Business News

Startup Queenstown Lakes’ business coach Marco Dingemans has recently stepped into the newly-created role of General Manager. Startup Queenstown Lakes (SQL) helps local entrepreneurs launch, run, and scale their businesses through courses and workshops. Marco’s diverse background has led him to his current role and owning his own Pilates studio on Glenda Drive – growing up in the Netherlands before moving to London for ten years, he has a background in marketing and is excited to hit the ground running in 2023.

Shaun Kelly is the Managing Director at Absoloot Hostel QT on Beach Street. There were times when the borders were closed that the hostel was running at just 25% occupancy, and at one stage the business went into a bit of a hibernation.

While the economic tidal wave is threatening to dump on the other side of the world, down under in Queenstown everyone’s still swimming at the beach. A recession is forecast, but it hasn’t yet hit. However, those in the know locally say that while Queenstown is well positioned to hopefully take less of a hit than some places, it’s time to get our life jackets on.

Mark Quickfall has learned a lot in his 40-plus year tourism career, but nothing could’ve prepared him for the events of the past three years. It’s definitely not the first major crisis to have hit the tourism industry while he’s been in the game, but it was definitely the worst by far.

Interesting isn’t it, talk of a looming recession when the reality for local businesses right now is that we are leaving so much unmet demand on the table. A bitter pill for many businesses to swallow after years of waiting for demand to return. Forget about the prospect of people losing jobs; we have far more jobs than people willing (and able) to work in them.

It’s a case of ‘make hay while the sun shines’ for Queenstown business ahead of another uncertain year. Tens of thousands of holidaymakers have flooded into the district for the summer season, bringing much-needed revenue, as the tourism industry and life in general bounces back quicker than expected from years of pandemic restrictions.

Early-stage funding for businesses in the lower South Island is a problem that Mainland Angel Investors (MAI) is helping solve. It works to connect fledgling businesses with investors – and its next pitch evening is in mid-February.

The fabulous food, divine drinks and thoughtful service Future Hospitality Group is known for are front and centre at its latest Queenstown venue. The unusually-named ‘Odd Saint’, in homage to its location alongside St Peter’s Church in the heart of town, arose in a spot that housed a much-loved locals café run by previous owners for 15 years.

When a couple of passionate, meat loving South Americans got chatting while working at Sofitel Queenstown in 2007, little did they know they’d soon be preaching meat to Kiwis and leading the charge.

Barbara Bridger is the new chief executive of Central Lakes Trust (CLT).

The Christmas dust has settled, the New Year has begun and summer is well and truly underway. Many Queenstown hospitality businesses are reporting pre-covid levels of customers and Queenstown airport supports this sentiment with international passenger arrivals surpassing 2019 numbers. This summer is set to be the busiest one in several years, and it appears staffing shortages are slowly turning around – so what’s expected for the rest of the seaso

They’re spending anything from $5000 to $10,000 on couple elopements through to hundreds of thousands of dollars on grand weddings, as Queenstown’s popular wedding industry bounces back with a boom.

Despite a slow start, it’s been a big year over at Altitude Brewery and 2023 is shaping up to be even bigger. In addition to winning the Lager than Life competition, they also picked up 19 medals at the Brewers Guild of New Zealand Beer Awards, have hosted a lot of events. Their taproom has come back to life and their wholesale business is going once again.

A billion-dollar Queenstown development has been given a green light by an independent fast track consenting panel. It was referred to the Government’s expert consenting panel last year under the Fast Track Consenting Act 2020.

Boom times are back and while it should be a celebration for local businesses it looks like chronic labour shortages will ensure the busy summer predicted ahead may look more like a minefield for employers. However, it’s not all bad with some temporary help on the way for the peak season, in the form of working holiday visa holders from overseas.

Max Norton, 34, born and raised in Queenstown, has returned as a remote worker with wife, Marianna, and their two-year-old daughter Florence. For Max, who’s worked overseas since graduating from Otago University, remote work is not a new concept.

Arrowtown-based economist Benje Patterson has been working remotely from Arrowtown for six years now – long before it was fashionable, and the young father of three wouldn’t have it any other way. “Ironically, I now travel a lot less than I originally did, which is awesome,” says Benje, 35.

Life’s too short not to work remotely and get the best out of it, or so it seems for a new generation of highly focused professionals who don’t need to be in the office from nine until five. Increasing numbers of professionals are settling in Queenstown, many attracted by the events of the past two years, or simply wanting to escape the city and head for the mountains.