NZ Hospitality Summit postponed to 2022
The inaugural New Zealand Hospitality Summit - Te Tihi o Manaakitanga - has been postponed until 2022 due to the resurgence of COVID-19 in New Zealand.
The Summit was due to be held in Auckland on 7-9 September at Trusts Arena in Henderson.
Joint hosts Hospitality New Zealand and New Zealand Chefs Association announced the decision on 23 August, saying a combination of uncertainties surrounding the community outbreak of the Delta variant had forced them to move the event to next year, with an exact date yet to be decided.
The Summit was designed as a showcase for the hospitality and accommodation industry with guest speakers, education and training seminars and a trade show, and organisers say it was to be a chance to re-set how the sector will evolve to thrive in the future.
Hospitality New Zealand Chief Executive Julie White says it’s disappointing to have to postpone, but it was the only option. “Getting on top of this community outbreak quickly to avoid being in lockdown for a long period of time is the priority,” she says. “We only need to look across at our friends in Australia who are doing it tough to be reminded how important it is to get on top of things, and do this quickly.
Hospitality New Zealand Chief Executive Julie White
“It was always on the cards that the Delta variant would arrive in New Zealand. This is just another punch the industry will roll with.”
White says the intention is to reschedule for when people can move freely again and there are no restrictions on gatherings. “After the many challenges our industry has faced and continues to face, it’s as important as ever for us to come together to find solutions as we look to the future.
“We’re an important contributor to the New Zealand economy, with our 170,000 people contributing $11 billion a year before COVID, so the sooner we get back to full health, the better for everyone.”
Hospitality New Zealand’s prestigious Lion Hospitality Awards for Excellence, which were to be presented at the summit, will still happen this year, with the date and venue details to be decided this week.
Hospitality New Zealand’s 119th AGM will still go ahead on 9 September as a virtual meeting.
NZChefs’ competitions will still go ahead next year, and its current sponsorship programme will not change.