Got business news? Email carmen.hall@nzme.co.nz or zoe.hunter@nzme.co.nz Photo / Getty Images
Got business news? Email carmen.hall@nzme.co.nz or zoe.hunter@nzme.co.nz Photo / Getty Images
Quest Rotorua Central recognised as best of best
Quest Rotorua Central has been recognised by Tripadvisor as a 2022 Travellers' Choice Best of the Best award winner.
The Rotorua apartment hotel ranked eighth out of 25 top hotels in the South Pacific.
Based on a full year of Tripadvisor reviews,the Travellers' Choice Awards honour the best in travel, recognising the places that delivered the most exceptional experiences.
"We are excited and honoured to have this award, and are grateful to the travellers who have supported us," Quest Rotorua Central franchise director Karen Tasker said.
"Ranking among the best of the best is always tough - but never more so than this year as we emerge from the pandemic.
"Whether it's using new technology, implementing safety measures, or hiring outstanding staff, I'm impressed by the steps you've taken to meet travellers' new demands. You've adapted brilliantly in the face of adversity."
Local breweries take top awards spots
A Mount Maunganui brewery has taken a top spot in the New World Beer & Cider Awards.
The New World Beer & Cider Awards Top 30 announced last week follows the independent expert judging of nearly 700 entries from New Zealand and around the world.
Mount Brewing Co's Golden Hour Hazy joined the ranks in the top 30 with its first beer win.
Chair of judges Michael Donaldson said the top 30 was a showcase of some of the best brewing talents and innovators in the country.
"It's great to be able to celebrate these new and less-widely known names alongside heritage brands like Steinlager, and popular craft breweries like Panhead and Sawmill, who continue to experiment and perform at the top of their game."
Techweek 2022 to celebrate Tauranga's unique innovation sector
Techweek, New Zealand's Festival of Tech and Innovation, has been celebrated across Tauranga from May 16 to 22.
With more than 25 diverse events, the week-long festival was facilitated in the region by Priority One, the Western Bay of Plenty Economic Development Agency.
Priority One chief executive officer Nigel Tutt said the week was a chance to showcase the region's unique innovations and growth in this space.
"Tauranga continues to develop as a leading destination across the technology and innovation sector, driving value and sustainable growth in our local economy," Tutt said.
The week included a mix of live, virtual and workshop events across a variety of topic areas, including 3D printing, digital technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Headline events throughout the week included the Tauranga Tech Futures event, which celebrated the opening of the University of Waikato Blue/Green Tech Lab.
The lab is a space for university staff and students to grow capability in Tauranga across cutting edge technology such as automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and biotechnology.
"The University of Waikato Blue/Green Tech Lab is another step on our collaborative journey as a region toward establishing Tauranga as a global destination for innovation," Priority One and University of Waikato innovation manager Shane Stuart said.
Female entrepreneurs wanted for Rise Up competition
Hamilton-based company Soda is searching for globally ambitious female entrepreneurs from Aotearoa to apply for its Rise Up competition and be in to win $10,000.
Soda is a business growth ecosystem that provides support, programmes and connections for Kiwi entrepreneurs and small businesses to grow and succeed. Since its inception in 2009, Soda has helped more than 900 businesses from across Aotearoa flourish.
Chief executive Erin Wansbrough said the company was passionate about supporting women in businesses, particularly those tenacious enough to start their own businesses.
"We created Rise Up in 2021 to encourage more women to consider entrepreneurship as a viable career, to lift the capability of female founders and champion female entrepreneurship in Aotearoa.
"Only 20 per cent of high growth startups in Aotearoa have a female founder and we hope that initiatives like Rise Up will help to address and rectify that gender imbalance."
Applications for Rise Up are open now and close on June 10.
To be eligible, you need to be a female founder (or have one female founder) and have a New Zealand registered pre- or early revenue business that is less than three years old and has less than five employees. The business must be scaleable or have some unique intellectual property.
Soda will select five female entrepreneurs to go through a founder-focused workshop series on topics such as storytelling, owning your brand, pitch coaching and raising capital as a female.
Founder of online thrift shop &Again and winner of Rise Up 2021, Wendy Quach. Photo / Supplied
The competition will culminate in a pitch night on August 17, where the five finalists will pitch their business idea to a panel of high-profile judges in The Atrium, Wintec House, Hamilton.
Runners-up will receive one-on-one mentoring with Soda's industry experts and the winner will receive $10,000 cash to help propel their business to the next level. The event will be open to the public with guests encouraged to vote for a People's Choice winner.
Founder of online thrift shop &Again and winner of Rise Up 2021, Wendy Quach, said Rise Up enabled her to capitalise on the early potential of her business by connecting her with "the right people in the industry and assisting me in identifying my strengths and weaknesses".
