Bay girl off to Singapore for contest

HEAD-SPINNING NEWS: Sophie Shrimpton is "excited" and "a bit overwhelmed" at being chosen to represent New Zealand at an international contest. PHOTO/JOHN BORREN

A Tauranga Girls' College student will represent New Zealand in Singapore in August at an international business competition.

Sophie Shrimpton, 17, will represent New Zealand in the Asia-Pacific final of the FedEx Express/Junior Achievement International Trade Challenge.

She joined 80 students at the Enterprise in Action competition during the weekend, held at Massey University's Auckland campus, and on Monday was informed she was one of six selected to go to the all expenses-paid Singapore-based competition.

"I've been very excited and I'm a bit overwhelmed at the moment," Sophie told the Bay of Plenty Times.

Sophie took part in the original round of challenges in which she and her team had to develop a market-entry strategy plan to sell an oil-based product to Saudi Arabia. They were judged by a panel of entrepreneurs and business leaders.

"It was super-competitive. But it was amazing being around like-minded people. I've never been around so many motivated people who are interested in the same things as me."

Sophie said she and the other members in her group grew to be lifelong friends after competing together during the weekend.

Twenty-one students were selected to go to a further round to produce another business pitch in a short period of time, and the final six were selected from this group. To prepare for the Singapore competition, Sophie said she would read business plans and get together with the other New Zealand representatives to talk strategy.

It is the third year in a row a Tauranga Girls' College student has won a place in the international competition.

The six representatives will participate in a two-day training workshop in July at the FedEx facility in Auckland to prepare them for the Asia-Pacific regional final in August. Last year, the Kiwi team won the competition.