Maverick Move: Hospitality NZ Kicks Off Digital Transformation

At a time of exciting change and an ambitious 5-year strategic plan, a ground-breaking partnership has been forged between Hospitality New Zealand and marketing agency Maverick Digital.

The collaboration is a proactive move towards empowering Hospitality New Zealand’s members with enhanced digital capability using data-driven insights and best-practice tactics. It’s also an opportunity to amplify the voices and champion the stories of members from a diverse range of communities and regions.

For Hospitality New Zealand's Chief Executive, Steve Armitage, the synergies and shared vision between Maverick Digital and Hospitality New Zealand has shone brightly. “The Maverick team has effectively pinpointed the digital pain-points in the industry – and leaped at solving them”.

“They understand what we represent and who we strive to be, the importance of our member-centric focus, and even begun delivering bespoke recommendations before we had signed the dotted line – which made Maverick stand out from the others. Their all-guns-blazing approach where possible and slow-and-steady pace when needed gives us confidence in how we’ll deliver results to our members."

In the months ahead lies an all-new website for Hospitality New Zealand – their biggest digital project to date and a cornerstone of the partnership. What stood out to Steve Armitage and his team was Maverick Digital’s reputation for delivering world-class websites with a homegrown Kiwi touch. “It’s important for us to support our own sector, and Maverick’s onshore development team reflects our commitment to supporting New Zealand-owned businesses."

The fresh website is set to act as a one-stop showcase of Hospitality New Zealand’s advocacy and resources. Members will be able to log on and see the tangible collaboration between Maverick Digital and Hospitality New Zealand in its fruition.

The partnership is already off to a strong start, with the launch of the Top 50 New Zealand Gastropubs competition, which has seen the highest reach of any Hospitality New Zealand campaign and record numbers of submissions in a short space of time.

"We are excited about the journey ahead with Hospitality New Zealand,” says Alex Dykman, founder of Maverick Digital. "Together, the potential to equip Aotearoa’s hospitality industry with the digital skills and resources they need to succeed is next-level”.

“Traditionally, the restaurant and accommodation sectors have been leaders in using technology to enable reservations and bookings, but don’t always understand how to leverage these tools to drive more visitation, engagement, and reviews of their venues. By bringing together Hospitality New Zealand’s research and strategic vision with our digital solutions and experience, the future is bright.”

The Top 50 New Zealand Gastropubs competition is now open for submissions, with the brand-new Hospitality New Zealand website and member portal going live in mid-2024.

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