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Men’s health, cannabis and capital gains tax are all likely to be on the agenda as potential topics of interest for One Warkworth Business Association this year.
Following the success of regular networking events for businesswomen over the past two years, manager Murray Chapman is now looking to try something similar for men.
“I’m quite keen to do a men-only event, to see what sort of following that would get, and maybe around men’s health pertaining to business,” he says. “There are sometimes slightly different stresses on men than on women. We talk a lot about how to be a solo mum and work, but there are lots of solo dads who work and have got kids, too.”
He says that while mixed networking events are useful and enjoyable, he believes there are subtle differences in the way men and women network.
“I’ve attended thousands of networking events over the years and seen that men tend to network from the head and women from the heart – they can be a lot more inclusive than men.” he says. “Our women’s events are going really well, we get 25 to 50-odd women there each time. So the idea is just to see if there’s an appetite for a men’s one, too.”
While much of One Warkworth’s focus is currently on key local issues, such as the Warkworth Structure Plan, the Matakana link road and other roading challenges, there are national issues that the group is hoping to address this year, including the proposed Capital Gains Tax and moves to legalise cannabis.
“Capital Gains Tax is maybe something we’ll look at. If there’s a CGT on businesses, that could make a huge difference to people, so we could hold a discussion,” Murray says.
“And with the cannabis reform debate going on, there’s a concern among businesses as to how it might affect them. What happens if you have a drug-free policy, what if one of your employees has an accident while under the influence? The same could be said for alcohol, of course, but where does it leave employers?
“As it gets nearer, I’d like to have a panel discussion, maybe in the next couple of months.”
