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Building Forward Together
The Hospitality Summit 2021 is where New Zealand’s $11billion industry will gather as a community to share, discover, and explore the trends shaping the future.
By Julie White, CEO Hospitality New Zealand ceo@hospitality.org.nz or 04 385 1369
The theme of this year’s Summit is Building Forward. We all know it has been a challenging time for the industry and the goal for the Summit is to provide you with information, innovations, data, and solutions to face these challenges. Building forward for a stronger more sustainable industry for all businesses regardless of region or market segment.
In the lead up to the Summit, we talked to Hospitality New Zealand Chief Executive Julie White about why the summit is so important and what Building Forward as an industry will look like.
There’s no going back to a pre-COVID “normal”, the only thing for the industry to do is move forward and Julie White and Hospitality New Zealand believe that the way to do this is through industry-led solutions.
Twelve months ago, the industry (and indeed the country) was in shock, but from this sudden upheaval has come evidence of the sector’s ability to survive.
“We saw the demand for this sector during lockdown,” expressed White.
“Kiwis are realising, now more than ever, that hospitality is an integral part of the fabric of a community.”
The priority moving forward, according to White, is to build on this public support and raise the bar of the industry.
“We’re going to do that through helping our members. We believe that if you become a better operator, you’ll get better commercial outcomes and a better workforce.”
White believes that as an industry, Kiwi hospitality needs to tell its story better, which starts with re-education at the schoolaged level. That’s why Hospitality NZ is working with partners to go into schools to explain that hospitality jobs are not just entrylevel positions, that there is career progression both within the sector as well as adjacent sectors.
The idea that hospitality and foodservice jobs are ‘low-skilled’ is laughable to White, who understands the vast range of skills and knowledge one must need to perform well in the sector.
“As an industry we actually help feed other sectors by training staff (often on-the-job) in vital soft skills. When venues were forced to reduce their staff numbers in 2020, hospitality employees were quickly snapped up by parallel sectors,” White explained.
“We are such an important part of New Zealand society, and we need to take control of that dialogue, so a priority for us moving forward is to reposition and tell the story of the industry’s true value.”
White pointed out that one of the key areas the industry needs to step up on is training. During the height of COVID last year, Hospitality NZ researched and purchased a global hospitality online learning system, Typsy, to enable members access to extensive courses by some of the world’s best hospitality and tourism professionals, the platform is free for Hospitality NZ members.
One of the goals of the platform is to equip employees with a Hospitality Passport. A problem from the past is that while many hospitality businesses offer onthe-job training, the skills that are learnt are not formally recognised. A Hospitality Passport of microcredentials that is industry led will help both employers and employees during the hiring process, while giving employees credibility.
Training and education is something White is passionate about and sees it as an important way that business owners can engage. She believes it is important for owners to put time aside to upskill because it will pay off, leading to retention, greater productivity and enabling a workforce that is fit for the future.
White sees a great opportunity for the industry to work with the WDC (Workforce Development Councils) to make sure the national standards for training are fit for purpose and industry led.
Another important aspect of the sector for White and Hospitality NZ is mental health.
“We all need to talk more about wellbeing,” noted White.
“That’s why we’ve invited Mike King to speak because mental health and wellbeing is a huge part of being able to build forward. It’s also why we’ve created the Summit and the Hospo Week – we want to arm ourselves with the best. Let’s build our toolkit and let’s start with the people who can make a difference, which starts from the top down.”
The main problem the sector, and the country, has is that there is still a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the lasting impacts of COVID, however, White is optimistic about the industry and its ability to adapt.
“We need to take the lead and show the government that we are willing to mahi with them on what the future looks like because we certainly can’t go back. Let’s take control now, we may be living in uncertainty but what we can be certain about is how we build forward.”
Hospitality NZ will continue to advocate strongly and talk to the government on a regular basis, recently they have been exploring the opportunity around including the border closure and those businesses affected by it in the Resurgence Support Package.
“We will keep advocating for the large stuff, but as an industry we can’t simply leave it to the government. For the people in this industry, it is innate within us to care for people. We’ve got to show ourselves that manakitanga and give ourselves the gift of moving on and raising the bar.”
Which is what White is most looking forward to about the Summit, the industry reconnecting.
“It’s really needed, that time to connect and I think there will be some relief for people in coming together and understanding that you’re not alone and that everyone is going through the same thing. Plus, there are so many great sessions where people will be able to take away practical solutions that they can implement straight away,” she concluded.
“We’re an adaptive bunch, so let’s get on with it. Let’s be our own destiny!”
