Launching a tourism business just months before the borders closed was definitely a headwind for iFLY, an indoor skydiving facility in Queenstown.
However, Managing Director Matt Wong found ways to make his state-of-the-art facility indispensable to his local community. It has become a hub for Kiwi skydivers to train and a STEM destination for local educators. He did this without losing valuable staff who are vital in delivering this incredible experience.
Matt Wong talks with us about some of his experiences and how his local Spark Business Hub have made sure he’s set for the future.
Finding their feet
Matt says that iFLY's first priority when COVID-19 hit was to look after their staff.
“It was about building them up and making sure they trusted us to get through this next pandemic that we were about to face. Once we managed to build their confidence up in the business, we then set about trying to build new product."
The next step for iFLY was to explore new markets and find ways to get people involved in the experience.
"We looked at STEM, so we got a lot of the education groups and the schools involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Another great option was using it for the New Zealand Defense Force, training all of their parachuters."
Looking to the future
Matt explains how iFLY plans to futureproof their business.
“One of the things we've done to futureproof our business is to look after our team. The other one is looking at innovation and how we can diversify tourism and our business, to make sure its applicable for the next 10 to 20 years."
"Looking at technology and how we can innovate that space is really critical to us, to make sure that we've got a great customer journey going forward."
Guarav Kumar, Spark Client Lead for iFLY, also joins us to talk about the relationship Spark has built with iFLY and the solutions we have offered to help the business.
"Our solution for iFLY means that they don't have to worry about losing connectivity or their data. They can focus on what they do best - delivering this experience for their clients."
Watch the full video above.
