Conferences

SEAANZ 2009 Conference

Change of conference format!

Hello, welcome to the SEAANZ conference website - http://seaanzconference.massey.ac.nz/.We have recently made an exciting change to the conference format to ensure greater academic quality, affordable fees and less time off work for you! The two day conference has now been compacted into one exciting day, that will take place on Wednesday the 2 September 2009. We are currently updating the programme and tracks to reflect this change. Please check back soon to see the updated information. We look forward to meeting with you during one of the many networking opportunities the conference will provide!

This conference will be hosted by Massey University in collaboration with the Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand - the Australasian affiliate of the International Council for Small Business. Please come and join researchers, educators, policy makers and business practitioners from Australia and New Zealand at the 22nd annual conference of the Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand.

You are also invited to the post-conference policy day, which will be hosted by the New Zealand Centre for Small and Medium Enterprise Research on Thursday 3 September 2009, to provide an in-depth policy perspective on the issues raised at the main conference.

Conference Theme

The theme of the 22nd SEAANZ Conference, Start small - Think big is one of many phrases used by researchers, policy-makers, educators and practitioners. It may imply that growth is possible from the smallest of beginnings; that growth is the ultimate goal for owner-managers; and, that growth (and its associated outcomes of increasing profit, outputs and staff) is the greatest contribution a small firm can make. The theme also pays homage to the innovations that can emerge from the smallest of firms.

There is also room for the theme to be examined critically by researchers, policy-makers, educators and practitioners, asking: Should a ‘big firm’ be the goal? Does targeted business assistance legitimise high growth as the only ‘suitable’ business goal? Are micro-firms written off and pejoratively labelled as ‘lifestyle businesses’? Is SME growth seen as the panacea for all economic ills? What are the implications of SME growth in terms of sustainability?

The conference program will feature sessions covering the theme Start small - Think big, as well as a wide range of other small business related topics.

The 2009 SEAANZ Conference in Wellington, New Zealand will enable you to:

• Meet with leading researchers in the field.
• Engage in dialogue on the latest issues concerning the SME sector with policymakers, educators and practitioners.
• Network with key figures from organisations linked to the SME sector from Australasia.
• Socialise and enjoy Massey Wellington’s hospitality and friendly atmosphere

SEAANZ 2008 Conference

• Sydney, Australia
• 14-17 September 2008

SEAANZ 2008 Conference Proceedings here. (.pdf)

SEAANZ Conference Refereeing Guidelines

If you are submitting a paper to the SEAANZ annual conference, these guidelines will help you ensure that your paper conforms to the academic quality assurance principles of Australian and New Zealand universities.