Did InternetNZ squeeze Tuanz? CEO responds

The Telecommunications Users Association has laid off all its staff, leaving only chief executive Paul Brislen.

Last night, Mr Brislen told NBR that Tuanz's events suffered a sponsorship squeeze, and difficulty attracting attendees when InternetNZ's new NetHui event (which debuted last year) offered tickets at a fraction of the cost.

If you have limited time, "And if you're going to choose a conference, do you go to the $30 one or the $800 one?," Mr Brislen said.

This morning, Mr Kumar responded to NBR,  "Events in the telco and Internet industry span from free (such as this week's High Speed Broadband Opportunities conference organised by the Commerce Commission) to thousands of dollars a day."

He added, "Within that space, NetHui is meant for the wider community and attracts many people who typically don't attend conferences regularly. This is in keeping with the goal and essence of NetHui."

Mr Kumar indicated that his organisation did not have problems finding sponsorship.

"When we did our numbers for NetHui, we found that the main financial contribution to running the event from registration fees was small. So we decided to reduce the attendance cost to a minimum while maximising
the financial contribution from sponsors seeing value in the event, including InternetNZ itself."

In terms of InternetNZ recently turning down a grant application from Tuanz, Mr Kumar said:

"The criteria by which InternetNZ evaluates all grants requests is published at internetnz.net.nz/our-work/funding. This includes our legal obligations as a registered charity.

"One of the criteria is: 'not lead to any pecuniary gain for any organisation or individual outside normal employment or contract compensation'."

"What this means is that InternetNZ funds projects or initiatives that are for the public good rather than financial gain for the organisation."

Mr Brislen said he accepted InternetNZ's logic. His organisation was in alternative research partnership talks with parties including StatisticsNZ and the University of Auckland.

The funding was only for one year. Tuanz restructure was designed to make it sustainable in the long term.