This week I travelled to New Zealand to attend the 25th edition of the Australian New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference. It was fun to learn that the very first edition of this conference, way back in 1998, was also held at the University of Otago in Dunedin. Apparently, at that first meeting, there were approximately 300 attendees. At this year’s conference, there are approximately 500 attendees. I reckon those are both excellent turnouts for a conference held in a relatively remote corner of the world. Onward and upward.
New Zealand is a land of breathtaking beauty, and I was determined to make the most of my trip. I began by exploring Queenstown and its surroundings, which are nothing short of magical. Nestled at the foot of Bob’s Peak, Queenstown is a picturesque town that boasts the stunning Lake Wakatipu. Every corner of this place is a potential postcard picture, and the first thing I did was take a gondola trip up the hill to about 450 meters above the town. The view was simply breathtaking. I couldn’t resist skating down the 1600-meter luge tracks a couple of times.
The next day, I embarked on a long (and quite uncomfortable bus) journey to Milford Sound. The rain only added to the magic of the place, and I was delighted to be sprayed by waterfalls. On the final day, I joined a Lord of the Rings tour that took me to locations where the great movie was filmed, particularly around The Remarkables. It was fun to walk in the footsteps of Peter Jackson and his team. Before leaving, I made sure to stop by Fergburger and Cookie Time. The food was simply delicious, and it was the perfect way to end my trip in the resort town.
In Dundedin, I gave a presentation titled, “Investigating the Impact of Providing Both Sales and Review Volume Information”. I first had the idea for this project 6 or 7 years ago and have written up a full manuscript and already unsuccessfully submitted it to a few journals. I planned to pick this project back up next year during my sabbatical. Unfortunately – for me, at least – a new paper was recently published that, more or less, answers my main research questions. Scooped!
And so, with a heavy heart, I bid this project farewell. May it rest in peace in File Drawer Heaven.