Since 2008, Paper Plus has held a series of successful Books & Bubbles events across New Zealand.  Alexander Communications have assisted Paper Plus in bringing these events to life, together with the marketing team, since the very beginning.

Paper Plus Books spokesperson, Kerre Woodham features as host in these events with (usually) one to two guest authors. This year, Alexander Communications was briefed to take these events to the next level with five high profile ‘metro’ events in the main centres.

Tarts for Tea was the first of the five metro events, held on Mother’s Day, Sunday 10th May 09 at SKYCITY. Proceeds from each event went to Cure Kids, Paper Plus’ chosen charity.

Kerre Woodham had the entire venue in stitches of laughter with her witty, but highly appropriate sense of humour. The marketing team headed up by Lyle Hastings have enjoyed an excellent relationship with Kerre Woodham. Kerre has a natural affinity for books. She throws herself  at the task of being the advocate of  good reading on behalf of Paper Plus. Kerre interviews Stephanie Jones from Alexander Communications on Newstalk ZB “Kerre’s Cafe” every three week on her favourite pics too.

High profile authors Mary Lambie, Denise L’Estrange-Corbet, Suzanne Paul and Wendyl Nissen were invited to take part in the event as guest panelists and to promote their books.

Alexander Communications distributed a media release together with a box of tarts to mainstream and local media, inviting them to attend the event to which we had a positive response. New Zealand Woman’s Weekly featured the event with five double passes to giveaway on their website. Denise, Suzanne and Wendyl were each interviewed by Kerre Woodham on NewsTalk ZB and Mary by Mel Homer on EasyMix. The event was also featured online on eventfinder.co.nz, classichits.co.nz, thebreeze.co.nz and coastfm.co.nz, Scoop, Voxy and InfoNews.

Ticket sales went extremely well with the event becoming a sell out and having to turn away people, and the online ticket purchasing website shut down. More than 500 guests filled the room and had a roaring good time as each author and Kerre spoke about their books. Each guest was treated to a goody bag including a full size product from key sponsor L’Oréal Paris. Prizes included a $500 pamper pack from L’Oréal Paris, a ‘Mother Daughter’ necklace from Pascoes and a hamper from Dulcie May Kitchen.

A Prime News reporter attended the event to film the guest speakers and featured a segment on the Sunday 10th May news at 5.30pm.

Many of the guests on the day indicated that they would definately attend another event. Watch this Space!

New Zealand’s up-and-coming book reviewers are a little younger than you might expect; in fact, they range in age from 15 to just seven. They are a group of 12 talented, literate young readers from around the country who are penning their own critiques in their new roles as Paper Plus Kids’ Choices reviewers. Each youngster will be sent books each month for review, and their profiles will be set up on the Paper Plus website and will appear in-store and on mailers alongside their reviews.

Among the chosen reviewers is Kaitaia 15-year-old Priscilla de Groen Hutchinson, who says reading is her main passion in life: “When I was little, if I did something wrong my mum would threaten that I wouldn’t be allowed to read for a week. I did anything to make sure that never happened!”

Priscilla is joined by 12-year-old Logan Rae of Rangiora, who uses a four-hour daily round-trip to school in Christchurch as the perfect opportunity to lap up books – he estimates he gets through 15 every month. “Reading opens up gates to knowledge,” he says. “You can read practically anywhere, and everyone likes something different, so it’s an individual thing.”

Jack Reid concurs. The Orewa 11-year-old makes no secret of his addiction to books: “I read every day – in the morning before school, at school, after school and when I’m in bed. My mum and dad will tell me to turn the lights off because its time to sleep, so I’ll try to read in the dark for a while.”

As New Zealand’s largest stationery and bookseller, Paper Plus has launched Kids’ Choices with the key goals of encouraging Kiwi kids to read more, and helping children to develop the skill of expressing their opinions about what they have read, therefore promoting reading as an activity among their peer group. All reviewers are aged between seven and 15.

Paper Plus Marketing Manager Lyle Hastings says Kids’ Choices gives the reviewers a unique opportunity to tell New Zealand what they think about the books they have read. “It’s a great opportunity for kids to develop not just their reading skills but also their writing ability, by reading and reviewing a book of their choice. It allows kids to really engage with a book’s storyline and be able to express how they felt about a book, and why. It is important for kids’ intellectual development to become involved with reading and literature, and Kids’ Choices promotes this.”
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About Paper Plus
The Paper Plus Group began 26 years ago and is one of New Zealand’s largest stationery and booksellers. The Group incorporates three separate retail brands: Paper Plus, which has 104 stores; Take Note with 63 stores; and Office Spot with three stores, all offering a great range of stationery, books, magazines, cards and gifts to New Zealand consumers. There is a Paper Plus store in every town and city, from Kaitaia to Invercargill. It is the only New Zealand book and stationery retailer with Fly Buys.

For more information please contact:

Lyle Hastings
Marketing Manager
Paper Plus
+64 (0)9 261 0702
lyle.hastings@paperplus.co.nz
 Laura Burns
Alexander Communications
+64 (0)9 522 5545
+64 (0)27 232 0009
laura@alexandercomms.co.nz

This Mother’s Day, there is an irreverent alternative to the usual card-flowers-chocolate triumvirate that is typically showered on the nation’s mums. The Paper Plus Group is holding the ‘Tarts for Tea’ event at SKYCITY on Sunday 10 May, featuring a panel of high-profile women who will join host Kerre Woodham in providing an unforgettable afternoon of entertainment for mothers and daughters.

The stellar line-up includes businesswoman Suzanne Paul, journalist and broadcaster Wendyl Nissen, fashion designer Denise L’Estrange-Corbet of the WORLD label, and media veteran Mary Lambie.

“People tend to give and receive the same gifts each Mother’s Day, and this year we wanted to offer something different and special – a unique experience to share and look back on,” said Paper Plus Group Marketing Manager Lyle Hastings. “This will be a great chance for mothers and daughters to spend some quality time together, and of course we welcome sons and dads too.”

The event will be held at SKYCITY for high tea from 1pm. Along with sumptuous cakes, sandwiches and other treats, there will be goody bags for each guest, and a fabulous hamper to be won courtesy of L’Oréal Paris.

More about the panelists:

Suzanne Paul – famous for the phrase, “But wait, there’s more!” (also the title of her autobiography – says, “I’ve been to hell and back and twice round the roundabout, and I know how to go from rags to riches. I also know that if you can dream it, you can live it.” In her book, Suzanne discusses her childhood, her difficult teenage years, her heartaches and triumphs, all with her unique humour and honesty, in the hope that it will inspire and encourage others facing their own battles.

For more than 25 years, Wendyl Nissen has been at the front of the media pack – first as an eager young journalist, then as the influential editor of a string of high-profile women’s magazines, a television producer and writer, and a popular radio commentator and columnist. Wendyl’s bestseller Bitch and Famous details her magazine career and the juggling act of motherhood and ambition. She is now working on a Domestic Goddess On A Budget guide for Penguin, due for release on 29th May 2009. She loves to talk to audiences about work/life balance for women who were told they can do everything, and are now exhausted.

Denise L’Estrange-Corbet has dealt with depression and family dysfunction in her rise to the top of New Zealand fashion design. In her book All That Glitters, Denise chronicles how she and partner Francis Hooper pooled their life savings of $400 to open the first WORLD store on Auckland’s High Street in 1989. WORLD is now an award-winning label famous for its innovation, irreverence and individualism. There are stores in Auckland, Wellington and Sydney, and WORLD has held shows in Paris, Hong Kong, London and Australia.

Mary Lambie has worked in the media for 18 years and is best known for her role as the former host of TV One’s Good Morning show. Mary’s first taste of working in media was as a trainee journalist for Hamilton’s 1ZH and her career has seen her take on many exciting positions from a three year stint in Japan as Radio New Zealand’s Tokyo correspondent, while teaching English, to host of BBC World Service Business Programme on her return to New Zealand. Mary is now also in small business (and has been for the past 20 months) and owns a Subway franchise, employing 15 people. Her book 101 Quick Tips for Surviving The Kids, co-written with Debbie Mayo-Smith, draws on the pairs experience providing a practical little book that is a goldmine of solutions for busy parents.

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About Paper Plus
The Paper Plus Group began 26 years ago and is one of New Zealand’s largest stationery and booksellers. The Group incorporates three separate retail brands: Paper Plus, which has 104 stores; Take Note with 63 stores; and Office Spot with three stores, all offering a great range of stationery, books, magazines, cards and gifts to New Zealand consumers. There is a Paper Plus store in every town and city, from Kaitaia to Invercargill. It is the only New Zealand book and stationery retailer with Fly Buys.
For more information please contact:

Lyle Hastings
Marketing Manager
Paper Plus
+64 (0)9 261 0702
lyle.hastings@paperplus.co.nz
 Laura Burns
Alexander Communications
+64 (0)9 522 5545
+64 (0)27 232 0009
laura@alexandercomms.co.nz