In review - New Zealand Hotel Industry Conference 2015

On Thursday (June 4th) I attended the 2015 NZ Hotel Industry Conference at the Langham Hotel in Auckland. This was a very full day of presentations and workshops with over 300 of the country’s hotel manager, senior personnel and suppliers. For me personally the highlights would have to be the session on Guest Behaviours and the Economic Forecast session by Dominic Stevens, Westpac Chief Economist. Paula Bennet, the Associate Minister of Tourism also provided some comic relief!

The Guest Behaviours session highlighted the mobile and online world of Guests, from investigating a destination to enquiring to making a booking, together with their increasing ‘BYO Device’ expectation and knowing what they want and needing it NOW! By also highlighting Guests changing stay behaviour to more of an adventure and experience focussed visit, this session provided me with insight and provoked a lot of thought.

Dominic Steven’s positive forecast for the near future is reassuring to all of us just getting used to the industry’s more buoyant times.  With the fantastic job being done by Tourism NZ, Tourism Association of NZ, ATEED and the hotel operators we are set to see growth in visitor numbers, stay length and spend continue for a good long time yet. 

A highly recommended conference, great to catch up with so many of our clients and lucky enough to win 2 outstanding new pillows in the bed making contest! Mind you, if I made the bed at home that badly I’d be sleeping on the floor.