"That's who is recruiting at this time of the year," she said. "We're trying to help them fulfil their employment needs, to make it easy for them."
She said a lot of the students, many of whom were due to graduate in November, had not done an interview before - "so they're nervous".
Mrs McClay said the event always resulted in recruitment, with many employers keeping tabs on students as they progressed through their courses.
Novotel and Ibis Rotorua had a panel of three senior staff meeting students keen to get into hospitality.
Human resources manager Ashanti Neems said the nature of the speed meet gave them a good indication of whether someone was able to think on their feet - crucial in the hotel business.
"We're not so much focused on the skill set, it's all about the personality, how they can engage with us."
She said Accor, which owned Novotel and Ibis, supported Waiariki and was keen to work with it to build a strong local workforce.
"Our goal is to strengthen the talent in the pipeline through Waiariki, and build a strong relationship."
She said they had taken details and CVs and made interview times for several of the students they met during the speed meet.
Don Gunn, of Rotorua Superpasses, said in tourism it was a lot about attitude and people skills.
"It's great they have the formal training but, at the end of the day, it's about how we interact, attitude, are they willing to get stuck in?"
He too had taken CVs and said he had a work experience project in mind for a couple of students he'd met.
Mark Wilkinson, director of iTCo, said he'd met some interesting people and would be keeping in touch with them.
"It's good to see the types of qualifications coming through now at Waiariki. They've changed over time, become more relevant."
Scott Wikohika, business manager Maori for Westpac, said the bank was always looking for good staff.
"To know who's going to be available soon and identify some of them is a fantastic opportunity.
He said there were a couple he would meet again, with one in particular impressing by asking if they could meet for coffee.
"It's not just about qualifications, especially in small towns like Rotorua, it's about relationships."
Student Jayan Unnithan said it was a useful event, as students got an understanding of what employers were after.
Mr Unnithan, who will complete his post-graduate studies in business management this year, said he had got some "positive vibes" and had two interviews set up.
Fellow student Asakh Salimkumar said while the employers weren't necessarily the ones he was aiming to work for, the interviews were good experience, which he hoped would help his job search.
