Members of Wellington’s diplomatic community turned out in force Monday morning to be among the first in the world to launch Global Entrepreneurship Week. As New Zealand is the first country in the world to greet the new day it was also first to launch the Global Entrepreneurship Week programme which sees some 35,000 events launched across multiple countries this week.

With the sun now rising in New Zealand, Global Entrepreneurship Week has officially begun. Global Entrepreneurship Week celebrations are now starting up all over the world, launching not just individual campaigns, but a global movement that will connect approximately 4 million people in 87 countries.

New Zealand kicked off Global Entrepreneurship Week with a Speed Networking session at dawn. Wellington City Council and GEW-NZ hosted over 150 entrepreneurs, business owners, government officials and students for the World’s Launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week early this morning.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key stressed the importance of entrepreneurship and Global Entrepreneurship Week at a countdown event at the University of Auckland Business School.

“Entrepreneurship is extremely important,” said Key. “If New Zealand is going to do well and be successful, in the end we’re going to create good ideas and the brainpower and the enthusiasm of entrepreneurs in New Zealand to building a much stronger country.”

“It’s good that this is a global challenge and a global Week,” he added. “I can’t tell you what the business model of the future looks like, but it will almost certainly involve the cooperation of New Zealand entrepreneurs with companies overseas.”