Tech firm wins Business of Year

Queenstown Chamber of Commerce events and marketing manager Catherine Fallon (far left) with ...
Queenstown Chamber of Commerce events and marketing manager Catherine Fallon (far left) with (from left) Air NZ regional manager Frank Gibbons, Susana Tamega, First Table founder Mat Weir, RealNZ chief executive Stephen England-Hall, First Table’s Harley Cawkill, Blair Impey, Ben Roberts, Jess Smith and Stuart Macdonald at the RealNZ 2021 Business Awards on Saturday night. PHOTO: SHEENA HAYWOOD
Queenstown start-up First Table has been crowned Supreme Business of the Year at the RealNZ Queenstown Business Awards.

It was the first time the awards, held in conjunction with the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce, have been held since 2018.

The company also won the SIT Innovation and Mountain Scene People’s Choice awards, and was a finalist in the Shotover Media Excellence in Marketing category.

Founder Mat Weir said he felt as if the company had come a long way "from when I was a one-man band travelling around the country in a campervan".

"Just to be recognised amongst such a list of high-calibre entrants is great.

"I think it’s really cool, too, a tech company coming out on top in Queenstown, because it’s dominated by tourism companies. But we do have that aspiration to diversify, and the tech sector’s one of those ones that’s getting talked up a lot, so hopefully that’s the start of Queenstown really taking off in tech," Mr Weir said.

He was delighted the company’s developers had received recognition through the innovation award, which would "give them a big boost".

"That’s going to help attract more tech talent, not just to the company but to Queenstown in general."

Regarding the People’s Choice award, Mr Weir said the company was "really grateful" for the hometown support.

Short-term plans included launching a long-awaited app, hopefully by the end of the year, he said.

The winners

  • RealNZ 2021 Business Awards — Todd & Walker Law Small Business of the Year: Housemart Queenstown
  • Shotover Media Excellence in Marketing: Fergburger
  • MyHR Employer of the Year: Millbrook Resort
  • ANZ Excellence in Strategy and Planning: Active Adventures
  • SIT Innovation: First Table
  • Environmental Sustainability: Ziptrek Ecotours
  • Destination Queenstown Excellence in Service Delivery: iFLY Indoor Skydiving NZ Ltd
  • Remarkables Park Ltd Covid Resilience and Diversification: xtravel
  • Mountain Scene People’s Choice: First Table
  • Supreme Business of the Year: First Table

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