The earthquakes in Christchurch in 2010 and 2011, attracted worldwide attention. The human tragedy and the magnitude of the damage caused have been widely communicated. What is not as well-known is the story of business resilience and survival in Christchurch since the earthquake. There were critical lessons learned by Christchurch businesses that have application to any business, anywhere, after any disaster. 

CEO of the Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce, Peter Townsend CNZM, will relate experiences from the coal face, which have resulted in an extraordinarily high rate of business survival by international standards. With 80% of the commercial buildings in the core of the city destroyed, 6,000 companies having to evacuate the central city without warning, and the central city being locked down for many months, business viability in Christchurch was severely threatened. Specific interventions and initiatives and the sheer determination of individual businesses ensured ongoing business vitality.