been extended to ensure the opportunity for engineers to explore solutions is maximised. Exhibition costs will be kept significantly below comparative participation costs and various exhibiting tiers will be offered to enable participation regardless of the business size. Discussions are currently underway to extend the exhibition component to include a pre-conference free entry Trade Show.

The new National Maintenance Engineering Conference has been warmly welcomed and at the time of going to print event director Craig Carlyle was poised to announce the early participation of a major multinational supplier, prepared to back its support for maintenance engineers.

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