Trudi Nelson (MC)

Trudi is a well-known New Zealand broadcaster and MC across TV, Radio, Events and Digital. Trudi is the station voice for The Breeze network and hosts a daily lifestyle radio show on Breeze Classic. She has a background in the food industry and is past president of NZ Foodwriters, even a stint of hospo for good measure.

Tania Tapsell, Mayor of Rotorua

Her Worship the Mayor of Rotorua, Tania Tapsell

Tania Tapsell, of Te Arawa iwi, is the first Mãori woman to be elected as Mayor of Rotorua. She leads a council responsible for more than $2.5 billion in community assets.

As Mayor, Tania has prioritised improving community safety, strengthening council finances, supporting sustainable economic growth, protecting Rotorua's natural environment, and positioning Rotorua as a top tourism destination.

Tania has served 12 years in local government after being elected at 21 years old and was Chairperson of Councils Operations & Monitoring Committee at that time. She has also worked in tourism and top finance firms, BNZ Business Partners and Deloitte. Tania is a qualified Resource Management Commissioner, has a Bachelor of Management Studies from the University of Waikato, and Diplomas in Business and Marketing.

A strong advocate for community voice and local leadership, Tania was recently elected to the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) National Council as the Provincial Sector Representative. The National Council serves as the governing body of LGNZ, setting strategic direction and guiding policy on behalf of local government across New Zealand.

Bjoern Spreitzer, Tourism New Zealand

Bjoern has a strong background in commercial partnership, business events and the tourism sector. His career in destination marketing includes multiple roles at Tourism New Zealand, including General Manager Domestic, General Manager Americas & Europe, and currently General Manager New Zealand & Business Events. 

Originally from Germany, Bjoern has worked across a multitude of international markets including the UK, Europe, North America, Brazil, and Argentina. In his current role as GM New Zealand and Business Events, Bjoern is responsible for Tourism New Zealand’s industry partnerships, product marketing, International Business Events, and commercial entities including Tourism New Zealand’s subsidiaries Qualmark and isite. 

Bjoern is a proud resident of Titirangi in West Auckland, and in his free time enjoys exploring the West Coast Beaches, following his kids at football and orienteering events, and travelling around Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Kristine Kilpatrick, Head of People & Hospitality, Craggy Range

Kristine brings over 20 years of experience in Human Resources and Hospitality to Craggy Range, where she has been a key member of the leadership team since 2017. Growing up in Hawke’s Bay, Kristine has previously held senior leadership roles with InterContinental Hotels Group across New Zealand and Australia.

In her current role, Kristine has played a pivotal role in the expansion and strategic development of hospitality operations at Craggy Range’s Giants site, including Accommodation, Restaurant, and Cellar Door, transforming them into world-class facilities. 

Beyond Craggy Range, Kristine actively contributes to the industry by serving on the board of directors for Hawkes Bay Tourism, the advisory board of the Pacific International Hotel Management School, and as Vice President of the Hawkes Bay and East Coast Branch of Hospitality New Zealand.

Preston Lee

Preston Lee is an Orange County–based entrepreneur and hospitality expert who founded The 30% Rule in 2023 to help independent restaurants scale by focusing on culture, systems, training and leadership development. With over two decades of restaurant experience—from busser to multi-unit learning and development executive with major hospitality brands—he crafted his proprietary framework after transforming 100’s of locations across the US. Since then, The 30% Rule has boosted consistency and guest experience in more than 200 restaurants and driven over $250 million in additional sales for clients. Today, Preston shares his insights widely across social media, podcasts, and industry events, inspiring restaurant owners to elevate both hospitality standards and operational efficiency.

Atilla Bús

I am Atilla Bús, a bartender, beverage creator, and flavour researcher working at the intersection of contemporary mixology, sensory design, and storytelling. With more than a decade of international experience, my focus is not on alcohol content, but on flavour as an emotional and cultural medium.

Throughout my career, I have collaborated with bars, brands, and creative communities across Europe, Asia and Australia gradually shifting my attention toward alcohol-free and low-ABV drinks. For me, a drink is never a compromise—it is a language. A way to translate memories, moods, and ideas into something tangible.

Flavour is the Spirit is my first book and a personal manifesto. Rather than a traditional recipe collection, it offers a new perspective on drink creation—one that values intention over proof, emotion over strength, and flavour over alcohol. The book bridges technique and intuition, science and memory, bartender and guest.

My guiding belief is simple: the flavour is the real spirit.

Selected Awards and Recognitions

Major Competition Results

• IBA World Cocktail Championship, Rome 2023 — 2nd Runner-Up (Individual)
  
  
• IBA World Cocktail Championship, Rome 2023 — World Champion (Team – Hungarian National Team)
  
  
• Hungarian Cocktail Championship, Budapest 2021 — National Champion
  
  
• Trophy Montenegro, Budva 2017 — 1st Place
  
  
• elit Art of Martini, Ibiza 2017 — Top 30 Finalist
  
  

Individual Distinction

• Campari Red-Heart Award, 2023

Claire Turnbull

Claire has been a driving force in health and wellness for more than 20 years – and if you’ve ever watched Breakfast TV, One News, or Seven Sharp or listened to Newstalk ZB chances are you’ve already seen her in action.  She is a Registered Nutritionist with a background in fitness and a diploma in Positive Psychology whose career has spanned roles at Diabetes NZ, Healthy Food Guide magazine, High Performance Sport, and 5 years in professional rugby.

Claire has three best-selling books on wellbeing and is the owner and director of two wellbeing businesses. Mission Nutrition, which a nationwide nutrition practice and workplace wellness company and findWellness which offers engaging, interactive wellbeing programmes.

Claire is a passionate advocate for making wellbeing practical and accessible in the busy modern world we live in.

Troy Clarry (Facilitator)

After spending more than 20 years managing in some of Asia’s most exciting hotels for Hyatt International & Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Japan, Bali, China, New Zealand, Saipan and Taiwan, Troy decided to return home to New Zealand in 2013 to start his own hospitality management company – Katalyma Hotels and Hospitality.

Subsequently, Troy and his wife Tomoko became the owners of Whangaparaoa Lodge in mid 2013 and added a second property KeriKeri Park Lodge from the beginning of 2017.

“Owning and running our own business, creating our own path and destiny is a luxury earned from taking risks and working hard” Troy says.

Troy spent the majority of his time in hotels managing Food & Beverage operations working his way up through the Hotel hierarchy. He started as a Corporate Trainee for Hyatt International, moving through to restaurant management, Banquet and Catering, and divisional and hotel operations management. Opening hotels for both chains became his specialty, performing lead roles in over 10 hotel openings throughout Asia and Europe. Troy’s last position was the General Manager of Bulgari Hotels & Resorts – Tokyo Restaurants, where he oversaw the Japan operations for the luxury brand including Michelin starred restaurant, cafes, boutique chocolate production business and wedding and function venues. 

Passion for the industry and local community is very important to Troy. He is a National Board member, Hospitality New Zealand, chairs the Auckland accommodation sector group at branch level, represents the industry on the Auckland Unlimited Destination Committee, advisory board member of Crown Institute of Studies and is an executive committee member of the local Whangaparaoa Business Association.

John-Daniel (JD) Trask, Autohive

John-Daniel (JD) Trask is co-founder and CEO of Autohive, a no-code AI platform for building and running specialised agents without engineers or IT support. Autohive started as a project to enable the internal team at Raygun, the Wellington-based software company that JD co-founded and has led for nearly two decades, serving customers in over 120 countries.
From that experience, JD brings a realistic view of what AI can genuinely do for industries like hospitality, where operational pressure is constant, and people are the product. At Autohive, he is focused on making AI work for hospitality teams to improve efficiency, reduce repetitive tasks, and free up staff to deliver better guest experiences, ensuring that advanced tools are both practical and accessible.

Rich McLeod

Rich McLeod is not just another executive in the hospo tech space; he’s a hospitality veteran turned tech CEO on a mission. For over 15 years, Rich navigated the ups and downs of owning and operating hospitality businesses. Starting with a single venue, Rich and his business partner developed Loaded as the cornerstone operating platform for their own network of 12 diverse bars, pubs, and restaurants across New Zealand.

Loaded’s remarkable success has since scaled to empower more than 10,000 hospitality business owners and managers around the world.

Louise Saviker

Louise Saviker is the Chief Executive of Student Job Search, where she leads the charity's efforts to connect tertiary students with job opportunities which help fund their studies and lives.

With a strong offering of flexible, casual, and part-time job opportunities, the hospitality sector is consistently one of the top five most popular on Student Job Search. In the 2024/25 financial year, SJS saw more than 85,000 applications for hospitality and tourism jobs.

Louise brings leadership experience, a Master’s in Human Resources and Organisational Development, and a strong understanding of the evolving student workforce. She and the team at SJS know students who work in hospitality gain more than just an income - they learn time management, communication, and many more skills they will take into their careers long-term.

Colin McClean

Colin McClean is a New Zealand–based hospitality leader and currently serves as Area General Manager for EVT across the North Island. With more than 18 years’ experience in the industry, Colin has held senior leadership roles across hotel operations, commercial strategy and brand transformation. His career includes experience with Edgewater, Accor and SkyCity, and he has a strong focus on driving operational performance alongside sustainable and responsible business practices.

Chris Goh

Chris Goh is the founder of Valid8 Advisory and works with Governments and industry in Europe, North America, Asia and the Pacific on the implementation of Digital Wallets and credentials to support economic outcomes.  Most recently, working with New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs to facilitate the co-design of their Reference Architecture for their Digital Identity Services Trust Framework.

Prior to this he was a public servant of 30 years, with 15 of those as a senior executive. Chris has worked in a range of government portfolios including, customer service, small business, emergency services, education, treasury, health, primary industries, housing, Arts, Tourism, economic development, public works and transport and main roads.  Many of those roles required him to lead significant Digital Transformation, employing new technologies to old problems and dealing with complex policy, technology and reform agendas.  He was the former National Harmonisation Lead – Digital Identity for Austroads. That role worked with  Australian States and Territories to harmonise their Driver Licence and Proof of Age digital credentials for whole-of-economy use. He is also a Standards Australia representative on a range of international standards working groups including ISO/IEC 18013 for Mobile Drive Licences, ISO/IEC 23220 for Electronic Identity. Chris was a previous runner up of the Young Australian of the Year Awards and Recipient of the Queen’s Trust award for working in developing a digital curriculum for students and establishing a digital program to safely connect children with other children including those with special needs and disabilities.

Amy Billaney

Amy Billaney, the dynamic force propelling Rooms Online as its Managing Director. With a robust background spanning over 18 years in the hospitality landscape, Amy's journey includes a significant chapter as the General Manager juggling roles in Reservations, Maintenance, Housekeeping, and Customer Service, embodying both leadership and team player capacities. These collective experiences have instilled in her a wealth of expertise that she now channels into her current role.

Amy is more than a hospitality enthusiast; she's deeply committed to her industry. Her vibrant energy and passionate dedication stem from a heartfelt mission: to bring success and understanding to an ever changing online platform.  Her passion extends beyond that. Amy's unwavering commitment to top-tier customer service and her natural drive for continuous innovation come together to empower accommodation providers in nurturing their businesses and feeling supported

With Amy at the helm, Rooms Online isn't just a platform; it's a thriving community where businesses are nurtured, and dreams are supported. Her journey is one of turning accommodations into unforgettable experiences, and turning providers into confident entrepreneurs.

Darren Gibbs, Senior Economist, Westpac Banking Corporation

Darren graduated with an M.Com (Economics) in 1989. He began his career as an economist at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, working in research, forecasting and policy roles. This was followed by several years working as an advisor in the UK Treasury’s macroeconomics division in London. He returned to New Zealand in 2000 to join Deutsche Bank, where for 16 years he wrote on both the local and global economy and financial markets and became the Chief Economist for New Zealand. Subsequently, he moved into a consulting role, providing contract research for both Deutsche Bank and Daiwa Capital Markets Europe. He joined Westpac’s economics team in July 2023.

Kristen Enright

Kristen Enright has spent 20 years in the business of people — and she's here to tell you that every great guest experience, every high-performing team, every venue people can't stop talking about, comes down to one thing: culture.

From her formative years at One Wall Street, collaborating with elite government agencies, including the CIA, FBI, and US Secret Service, to working across hospitality, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and law enforcement — Kristen has learned one universal truth: the strategy is only as good as the people delivering it.

A four-time founder with real operator experience, she knows what it costs when culture breaks down — and exactly how to fix it. As founder of KE Consulting and Director of Culture and Learning, NZ for SGE International — the creators of the Future Leaders Programme — she bridges the gap between executive strategy and the people on the floor.

At HNZ26, Kristen's session "Attracting & Retaining Talent" asks the question every operator tired of the revolving door needs to hear: what if the talent shortage isn't about the industry — it's about the culture you've built? No blame, no shame — just the honest conversation this industry needs, and a clear pathway forward you can act on immediately.

Expect high energy, zero jargon, and tools you'll actually use on Monday morning.

kristenenright.com | @_keconsulting | LinkedIn

Casey McDonald, Executive Chef, Craggy Range

When Casey took on the role of Head Chef at Craggy Range, he brought with him a wealth of experience gained working alongside some of the world’s most respected culinary leaders.

His career spans kitchens both internationally and locally, including time with Rex Morgan in Wellington, Gary Danko in San Francisco, Phil Howard at the two Michelin-starred The Square in London, and leading Andrew McConnell’s acclaimed Melbourne restaurants such as Supernormal, Cumulus, and Cutler & Co., the latter awarded Gourmet Traveller’s ‘Best in Australia’.

Cameron Davies

Cameron Davies is the co-owner of The Fat Duck Gastropub in Te Anau and co-founder of Over The Pass. He brings over 20 years of experience across international kitchens and hospitality operations, and was recognised globally with an 8th place finish at the World Chefs Global Chef Challenge in 2024.

Alongside his partner and co-owner Selina Wright, Cam has built The Fat Duck into a high-performing regional venue known for its consistency, high standards, and disciplined approach to running the business. In 2025, the business was named Estrella Damm Top 50 New Zealand Gastropubs Supreme Winner.

Operating in a highly seasonal, tourism-driven market, the business has delivered sustained revenue growth while maintaining tight control over prime costs, labour, and overall profitability. It has maintained performance through a range of industry pressures, including COVID disruption, workforce shortages, cost of living impacts, supply chain challenges, and extreme weather events affecting regional demand.

Over the past decade, Cam has worked across all areas of the operation — from kitchen and service through to financial management, team leadership, and system development. His focus has been on building a business that performs under pressure, with clear standards, accountable teams, and strong financial visibility.

He has led the business through periods of significant disruption, shaping a practical and commercially grounded approach to leadership.

Through Over The Pass, Cam works with hospitality operators across New Zealand to improve margins, strengthen team performance, and build more systemised, resilient businesses.

His perspective is grounded in day-to-day operational reality, with a focus on what consistently drives performance in independent hospitality venues.

Megan Williams

Megan is a sustainability leader with over 20 years’ experience advancing responsible tourism across Aotearoa New Zealand. As Sustainability Manager for Hospitality New Zealand, she led the development of the industry’s first sustainability strategy, launched in March 2025.

She has delivered impactful capability-building and resilience programmes nationwide, including in Central Otago, Wellington, and the Bay of Plenty. Megan brings a unique perspective shaped by deep experience in the visitor economy and the not-for-profit sector, supporting organisations to embed environmental, social, and economic outcomes into practical strategy.

A Director of Discover Wanaka and experienced board member, Megan is also a graduate of the Sustainable Business Council’s Sustainability Leadership Programme. She holds a New Zealand Certificate in Te Ara Reo Māori (Level 4) and a BA/BCOM from the University of Otago.