As director of data and analysis at Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ), he questioned whether he was just part of a niche interest group: “Are we the only ones experiencing this?”

But then music journalist Charlotte Ryan and The Spinoff founder Duncan Greive approached him for their podcast, The Long Play.

Released October 8, the podcast looks at the warped history of vinyl in Aotearoa, starting in Ōtautahi Christchurch in 1879, right through to its surging popularity in the present day. “The Long Play confirmed a lot of anecdotes,” says Kennedy, who spoke as a guest on the podcast.

What became clear is that vinyl is back, for good. For Ryan, she was surprised to find how emotional people’s connection to vinyl still is. “Every conversation I had – whether it was a teenager buying their first record or a lifelong collector, had stories with all of their records. One woman cried when she spoke to me about her listening vinyl experience and the memories it evoked.” 

As well as being available on streaming services, The Long Play has also been pressed to vinyl itself, in a limited edition run. This moment is the one that has stuck with Greive.

“For something I’ve spent most of my life loving and playing, I never stopped to think about how it was made. See tubes of plastic squashed into discs, the care and precision and satisfyingly industrial nature of the process – it was such a treat. And wild to think what they were pressing was… our story of the medium itself.”

Diving into the data

The Long Play acted as a catalyst for RMNZ to do some “proper detective work” and discover what have been the biggest vinyl sellers in recent years.

Kennedy, together with colleague, data specialist Michael Cathro, combed back through years of raw data – from 2003 to 2025 – to build the first ever Top 40 chart for vinyl.

Until then, it had never had its own chart: “I didn’t know we were going to need one – I thought they were all over,” says Kennedy, who has been with RMNZ since the early 2000s.

Music sales submissions is usually tallied by “units sold”, so in some cases it remained unclear whether a retailer meant CD or vinyl.

But a barcode or an “LP” in brackets was often enough to detect the vinyl and wrangle the data into shape.

Kennedy says they examined just over 30 million physical sales in Aotearoa and found just over 29 million were CDs and just over one million was vinyl.

Of that million, more than half of all vinyl sales occured in the last four and a half years.

Topping the charts

The resulting Top 40 Vinyl Artists and Top 40 Vinyl Album charts build a picture of what exactly people are spinning on their turntables in Aotearoa.

Kennedy says the charts tend to favour artists with new music on vinyl or those who have reissued music on vinyl.

With that in mind, it may come as no surprise that the one topping both Top 40 Vinyl charts is Taylor Swift and her 2024 album, The Tortured Poets Department.

Taylor Swift’s dominance on the industry is marked: “even if we only count her casette tape sales, she’d still be in the charts,” says Kennedy.

She is joined in the Vinyl Artist top 10 by Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Queen, The Beatles, Harry Styles, Metallica, Ed Sheeran, Rolling Stones and Neil Young.

Following Tortured Poets Department in the vinyl album chart is:

• 2) Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon
• 3) Swift’s Midnights
• 4) Queen’s Greatest Hits
• 5) Swift’s 1989
• 6) Split Enz’s True Colours
• 7) Ed Sheeran’s Divide
• 8) Harry Styles’ Harry House
• 9) Queen’s Greatest Hits II
• 10) Styles’ Fine Line

In the Top 20 Aotearoa Vinyl Artists chart, L.A.B, Lorde, Split Enz, Fat Freddy’s Drop and Marlon Williams make up the top five. Split Enz’s True Colours is ranked the Top Vinyl Album.

Charts tell a story

Ryan says the charts tell an interesting story, with global superstars like Swift sitting alongside heritage acts like Fleetwood Mac.

“I love that so much NZ Music featured too. This says a lot about how vinyl has become a bridge between generations. Younger fans are collecting older records, older fans are embracing new music –  genres seem obsolete by many – it’s all about the great music.” 

Greive adds he loved seeing how the vinyl charts are disconnected from streaming charts – popularity on vinyl is not the same as popularity more broadly.

“You see the ageing bogans and the teenage girls both shining. But also, given its 22 year span, you also see how sharp the spike has been recently – albums released only weeks ago (hi, Virgin!) making the charts. Most of all, you see that people buy records they love – most of what made the charts are certified classics, regardless of when they were released.”

RMNZ’s weekly Singles and Albums charts are compiled using data from a range of physical and digital retailers, streaming sales and gig sales.

In October 10’s Official Top 40 Albums Chart: first place is of course Swift’s newly released The Life of a Showgirl, but second place is taken out by the KPOP Demon Hunters Soundtrack.

Third, fourth and fifth place go to The Art of Loving by Olivia Dean, Man’s Best Friend By Sabrina Carpenter and +-=÷x (Tour Collection) by Ed Sheeran, respectively.

In the Top 20 Aotearoa Albums the top five includes Six60 – The Six60 Collection, Tami Neilson – Neon Cowgirl, Lorde – Virgin, Joe Kaptein – Pool Sharks and Kaylee Bell – Cowboy Up.

One tricky aspect with the vinyl chart is that some classic albums weren’t issued in vinyl; likewise, some well-known and successful artists have never put anything out on vinyl, says Kennedy.

To have and to hold

In general, data shows a considerable amount of vinyl buyers don’t even have a record player – in the US, it’s between 30 to 40%.

It’s all about having media you can hold as well as the aesthetic pleasure of being able to display it, says Kennedy. He notes a trend called “shelfies”, pictures designed to show off various objects, like books, records and photographs on bookshelves.

“[Vinyl] is not the most convenient or cheapest, but it’s about the artwork, engaging with it… It’s also partly about the demonstration of dedication to an artist.”

He adds that while anyone can stream, it takes a true fan to have the entire catalogue sitting on the shelf: “It’s a public display of affection… No one is looking over your shoulders at your Spotify.”

Vinyl is here to stay

Kennedy says he would like to continue running the vinyl charts: “It is here to stay.”

The vinyl revival has also triggered a resurgence of CDs – partly for that desire for physical media but also partly for those who struggle to afford vinyl.

He believes that over time the vinyl charts will become closer to streaming charts. With vinyl now a component of a modern release, the classic acts will fall away, unless they reissue their music.

However, those with disposable income will continue to influence the chart, buying their nostalgic favourites, Kennedy adds.  

Logitech’s MX Master 4 launch event is a party for a mouse.

At least, that’s how I describe it to my editor. And why not? As well as unveiling a new product, Logitech is also celebrating 10 years of the MX Master range – in style, at the Sydney Opera House.

The tech company calls the MX series “high-performance peripherals”, designed to enhance productivity and creativity.

In the last decade, there have been four versions of the mouse: the first in 2015, the second in 2017, the third in 2019 and the 3s in 2022.

At the launch, Logitech senior cluster category manager (ANZ) Marisol Vargas describes the latest iteration as “an experience, not just an upgraded tool”.

She says it takes productivity to the next level with customisable features so users can adapt it to their needs.

Spectacular starts

On September 30, our team of eight from Aotearoa arrived at the Sydney Opera House, excited to see what was in store.

We were slightly early – just in time to see the sun set over Darling Harbour. A pretty spectacular way to begin the night.

When we checked in, we got a silver and a gold ticket, plus an MX wristband. One of our group pushed a button on the band – it changes colour! Oooh.

MX Master 4: front, centre and glowing

The clock struck 6: time to head in to the opera house’s Yallamundi Rooms along with other local media, content creators, partners and collaborators.
A low-lit corridor opened up to sparkling wine, a DJ mixing beats and the MX Master 4 projected on a big screen.

And here were the mice themselves. All five from the last decade had their own pedestals. The new one was – of course – front, centre… and glowing. We played spot the difference between models while trying to get the perfect photo of the 4.

We’d be leaving with a mouse of our own, and discovered we could exchange our gold tickets to get them engraved. A neat way to add a hint of personalisation, I thought.
Across the room, our silver tickets were for the cocktail experience. On a digital MX Master 4, I scrolled to choose a drink that was fresh, wild and curious. It appeared suddenly from behind some curtains, complete with a large MX branded ice cube.

Making life easier

During the brief formalities, we heard from Vargas and Logitech cluster head and managing director (ANZ) Damian Lepore.

Lepore spoke to Logitech’s commitment to make products that are more than mice, keyboards and webcams.

“Looking ahead, people expect technology to complement lives. There’s no reason why this should standalone. Everything is designed from our perspective to work together and make life a little bit easier,” he says.

Vargas talked about the features that make the MX Master 4 unique: the Actions Ring shortcuts allows you quick access to tools and applications with your cursor. Meanwhile, the haptic feedback enhances usability even further, she says.

Work mode

Now back at my desk, I’ve had almost a whole day of trialling out my MX Master 4.

It’s clear my previous mouse, while also wireless and from Logitech, doesn’t hold a candle to this one.

For a start, the 4 tracks smoothly my desk. The old one would sometimes stick – though nothing  a bit of “percussive maintenance” couldn’t fix.

Being able to connect to my laptop via Bluetooth will make switching from working at the office and home a breeze.

The Action Ring overlay is a pretty neat feature and I’ve already customised some smart actions like “work mode” and “meeting mode”.

Fireworks to finish

Back at the event, as the speeches wrapped up, the wristbands lit up in unison, changing colours as the DJ kept the beats coming.

Enticed by the night time view of the harbour and the city lights, we popped out through the side door to get some more photos. As we did, fireworks erupted across the water.

“Do you think these are for the mouse?” we pondered. Yeah, nah. That’s just Sydney on a Tuesday.

Zahra was hosted in Sydney by Logitech.

The answer: Tertiary Extracts Ōtautahi (TEO), a company that is all about championing women’s health while being backed by science, says co-founder Paul Sapsford.

Set up in 2021, TEO takes sheepskins and turns it into collagen.

The process is obviously a lot more complicated than that: “We’re using technology and science with patented new extraction methods so we can get the best out of these sheepskins,” he explains.

Launching in the US

TEO’s collagen has a different amino acid makeup compared to other brands on the market, says Sapsford.

TEO’s branded ingredient, called Ovitage, contains cystine, tyrosine and glutamic acid. This amino acid profile works to target the gut, joints, mood, cognitive clarity and muscle strength, he adds.

After buying a factory in Ōtautahi in May last year, the company went into production in September. In that time, it has sent two orders of Ovitage over to the US.

At Fieldays earlier this year, the company also launched Everee Women, a consumer-facing brand of collagen powder that contains Ovitage. There are plans to launch this in the US next year, says Sapsford.

Making a difference

Startups are challenging but Sapsford and his co-founders, scientist Rob Kelly and senior leader Kimberely Bray, are all passionate about their work.

It helps, Sapsford adds, that all three are good at what they do.

“Kim is great at management, comes from a big company background… Rob’s got hundred of patents, 30-odd published papers, two published chapters, he’s a brilliant scientist.

“And I love sales and translating our vision into something people can buy into. So there’s motivation and then the skills and being able to pull that together.”

While all three founders have different backgrounds and areas of expertise, these all converge on making a difference for women’s health, says Sapsford.

Bray’s lived experience of perimenopause was one of the key inspirations for TEO. The founders noted: 1) that the women’s health market is typically underserved and 2) the positive benefits that can be derived from natural materials here in Aotearoa.

“The products that are available for them are more skewed towards appearance and beauty. So most nutritional products have been designed by men for men, and we can put a pink label on them but that doesn’t mean they’re specific to the requirements of women,” says Sapsford.

“So we know that we can make really good, effective products that have an impact on people’s lives and we want to be able to do that for women by supplementing and assisting with some of the signs of menopause.”

Circular economy

Sapsford is particularly driven by the idea of the circular economy and creating products that add value.

“If we’re going to be growing animals, and it might be controversial but we’re not going to stop any time soon, let’s use and respect all of the animal,” says Sapsford.

Sheepskins don’t really have a use in this day and age, but they have high nutritional value, he adds. To add even more incentive to reduce waste, the skins are highly toxic if they end up in landfill.

“By turning it into something that has real value and that people want, that’s respect for the animal, that’s using all of our resources.”

The company now has a permanent team of about 20 people. Sapsford says that it has also been working to encourage more young people into STEM jobs.

“When you do a science degree, you don’t necessarily expect to be wearing white coats and boots and hair nets, but we are doing proper chemistry in 12,000 litre tanks.”

It was one week after Valentine’s Day 2025, and Southern Fresh, one of Wonky Box’s suppliers, invited the team to visit its subsidiary business, Burwood Nurseries.

After showing off the flower farm, Burwood then showed the visitors its packhouse, with a huge pile of flowers that were to be thrown out. Given it was following Valentine’s Day, it was an example of “an extreme case” that happens at various points throughout the year, like on Mother’s Day and Christmas, says Simms.

“But the problem exists at a smaller scale, it’s happening all the time. They were saying to us that we have to chuck flowers like this out if the stems are too short, if the stems are slightly off angle or quite simply, if we have too much of it.”

Wonky Box is a subscription service dedicated to rescuing the produce that doesn’t meet the criteria to be sold held by major supermarkets. The fruit and veg you receive might look a little funny – hence ‘wonky’ – but since launching in 2021, they’ve managed to save over 4.3 million kilograms of fresh produce from being wasted.

Last year, they added a new arm to the business, Wonky Pantry, which allows customers to add in other products, from pancake mix to coffee beans, to their usual order and on June 5, they launched Wonky Flowers.

Reliant on Mother Nature

“Flowers are actually a very similar product to produce in the sense that it grows within seasons, it’s reliant on Mother Nature, the weather to actually grow to specification,” says Simms.

“And then at the end of the day, if Mother Nature doesn’t play ball, then either they can fall short on supply or they can actually grow too much.”

They are also sold in similar ways – flower and produce growers are price takers not price makers, Simms explains. At the mercy of the market, they don’t know what price they’ll get for their products until they’ve already sent them out. Sometimes they’ll make a return, but often they don’t, he adds.

In recent years, due in part to the Covid-19 pandemic, there has also been a sharp decline in the number of flower growers in Aotearoa, with many shutting up shop.

Until that conversation with Burwood Nurseries, Simms didn’t know the extent of the situation – food waste appears at the forefront of the media and in research, but nothing much exists in the floral space.

So Burwood Nurseries and Wonky Box started exploring the possibility of a partnership.

Changing the narrative

Simms’ initial concern was how this new chapter would fit in Wonky Box’s narrative.

“We continue to tell a story in the produce world that encourages consumers to be more acceptable to ugly produce… My slight concern was that in the flower world was when people are gifted flowers or when people want to brighten up their home with flowers, the purpose behind that is because you literally want them to be looking beautiful.

“But the reality from learning and from actually being there was that the defects or the rejection reasons or the specs were so minor that you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a product that had to get thrown away and one that didn’t,” says Simms.

“If the stem was slightly too short, in no way, shape or form is actually affecting the bloom, the flap, the actual flower itself, the petals. Neither is it when it’s actually just grown in surplus as well. There’s literally no difference in terms of appearance between a wonky flower and a regular flower.”

DIY flower arranging

Wonky Flowers works in exactly the same way as the Wonky Box, says Simms. They are a standalone product, and can be chosen on a frequency of weekly, fortnightly or three-weekly, with options to skip weeks as needed. For $52, the box arrives direct from Burwood Nurseries on either Thursday or Friday, depending on your postcode, with 17 seasonal stems, flower food and tips on how to arrange them.

Both the flowers and produce boxes aim to appeal to the creators of the world, Simms adds.

“With the Wonky Box, it’s not necessarily a meal kit, it’s a surprise box of veggies essentially and you have to get creative in the kitchen… Ultimately it’s great for so many reasons, it encourages our customers to be eating within the seasons, it entices their kitchen flair.

“It’s going to be a variety within the different flowers that come in the box, they’ll be within season but they will change from week to week… The whole purpose behind it is that it’s almost like a DIY kit. You get your box and it’s not just the experience of receiving these awesome looking flowers but you’ve also got the experience of actually arranging the flowers and piecing them together.”

It also removes the stereotype that flowers are for special occasions or gifts only, encouraging regular consumption in a way that is easy and affordable, says Simms.

“When you’re participating in it, you’re doing a hell of a lot of good to the grower… the planet and ultimately it’s more about brightening up your own home.”

The first time it happened, he was at the bank.

“It was the bank teller,” says Elliott, who owns Drop Out Store, a Newmarket clothing shop specialising in streetwear.

“He was just like ‘oh you’re from the Drop Out Store… I saw you online.’ And I was like ‘Cool, I’m just here to deposit some money.’”

But it’s not just at the bank – after becoming the face of his brand on social media, Elliott is now something of a mini celebrity.

Instore customers aside, he can’t even walk down High Street in Auckland CBD without being greeted by name and asked, ‘how’s business?’

It’s been an interesting experience for Elliott, who, along with the Drop Out Store team, won Best Use of Social Media at the Newmarket Business Awards in November.

Last year they were finalists in the same category, and Elliott took out the Young Business Person of the Year Award (after being a finalist in 2022).

Mark Knoff-Thomas, CEO of the Newmarket Business Association, explains the Newmarket Business Awards were created 12 years ago to give recognition to the amazing businesses in the precinct. 

“The past couple of years have been tough for many businesses so these awards provide an opportunity for us all to come together and celebrate each other’s success.

“Winners of Best Use of Social Media, Drop Out Store, have been in Newmarket for three years. They’ve found their secret sauce and what works for them, and that seems to resonate with their customers and overseas tourists.”

“It’s pretty cool to get recognition for the work you put in, especially in such a competitive retail precinct as Newmarket,” says Elliott.

For him and his team, personal touch and storytelling have been key components to building a successful social media strategy.

Changing the narrative

But the catalyst that saw Elliott getting in front of the camera was actually his partner.

“A lot of people were starting to think that my partner actually owned the busness and not me,” laughs Elliott.

“She does a lot of our photography and a lot of our content creation… through her own Instagram she would share stories for her friends, but she was starting to get messages about the business, ‘do you have this in stock?’

“So we made an effort to change that narrative and put my face in front of the camera.”

It was a challenge for Elliott, but having his face online and then him physically instore basically every day has had a big impact. 

“It’s all down to that real touch – people see me even if it’s through photos or videos… and then come into store to purchase and see that same person and instantly feel a personal connection.”

Powerful positioning

While he never truly anticipated the fame it would generate, it’s all great brand building.

“The more conversations you have about the store and yourself, the more people are likely to actually want to continue to relate with you,” says Elliott.

Continuity of his clientele is hugely important to him – “we’re not in the business of one and done,” he adds. And as a result they have quite a big base of repeat customers.

Being an independent, individual store that exists outside the mainstream fashion stores helps. Drop Out Store’s power is in its positioning: Elliott wants people to come in and create their own unique style.

He deals with labels and brands that are mostly unknown to Kiwis, so in order to build trust and confidence, the store itself, and every item of clothing or shoe needs to be able to tell a story.

“Saying, hey, this is an overseas brand, but we’re putting our Kiwi touch on it, meaning that you can do the same thing,” says Elliott.

“We now do 25 labels; of [those], we introduced probably 15 of them to New Zealand, so we’ve essentially had to go through that 15 times and put in the work to introduce the brand to the market but do it in a way that the locals actually have a connection towards it.”

Read more: The 2024 Newmarket Business Award Winners

Have fun with it

Being a born and bred Aucklander means he has some insight into the local market, but most of the time his brand and clothing choices are based on strategy and instinct.

“Do we like it? If we don’t like it, then we can’t think that other people are going to like it,” says Elliott.

If they like it, the second question is whether they’re going to have fun creating its story – if yes, then everyone else is going to enjoy it, too.

The next steps is taking the clothing out of studio and creating content with it out in the real world, says Elliott.

“When we shoot, we always try to match somewhat the brand and the vibe with location. So one of our more popular ones which is quite an outdoorsy type, we’re always going to shoot that outdoors.”

They choose different locations that have significance to the team – like Ambury Park, a place for family picnics when Elliott was growing up.

He’s proud to say that since he started the business three years ago, Drop Out Store has never done a studio shoot.

Fashion cycles

Keeping up with fashion’s cyclical nature means the need for constant evolution – but again always staying true to what they like and not just jumping on the latest trend.

Besides, this is tricky anyway because most of their brand partners operate seasonally, releasing new items twice a year, says Elliott.

“So if a trend is happening now, and [the brand] wants to capitalise on that, we have to wait six to eight months until we receive it. And there’s no telling that in six to eight months that trend is still relevant, but we’ve already committed and bought sizes.”

Destination shopping

Drop Out Store has also become a bit of a destination for shoppers and Elliott says they’re lucky to have great brand and showroom partners who will direct customers to the Drop Out Store, either online or physically if they’re heading to Auckland.

Social media again has helped here – because it doesn’t limit you to a certain kilometre radius, he adds.

“We get customers and orders from all over. We send stuff to France and the US on a pretty consistent basis.”

They even had customers come in at the start of December from Denver, who had heard about the store and wanted to get some varsity jackets, a popular fashion item in the US, says Elliott.

With most brands ones Drop Out Store has introduced to the market, and because it is typically the only stockist of it across the Tasman, this has increased accessibility for fans within Aotearoa and Australia.

“So a couple of brands we have from Canada, they’ve obviously got fans on this side of the world, but they don’t want to pay for the shipping to get it from Canada… and so it’s sweet, we actually have a stockist for you in your region.”

Why not me?

Besides, this was the genesis behind Drop Out Store – Elliott was online window shopping and lamenting how difficult it was to get the clothes he liked in Aotearoa.

“And there’s only 5 million people in New Zealand, but if there’s 10,000, 20,000 people that share the same likeness as me… then I can be the person to actually bring those in and cater to that market.”

When it comes to the new year, 2025 is expected to be a big one. In terms of stock, Elliott wants to grow the store’s footwear range.

With a new content creator and videographer on board there’s aims to create more high production content, while continuing to build on the personal touch factor.

And, back-to-back social media awards would be a nice bonus, he adds with a laugh.

Equipment and software requirements aside, Ton says regularly posting one video a week is what helped grow him into the content creator he is today, with a following of over 4.5m subscribers.

Australia-based Ton, known online as Vindooly, was in the country for Spark Game Arena Live, the largest gaming festival to hit Aotearoa on September 7.

The festival hosted thousands of Kiwis at Spark Arena, where attendees competed for The Rise Cup featuring Fortnite.

They used gaming stations kitted out with a range of products from premiere sponsor Logitech G, including the PRO X TKL, PRO X superlight 2, PRO X 2 and the G840 XL desk mat, and had the chance to win a share of the $240,000 prize pool.

Rangitoto College student Henry Dowson took out title of ultimate champion and a sizeable $35,000 in prize money.

Read more: The rise of co-working spaces with my Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk companion

Before the festival began however, Ton spoke at a breakfast event where he was asked by one of the audience’s youngest members how he managed to make a successful career in gaming.

Fellow panel member and Aussie Taylor Morgan shares his sentiments on consistency, advising young people to “have fun and enjoy the process”.

Morgan has been a full-time gaming content creator for about the last four years and expressed how excited she was to be in Aotearoa and connect with the gaming community here.

She added how important events like Spark Game Arena Live are to improve visibility of the gaming industry.

“These events, gamers connect and see it can be more than just a fun hobby, it can lead to careers and new social circles.”

New Zealand Esports Federation CEO Jonathan Jansen, who joined Morgan and Ton on the panel, agrees.

“It’s really easy for young people to look at big events overseas and they’re out of reach enough to demotivate, but Spark Game Arena Live in our own backyard makes it more tangible for them. They’re not just attending it but we’re hosting it too.”

With the inaugural Olympic Esports Games set to be held in Saudi Arabia next year, Jansen says esports is the fastest growing sport in the world, and has evolved considerably. About 10 years ago, New Zealand held its first esports championship – a tiny event at Shed 10. And now, that looks like a major festival at Spark Arena.

Read more: Here are the biggest gaming trends for marketers in 2023

He makes the distinction that gaming refers to the recreational side whereas e-sport refers to the competitive sport – where at the top level, having a healthy body and healthy mind is just as important as for any other elite athlete.

National team, the E Blacks, has its own team of head coaches, and physiologists to help members stay at the top of their game.

“People are learning what goes into it – in esports if you’re 1% dehydrated that’s a 5% decline and you’re behind,” says Jansen.

While the esports and gaming world is growing fast, there’s not enough people coming through to sustain it, says fellow panel member NZ Gaming Development Association Executive Director Joy Keene.

“It’s hard to get a job in the industry, it takes perseverance.”

But she encourages people to get involved with games and the gaming industry, saying there are two main ways to do so – either through a tertiary provider or self-taught.

Keene adds that some of the biggest games in Aotearoa are those created by an independent or local company – the likes of Into the Dead from Wellington and Abiotic Factor from Dunedin.

She shares further local data that shows the average Kiwi gamer is a 35-year-old-woman and 79% of homes have a gaming device.

When the panel came to a close, Morgan and Ton were surprised with the news they would be driven over to Spark Game Arena Live in two orange McLaren Coupe 750s.

The McLarens came thanks to sponsor Logitech G, who partnered with McLaren Auckland to showcase the cars, the G923 racing wheel and PRO Wheels at the event.

At the festival, attendees participated in the Logitech G Hot Lap Challenge, racing on the iconic Nürburgring Grand Prix Circuit in Forza Motorsport. The winner took out the grand prize: a set of Logitech G PRO wheels and pedals valued at $2,799.85, along with a real-world McLaren hot lap experience at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park.

But with his latest project, Te Puawānanga, a science centre at Auckland’s Museum of Transport and Technology, he wants people to know the two are inextricably linked. And as I walk around the centre, that’s exactly what I see: the perfect marriage between those two fields.

During the process of creating Te Puawānanga, exhibition designer Scott Parker consulted regularly with his five-year-old, Marlo.

As we chat over video call, Parker chuckles, describing how useful it was to have Marlo to bounce ideas off.

“I think they do make you look at things from a completely different perspective, both physically as well as from an imagination perspective.”

And when it comes to creativity and imagination, Te Puawānanga is bursting at the seams.

The centre, which opened in May this year, is built into MOTAT’s main exhibition hall. Its name, Te Puawānanga, speaks to the blossoming of knowledge in te reo Māori.

The main area is aptly named Te Puku, for the belly, as it is the central space to soak up the surrounding science.

Three exhibits catch the eye immediately: a chromatic shadow wall, the energy machine and a vertical rainbow.

When I attend with my nieces and nephews, the shadow wall is a big source of fun as we dance in and out of the different coloured lights and make animal shapes with our hands.

On the opposite side of the hall, the energy machine is a sprawling mass of orange, long limbs extending from its centre, like an octopus. It gets fed by people who provide it with energy, which it then releases on the half hour in a fanfare of noise.

“[It] was a conscious decision to encourage eight individuals, whether they know each or not to contribute to a single thing,” says Parker.

“Those relationships in spaces like that are really important and you see how rewarding they are for people… Everyone can go into a space like that and enjoy the same thing without any barrier in between.”

The vertical rainbow is Parker’s favourite, for the way it incorporates the story of legendary Polynesian explorer Kupe and it presents light and the way it reacts in an art gallery-style installation.

Read more: MOTAT’s immersive project wins global award

“[It] was something that took quite a lot of convincing and so I’m stoked that I had the backing of the team to trust me that’ll it be good,” Parker laughs.

One of my favourite parts is the large, light-up periodic table, where each element square contains an example of where it’s used in everyday life, as well as the mirror room, where a collection of patterned poles reflects Auckland’s multicultural community.

Other exhibits explain complex physics concepts like light reflection and refraction, X-Rays and the power behind simple machines and pulley systems.

As I walk around I ponder how science becomes so much more enjoyable when it’s displayed like this, in a format that everyone can understand and interact with.

Parker agrees, saying displaying STEM principles and concepts in an artistic way is hugely important to him.

“If you can present scientific outcomes in a beautiful, hands-on way, you can spark a little bit of that interest from both sides of that coin.”

A slide leads visitors down to Te Waha, the heart, a multi-use innovation space where people can take on some self-led design challenges, get a brief run down on the history of audio as well as interact with a large projected light display.

Back upstairs, Te Tumu, the foundation, holds a play space for children aged five and under, separated from the rest by safety gates.

It deviates from a typical play space – instead of bright and jarring, it’s soft, and warm. There’s plenty of discovery moments at a child’s eye level, a large tree made of Autex taking centre stage, and toy kumara and eels (crocheted by a MOTAT staff member) litter the floor.

Furthermore, there’s no primary colours, says Parker.

“… We wanted to use natural timbers and products and finishes that make you feel welcome, because at the end of the day, it’s for children but also for their caregivers.”

Creating spaces where everyone, from school groups to a toddler and parent, to an individual, feels welcome was a key part of the design process, Parker adds.

“There was a lot of work around the stories we wanted to tell before even getting into the design work… and how to get visitors from A to B and the options that they have.”

He gives a nod to MOTAT’s Design Manager and Graphic Designer, Jessica Gommers, who he’s worked with on other projects for the last decade.

“That relationshop was really strong from the start. She’s got a really good knowledge of how and where that building sits in terms of Tāmaki, but also within MOTAT.”

As for the final verdicts from Marlo and his younger daughter, Aubrey, they love Te Puawānanga, says Parker.

Flying up to Auckland with his family from their Hawke’s Bay home was a special moment for Parker, who says his kids were stoked to be playing with others in Te Tumu.

“It was funny watching them with the crocheted eels and making a fire pit and pretending that they were cooking… It was pretty cool.”

The one-day conference, held at Auckland’s Spark Arena, heard from local and international speakers in the technology and sustainability space.

Kicking proceedings off in an ‘I love AI’ T-shirt, US data scientist Noelle Russell gave an empowering talk titled ‘HumAIn: Empowering inclusion with technology’, about her career journey with AI.

It all started when her first child was born with Down syndrome 19 years ago and she was inspired to use her tech skills to change his life.

For ten years at Amazon Web Services, including working on the development of virtual assistant Alexa, she used her perspective as a Hispanic woman and a parent to ask  how this technology could help a wider group than its “double income couples with no kids” target market.

“I gained a reputation for always putting my hand to ask ‘what if…’ and whether we had considered kids with special needs or people living in aged care facilities.”

There’s a fear culture around AI but with the right safety systems put in place, it can truly be life-changing, says Noelle.

“AI will influence everything, and with great power, comes great responsibility.”

Step one to beat the fear is to define the core values of your organisation. “AI amplifies core values – if you are not intentional with this, it will give you unintended behaviours,” she adds.

“If you say please and thank you to an AI, then it will give you more optimistic responses, the same way if you’re talking to a human.”

Step two is ask what risk looks like for your organisation, and then step three, determine how hard is your AI project to put into action.

Future State’s second speaker, Professor of Marketing Steven Galloway, agreed – encouraging attendees not to be frightened of AI.

“AI is not going to take your job, but someone who understands it will,” he says, speaking via video link.

He jokes that the best use case for AI is the Netflix home screen, with its personalised list of “to-watch” suggestions: “If you’re ever dating someone, make sure to ask to see their Netflix home screen.”

Galloway believes AI has the opportunity to be an absolute game-changer, especially when it comes to health and education.

There are apps that have an 85% accuracy of diagnosing type II diabetes from a user’s basic health information and their voice recordings; and replacing expensive tutors with free bots would totally level the education playing field for low-income families.

Read more: Future State gives a glimpse into the unknown

Galloway ended his talk with a resounding message: don’t spend too much time focused on the past or the future, instead be present in your own life as much as possible with the friends and whānau who love you.

After morning tea, Ethan Eismann shared productivity lessons from Slack, where the company message is: “Work hard, go home.”

“Working hard doesn’t mean working long,” says Eismann, “and making sure employees work smart and then can go home and recharge is key.”

Company-wide rules like ‘focus Fridays’ and ‘focus weeks’ – giving staff time to get work done uninterrupted by meetings – have been a major success.

So too, has transparent communication – not just sharing what decisions have been made, but why. “Build a culture that is based on collaboration and humility,” says Eismann.

After this reporter had her first visit to Ikea while in the US recently, I was particuarly interested to hear from Hakan Nordkvist, former head of sustainability at Ikea Group.

Nordkvist, who travelled to New Zealand from Sweden a little over a week ago, got straight into sharing Ikea’s sustainability journey, which began back in the 1990s.

It was a path that forced the business to examine what sort of force it wanted to be in the world, he says.

The group settled on three main challenges: climate change, unjust consumption of resources and inequality. Then it set about making a difference in each area.

New products came out of it – curtains now remove pollutants from the air, the iconic Ikea meatballs became plant based, and LED lightbulbs are cheaper and more efficient than their predecessors.

The sustainability theme continued with a panel discussion from Rachel Brown of the Sustainable Business Network along with Jayden Klinac of Anew, a company making plant-based water bottles, and Sara Smeath of Circlr, who describes her company as Tindr for trash.

The panel talked through the circular revolution and moving to a circular economy that recycles and reuses, rather than a linear one that takes, makes and wastes.

Australian film director Damon Gameau closed the day on a sombre, yet optimistic note.

The state of the world in terms of climate change and resource consumption has wreaked havoc and it’s time to change how we operate, he said.

Society’s survival depends on us telling new stories, he told the audience, and that responsibility falls to all of us to work together. 

“Our current system is coming to an end, and the world is forcing us to create a new one, more befitting of the times we’re in now.”

Ditch the work car and sign up to a rideshare company instead – that’s just one of Rachel Brown’s tips for businesses looking to improve their sustainability.

It’s easy, affordable and far more efficient that having a fleet of pool cars that only get used sporadically, says Brown, CEO and founder of the Sustainable Business Network (SBN).

And while a move like that might seem daunting and drastic to some, she adds that the good news is there isn’t just one way to become more sustainable.

Brown is excited to be sharing her knowledge today with attendees at the one-day Future State session, being held at Auckland’s Spark Arena. The event looks at the ways contemporary culture shapes business – this year it encourages attendees to discover the future of circular design, artificial intelligence, regenerative materials, and many others

Brown will speak on a panel discussion titled ‘The Circular Revolution’, alongside Jayden Klinac and Sara Smeath, two other business leaders passionate about sustainability.

She says the circular revolution starts by shifting from a linear economy to a circular one, explains Brown. This means going from the ‘take-make-waste’ model to one of reduce, reuse and recycle.

A circular economy has three key parts:

1. Designing out waste
2. Reducing emissions
3. Regenerating nature and working to restore natural systems.

At a high level, massively reducing resource use is key – this minimises waste and excess energy output, making processes and systems more efficient, says Brown. Ultimately, these businesses are more attractive to work with.

Start small, suggests Brown. She encourages organisations check out the Climate Action Toolbox, created by the SBN in partnership with Spark, as a starting point.

The toolbox teaches the user the key areas where they can reduce emissions, measures their carbon footprint, sets targets, and then creates a step-by-step plan of recommended actions.

Brown sees many struggle: feeling they have no time, money, or often – with lots of conflicting information from different sources – simply not knowing what to do to improve their sustainability practices.

Read more: Future State gives a glimpse into the unknown

The toolbox is the perfect antidote: “It’s one source of truth. It helps businesses get started in sustainability with five things you need to do to and it’s free and easy to use,” says Brown.

Case studies – including branding and packaging company Marx Design and a Central Otago cherry farm Forest Lodge – demonstrate an immediate reduction in their carbon emissions as well as the financial savings they’ve made after making changes in this area.

Brown also points businesses to the SBN website, which has a number of free tools and resources people can use to learn more about sustainability and circular practices.

She founded the SBN 25 years after returning from her overseas experience and seeing how polluted other countries had become – she didn’t want to see New Zealand go the same way.

A lot has changed in that time, she says.

Climate legislation has played an important role here, with about 200 entities across the motu required to provide climate reporting against national climate standards.

It has become a lot more of a collaborative effort. “When we first started, there was a focus on daily practices like turning off light switches in offices at the end of the day, now we’re more focused on systems changes,” says Brown.

“It’s now the whole sector, it’s not so individualised.”

The Idealog team will have a full report on the conference online tomorrow (Friday)