Hospitality Business Magazine

Meeting changing customer demands

New Zealand’s demographic is changing, with huge implications for both workforce and customer – just one of the meaty topics you’ll find at the upcoming Hospitality New Zealand Showcase.

‘The Customer is King’ is the theme of this year’s Showcase, being held in Rotorua on September 17 and 18.

HNZ Dr Ganesh NanaOne of the speakers is BERL Chief Economist Dr Ganesh Nana, who will explore how the New Zealand of the future will impact on business and customer service.

“The New Zealand of the future is going to look so much different to that of now. As well as the local story, there’s the global dimension, both in terms of customers, and competition for workers, as labour market opportunities become even more global for young, and not so young, Kiwis,” he says.

Michelin star chef and MasterChef NZ judge Josh Emett will look at several key hospitality trends, including what’s happening in the world of food right now, the shift towards a more casual style of dining, and what it takes to open a successful restaurant in such a competitive industry.

“I’ll also talk about what it means to be a chef these days, what’s changed in the industry and how we should prepare for this going forward,” he says.

Other speakers include Rt Hon Winston Peters, the Leader of New Zealand First talking about his party’s policies for hospitality, Gen Y Entrepreneur Jack Delosa sharing his expertise on ‘Reaching the new consumer’, Judge Bill Unwin looking at the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act and whether it’s working and Dick Brunton from Colmar Brunton delving into ‘Customer is King’.

“We’re really excited about the line-up we’ve got at conference this year, bringing together experts from many different fields to offer operators a one-stop shop for meeting the needs of today’s customer, and tomorrows,” says Hospitality New Zealand Chief Executive Bruce Robertson.

Registrations are still open, to members and non-members.  For more details and to register online visit www.hospitalitynz.org.nz, call 0800 500 503 or email nsc@hospitalitynz.org.nz.