Host-Tech hits Queenstown

Thirty-one technology companies will be exhibiting at Queenstown's Host-Tech conference Expo Day this Thursday, with local workers invited to pop down and see the latest solutions.

Now in its second year, the conference runs across two days at Kingpin Queenstown, bring together leaders in tourism, hospitality, finance and technology to explore the future of innovation and investment in the sector.

On Wednesday, there'll be panel discussions, networking events and key note speakers, including Jo Hilson, Chief Technology Officer at Tourism Holdings Limited (THL), who will share her insights from two decades in digital leadership.

Then on Thursday, there's the Expo Day, from 9am-noon, with breakout sessions, including speaker Nadia Ellis from AI consultancy Curiosity, who'll discuss: Beyond the Chatbot: Rethinking AI for Tourism.

More than 200 attendees are signed up for the Wednesday and Thursday sessions, at the Queenstown Lakes District Council-backed conference, as it looks to diversify the economy.

Conference organiser Brad Rowe says the numbers signed up really validate the event.

"We ran it for the first time last year, and this year we've sold out of all the exhibitor spots and have national sponsors involved", Rowe says. "It's really about bringing that tourism and hospitality technology space to Queenstown, because if it's going to be anywhere it should be here."

Rowe points to companies such as First Table and Magic Memories, which started as a photo business at the Skyline gondola and is now a global company in thousands of locations world wide.

"We've got such a strong tourism and hospitality industry, and we're good at solving our own problems."

Rowe, who was one of the driving forces behind Skyline's gondola mountain biking project, wants local workers and business staff to come down to the expo to see what's on offer.

"The expo showcases tech solutions for business, for our tourism operators, our hospitality businesses, cafes and restaurants, hotels and motels," he says.

"So, if there's anyone out there frustrated with a process at work, who thinks it could be done better with tech, they should come down and see what's on offer, test it out and get a feel for it.

"They don't even have to be tech savvy, it can be a frontline worker or a manager who sees a possibility to do something in a more efficient or customer friendly way. And it's also a good opportunity to see career pathways into technology."

Rethinking AI

Nadia Ellis, who was marketing manager at RealNZ and Cardrona Alpine Resort before launching her AI consultancy Curiosity in 2023, will explore how AI can streamline admin and enhance human connection.

"When people in tourism think about AI, they naturally think about chatbots, but there's so much more than that it offers," she says.

"Tourism operators can actually use AI to put the human back into the equation - it sounds like a paradox, but in tourism we're all so busy that if we can use AI to take away some of that repetitive admin work, we actually have more time to interact with guests and make a little magic.

"Chatbots are amazing but business leaders also need to look at the opportunities to improve processes behind the scenes, to mentor team members and understand big bodies of data and customer information."

QRC also hosts AI for Business: Hospitality Edition, tailored to small businesses wanting to work smarter with limited resources, on the Thursday, while FareHarbor offers a global take on emerging customer trends and how operators can respond.