Finalists Announced For Hospitality NZ Awards For Excellence

The finalists have been announced for the 2024 Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence and the list includes well-established favourites as well as fresh newcomers to the industry.

Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence are the longest running, most prestigious national awards that honour the achievements of the hardworking and talented people who are the heart and soul of New Zealand’s accommodation and food and beverage sectors.

Now in its 26th year, the awards, which are hosted by Hospitality New Zealand, will be announced at ceremonies being held across two nights in July, recognising both businesses and people.

The business awards, sponsored by Lion New Zealand, celebrate the excellent businesses across the hospitality industry. Award categories include: The Best Destination Venue, Best Restaurant, Best Café, Best Hotel, Best Motel and more.

The people awards, sponsored by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, recognise the exceptional people in the hospitality industry, and categories include: Hospitality Leader of The Year, Accommodation Leader of the Year, Future Leader of the Year, Chef of the Year and Supplier of the Year.

The People’s Choice Award is the only publicly voted award in the annual awards, with all other categories decided on by a panel of judges.

Steve Armitage, Hospitality New Zealand Chief Executive, says those judging the awards had no easy task.

“We were thrilled by the number of high calibre entries to this year’s awards - I know that the judges had a tough time whittling them down to the selected finalists,” says Armitage.

“Many operators and staff in the hospitality and accommodation sector go above and beyond to provide exceptional manaakitanga to their communities and customers, and while we can’t award each and every one, it’s great to be able to give recognition to those at the top of their game and celebrate the industry as a whole.”

Lion has been a long-time sponsor of the Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence, and Craig Baldie, Managing Director of Lion NZ, says the awards are an annual highlight for the industry.

“We are delighted to support the Awards again this year. The bar continues to be raised and we look forward to celebrating the epitome of excellence in our wonderful industry,” says Baldie.

The awards ceremonies will be held on 30 and 31 July, in Christchurch and will coincide with #HNZ24 – a two-day conference and trade show tailored specifically for the hospitality and accommodation sectors.

HNZ24 Conference:

#HNZ24 is a two-day conference and trade show tailored specifically for the hospitality and accommodation sectors. It is proudly presented by Hospitality NZ, and will be held on 30 - 31 July, 2024 at Te Pae Convention Centre in Christchurch.

Hosted by renowned local personality Jason Gunn, #HNZ24 promises to cover lots of new ground and give those in the industry the chance to connect with other hospitality and accommodation industry leaders from across New Zealand.

The programme will feature workshops, panel discussions, keynote speeches and more.

About Hospitality NZ:

Hospitality NZ supports thousands of hospitality and accommodation businesses of all sizes across the motu, to deliver the world-famous manaakitanga (hospitality) which New Zealand is renowned for.

We provide the hospitality sector with the tools, resources, partnerships and knowledge to maximise their success and add value to their businesses.

We also advocate for what our members need to succeed, making sure decision makers are focused on addressing their most pressing issues to create a positive business environment for hospitality.

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