Chch Casino takes out accolade at national hospitality award

Media release from Hospitality NZ

Christchurch Casino takes out accolade at national hospitality awards

Christchurch Casino has taken out one of the top accolades at this year’s Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence – winning the Excellence in Host Responsibility category.

The Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence were presented in Queenstown last night. Winners were announced in 16 categories and encompassed a vast geographic spread of hospitality businesses throughout the country. The Supreme Champion honour was won by The Batch Café in Invercargill.

Hospitality New Zealand chief executive Bruce Robertson said public attitudes toward drunkenness were changing rapidly – and the Christchurch Casino was at the forefront of leading this societal change.

“For most patrons, and certainly hospitality business operators serving them, it is now no longer socially acceptable to be intoxicated in a public place – including hotels, bars and restaurants,” he said.

“It is accepted by the industry, that all licenced premises must have a host responsibility policy of some sort in place if they are serving alcohol.

“However, for Christchurch Casino and the other finalists in this category, implementing a thorough and comprehensive host responsibility policy is simply seen as a basic part of the total customer service experience….. that there’s far more to host responsibility than simply serving free orange juice and coke to designated drivers, or calling a cab for ‘over the limit’ patrons at the end of the night.

“For industry-leading venues like Christchurch Casino, it is about extending their host responsibility practices far beyond the physical boundaries of just their premises. The extension of a host responsibility policy for them is about sitting on licensing and liquor advisory committees, working with local bodies, their fellow operators, and the police, to create host responsibility initiatives which impact positively on the wider community.”

Entrants into the Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence were judged over a six week period by a panel of independent industry professionals who assess every competitor on a range of commercial and operational criteria – including staff training and human resources, customer service, marketing and promotional activities, and the demonstration of business growth.

For more information go to www.hospitalitynz.org.nz/Events/Awards for Excellence

ENDS

© Scoop Media