Kiwis refine Aussies' pitch

They've run into controversy asking potential tourists, "So where the bloody hell are you?"

So when it comes to attracting migrants Downunder the Aussies use a more refined style of marketing - and Kiwi expertise.

The Opportunities Australia Expo, a showcase of Australian work possibilities held in London this month, is run by a business owned and operated out of Auckland.

Hayley Roberts, a director of Opportunities Australia Expo, says the event has been running for four years and hers was the first company to produce an expo specifically promoting Australian jobs to Britons.

And, of course, New Zealand got the ball rolling.

"We had already successfully been operating the Opportunities New Zealand Expo, when we saw the potential to run a similar event for Australia," says Roberts.

"We believe passionately in our New Zealand expo and do all we can to ensure that our Kiwi exhibitors are successful.

"But we know that some British migrants are only interested in moving to Australia and this event helps skilled migrants come face to face with Australian employers, giving them the chance to recruit hard-to-find skills from the migrant talent pool."

More than 30 Australian employers and migration-related agencies exhibited at this month's event, which attracted more than 5000 visitors.

That still gives the upper hand to the Kiwis, as the Opportunities New Zealand Expo, held in London a week earlier, attracted 5320 visitors.

But are expos a successful means of marketing the benefits of moving half-way around the world? Positively Wellington Business says at least 40 British families have settled in the Wellington region since October as a result of the Opportunities New Zealand Expo.