The Organisers

Experienced Team

The NZ Franchise & Small Business Expo is organised by an experienced events team with a long track record of delivering high-quality business exhibitions, conferences, and trade shows across New Zealand and Australia.

The organisers bring together deep operational expertise, strong industry relationships, and a clear understanding of what makes a business event genuinely useful — for visitors, exhibitors, and partners alike.

This Expo has been designed with a simple objective: to create a practical, well-run environment where people serious about business can access solutions, ask questions, and make confident decisions.

Rachel Hobbs-Price

Rachel Hobbs-Price is a senior business events professional with over 30 years’ experience delivering trade shows and conferences across New Zealand and Australia. She specialises in creating well-run business events that connect buyers, sellers, and entrepreneurs to deliver strong commercial outcomes.

Rachel has held senior roles with leading event companies across the region and now partners with Matt Reilly on the NZ Franchise & Small Business Expo.

Matt Reilly

Matt Riley is an experienced event industry director with a strong background in exhibitions and live events. Having worked as an organiser, supplier, and exhibitor, he brings a practical understanding of how businesses can maximise value from trade shows.

He has worked with Rachel Hobbs-Price for many years and now partners with her on the NZ Franchise & Small Business Expo, focusing on delivering a strong experience for both exhibitors and attendees.

Our Approach

We believe successful business events share a few essential qualities:

  • a clearly defined audience
  • relevant, solution-focused exhibitors
  • practical content
  • strong organisation and clear communication

Every aspect of the Expo — from the floor plan and programme structure to exhibitor onboarding and visitor experience — is designed with these principles in mind.

This is not about scale for scale’s sake.It’s about quality engagement and meaningful outcomes.

Experience You Can Rely On

The organising team has decades of combined experience in:

  • producing large-scale trade shows and business expos
  • working with franchise brands, professional services, and technology providers
  • managing complex event logistics and exhibitor operations
  • delivering content-led events for business and professional audiences

This experience ensures the Expo is professionally delivered, thoughtfully curated, and commercially relevant.

Industry Partnerships

The franchising component of the Expo is delivered in association with the Franchise Association of New Zealand (FANZ), supporting high standards of professionalism, ethics, and industry best practice.

This partnership reflects the organisers’ commitment to credibility, transparency, and value for both exhibitors and attendees.