Review of 2008

Although not as frantic as year of the RWC07, 2008 turned out to be a very interesting year with more work overseas than in the UK. We worked in Germany on a 7 occasions, Wroclaw in Poland, Berne in Switzerland, Barcelona in Spain, Paris and the United States. We worked closely with Tourism New Zealand in promoting New Zealand and held one of our biggest haka workshops with Vodafone.

Vodafone haka workshop

Manaia runs haka workshops where we teach haka as a means to help express passion and power. Our workshops are about unifying groups and building teams.

In June 2007, we were approached by Vodafone UK to help unify 1400 delegates at a conference for UK managers. Manaia proposed composing a haka specifically for Vodafone which focussed on their core values, red, restless and rock solid. The whakatauki "Ko te toka tumoana tu tonu e" became the base of the message... standing rock solid despite being battered by the elements. Manaia performed a number of famous haka and finished with our own composuition. Then we spoke about haka and its meaning, particularly about people coming together, working as one to overcome challenges. We then m,oved 1400 people into 8 groups into a huge airport hangar and taught them the haka words and actions with a final performance back in the main auditorium.






Globe Runners in Roth

We were in Germany at the request of a New Zealand company which promotes an annual triathlon in Wanaka. With Tourism New Zealand, the objective was to promote New Zealand as a destination for tourists and to invite competitors at the Roth triathlon to make the journey to Aotearoa to take part. Manaia performed on a small island in a lake at the commencement of the race and were there at the end supporting the runners.

Here is the multi-talented Mr PJ Campbell supporting a Kiwi runner across the finish line.


Globe Trotters in Cologne

Globetrotter is an outdoors lifestyle company with a number of stores throughout Germany. The Cologne store has been voted the best store in the country and has a very interactive approach to promoting products, including a dive pool in the middle of the store to try out dive gear, canoes and other water sport products. It also has a wet weather room where customers can try on clothing in extreme weather conditions. They sell a number of New Zealand products and the New Zealand image ties in well with their brand. Tourism New Zealand and Globetrotter invited us to their Cologne store where we performed haka and took workshops for the public and the press. We were treated very well by our hosts and were given the experience of dining at a German Beer Hall with its wonderful food, drink and raucous atmosphere. Being in Germany we were able to utilise one of our Hamburg based performers, Reotakiwa Dunn, a very talented musician in his own right.

Down the Yellow Brick Road

For 10 years Electrolux Professional have been traveling down their own Yellow Brick Road, a metaphor from the Wizard of Oz which represents the journey to the Emerald City. The goal is now in sight. It is time to celebrate and motivate. Manaia were asked to compose a haka and teach it to the delegates to ensure success on the last leg of the journey. Takahia ra Takahia ra, Haruru ana te ara kowhai, Takahia ra e tutu te puehu! Trampled, trodden on, this Yellow Brick Road shakes. From our collective stride, the dust it stirs and flies. In the mountains of Berne, Switzerland, at a military base in the middle of winter, 200 delegates, employees of Electrolux thundered the words of their haka.

Haka workshop in Colorado Springs

Copan Systems is a new company that has developed server technology to rival the big established players such as IBM and Sun Systems. However, they are new and much smaller company and to compete their sales staff needed to be motivated. Gary Veale, Copan System's Chief Sales Officer is Welsh and has a love for rugby. The attitude he required from his staff to take on the big guys and win reminded him of the All Blacks and Maori in their struggles against the British. He wanted his team to "take on the big guys and win".

Manaia were invited to contribute to the conference by giving our views. This was a great opportunity to talk about who we are as Maori and how we survived and thrived despite colonisation and for this to be an inspiration to those in the corporate world. I spoke about Parihaka and the role of Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kakahi and the passive resistance movement that ensured the survival of the people. We imbued the korero with movement, action, dance and waiata. Finally we got the delegates motivated through performance of haka. Colorado is a beautiful state, over a mile above sea level and we were there in the middle of winter. Americans love doing everything big and the great enthusiasm they brought to the haka will be something we will always remember.