Award-winning inspirational speaker Ngahihi o te ra Bidois was the cultural advisor for Conventions & Incentives New Zealand’s
MEETINGS 2017 event in Auckland recently.
Bidois – billed as “the face of New Zealand” – proudly wears the Maori
ta moko (facial tattoo) as a visible expression of his pride in his culture.
“I believe we are all given opportunities to lead in our lives,” he says. “I help people to realise their leadership potential and step into their leadership roles.”
CINZ CEO Sue Sullivan said Maori culture was a strong unique selling point for New Zealand, and Maori tourism operators were beginning to engage with the conventions and incentives sector, which was learning to incorporate culture more deeply into events.
A former teacher at secondary and tertiary level and a manager in a multi-national oil company, Bidois speaks fluent Maori and has also been described as a “modern day warrior” and a living piece of art.
Bidois says he applies ancient wisdom from Maori culture to modern situations.
“One of our Maori proverbs outlines this: He aha te mea nui? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. What is the most important thing? It is people, people, people. I help organisations to develop their people.”
