Suburban Newspapers join IBA 2009

The largest publishing group in Auckland has agreed to join the sponsors of the Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards (IBA).

Suburban Newspapers Auckland, part of the Fairfax Media group, will sponsor the   Best Small Business category.

Suburbans editor-in-chief David Kemeys said he was delighted to enter into an agreement with Indian Newslink.

“We have enormous regard for the achievements of members of the Indian community, both in a cultural and commercial sense.

“We have many Indian staff from journalists and sales people to managers and we are only too well aware of the contribution they make to our own business,” he said.

Mr Kemeys said the small business category was an ideal fit for the Suburbans since the group’s newspapers help turn small businesses into bigger enterprises by putting them in touch with massive audiences.”

He said it was becoming increasingly important to engage with the Indian community because it continued to grow and some areas of the city were seeing large Indian communities established.

“There is a very long and proud history of Indian immigration into New Zealand and members of the Indian community have always been at the forefront of business and innovation, which we are proud to recognise,” he said.

He said although there was no shortage of business awards in New Zealand, IBA showcased the “fantastic contribution that the Indian community makes to business in this country” and that such contribution was worthy of acknowledgement and celebration.

Suburban Newspapers Auckland publishes free community newspapers across the greater Auckland region.

The group’s reach begins in the South with the Papakura Courier, Eastern Courier and Manukau Courier. It covers the entire Auckland City with the East & Bays Courier, Central Leader and Auckland City Harbour News.

The group dominates Waitakere and the West with the Western Leader and Nor-west News and in North Shore City with the North Shore Times and North Harbour News.

It also has the Rodney Times and The Waiheke Marketplace.

The group publishes 23 editions and four others in Northland every week, with about a million copies of the newspapers going into the community.

“We are by far the biggest publishers in the area but we still have a very old-fashioned view of journalism.

“It has to be relevant to the communities it serves, and it has to be fair, accurate and balanced,” Mr Kemeys said.

Indian Newslink managing director and publisher Ravin Lal said the sponsorship agreement marked a new relationship in the print media.

“Apart from the fact that the Suburban Newspapers Auckland has millions of readers and therefore the most effective market reach, the group’s decision to join hands with us in recognising the success of the Indian business community is commendable.

“It marks a new trend in print journalism – of cooperation and coordination for the common good of the community,” he said.

Mr Lal said the sponsorship will add value to the IBA.

“We are delighted to have on board our partners from last year – the Waitakere City Council, Waitakere Enterprise and The National Business Review – with the Suburban Newspapers Auckland, TV3, Radio Tarana and Hotel Stamford Plaza joining us to promote IBA 2009.

“A few more well known organisations and brands are likely to join soon,” he said.

Winners of the IBA 2009 will receive their awards at a gala Black Tie Dinner on November 16, 2009 at Hotel Stamford Plaza with John Campbell of TV3 as the master of ceremonies, the details of which will be announced in due course.