Digest In association with Hospitality Business’ online newsletter www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz
Marisa Bidois, CEO of Restaurant Association of New Zealand.
Inspired leadership through tough times
Inspired by the passionate, creative people who work within the hospitality sector, Marisa Bidois’s (Ngāti Ranginui) leadership of the Restaurant Association of NZ has seen it grow and develop into an agile organisation responsive to industry needs and trends as they happen, while also having the impact to enact meaningful change. Appointed Chief Executive in 2011, much of Marisa’s time is spent growing interest and opportunity in the industry, raising its profile and advocating for members. With extensive experience co-designing and advising Government agencies, she’s worked in advisory capacities with several different Government departments including MPI, Immigration NZ, IRD and others. Marisa has also led collaborations with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) to create the Association’s HospoStart programmes, assisting employers find people with the right skills to create a fulfilling hospitality career. She’s currently on the Go with Tourism Advisory Board and MPI’s Food and Beverage Forum, and earlier this year was appointed to the Government’s Workforce Development Council Reference Group and the Auckland Regional Skills Leadership Group. Marisa gained her own start in the industry waiting tables while studying employment relations and law at the University of Auckland. It was working part-time in restaurants that taught her invaluable skills, setting her on a career path in business, management, leadership and human resources.
Powerhouse industry desperate for own Ministry The most important issue for the hospitality industry is the sector’s recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Restaurant Association’s CEO Marisa Bidois. On August 24 the Association was hoping for the quickest possible return to level 1 trading following Auckland’s second lockdown and the rest of the country at level 2. Expecting the government might extend the level 3 period within Auckland until the Friday, the Association’s hopes were dashed. Instead, level 3 was extended for another week with Auckland then moving to a ‘staged’ level 2, due to stay in place for at least 4 days, with bars and restaurants open for groups no larger than 10 under the ‘single server, seated and separated’ arrangement. “The closure for another full weekend, which are key trading days for hospitality is another blow,” says Marisa. “Keeping the rest of the country at level 2 seemed an unnecessary measure. We’re now looking at closure rates between 10 and 12 percent for hospitality businesses as a result of the restrictions, which translates to around 13,000 jobs lost.” The Association is calling on the next Government to work collaboratively to create a concise pathway for rebuilding and repositioning the sector for the future. “The hospitality industry contributes $11 billion to the economy, making it one of New Zealand’s largest industries. Despite being an enduring powerhouse; sector policy, especially for hospitality, is fragmented, impractical and often devoid of the everyday realities of operations,” says Marisa. “Sadly, our industry’s strong growth story 6 SEPTEMBER 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
has been decimated by COVID-19, leading us to five key priorities to best support the sector recovery and ensure government policy matches the realities of everyday hospitality needs. “Until now the hospitality industry has been in sustained growth but for some time we’ve desperately lacked the skilled workforce needed to support our growth. “We have relied heavily on a migrant workforce that is largely inaccessible to us now and COVID-19 has now made it necessary to reset the employee pathway. “This means investing in hospitality apprenticeships and further training that’s fit for purpose, whilst also refining our immigration policy needs. “Despite the enormous contribution our industry makes to the economy we are still lacking our own dedicated ministry. We are calling on the government for greater recognition and better oversight in the form of a dedicated Minister and hospitality unit within the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment. “For a sector that generated annual sales in excess of $11 billion and employed more than 133,000 people in 2019, to not have a dedicated Minister to call on for support,
means Government policy regularly misses the mark. This became increasingly problematic throughout the COVID-19 pandemic response. “We are also seeking greater acknowledgement from the next Government for the significant role that hospitality plays in the tourist experience. “Every single visitor to New Zealand consumes our food and every aspect of our unique food story, from production to tourism, could recognise the importance of connecting with the people who eat our food. As we navigate no tourists for the foreseeable future this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to apply the hard won gains of our 100% pure reputation to our food industry, repositioning the story of NZ’s food experience and better promote the depth and diversity of dining experiences. “This will also create the halo effect, developing pride in our hospitality story and encourage more job seekers to view hospitality as an attractive employment pathway for life. “The hospitality sector is a core component of the New Zealand lifestyle, however appetites are changing. We are seeing a rise in conscious consumerism: where customers are driven not by prices or flavours alone, but also by the origins of their food. “Finally, we would like to see the next government examine and refine hospitality’s regulatory environment. Recent regulatory changes weigh heavily on hospitality and a review of regulations to consider ‘best practice’ standardisation where appropriate is desperately needed,” says Marisa.
