Hai Money Melbourne Roadshow
The Challenge
Growing a business is one thing, but doing it while keeping relationships strong and quality high is much harder. Victorian brokers are naturally sceptical of Sydney-based companies entering their market. They’ve seen too many “national expansion” announcements that turn out to be empty promises. The challenge was simple: convince Melbourne’s broker community that Hai Money’s Victorian expansion was real and long-term, not just a quick market test. The roadshow needed to show serious investment and local understanding from day one, proving this wasn’t about chasing numbers but about building genuine relationships and creating spaces where people and partnerships can grow.
What I Delivered
I led the 2025 Melbourne Roadshow, themed “Bridging Markets, Building Futures,” bringing together more than 80 financial professionals at the All Smiles Melbourne Waterfront venue for a five-hour event. The strategy was straightforward: choose a premium waterfront venue that showed we were serious about investing in Melbourne, introduce the newly appointed Victorian State Manager to prove local commitment, create plenty of networking time for brokers and BDMs to connect, showcase live demos of upcoming AI-powered tools (AI Credit for finding loan solutions quickly, and a Referral System for managing leads), and mix external brokers from various aggregators with Hai Money affiliates to create new connections. The event balanced serious business talks with harbourside hospitality, flowing into a lively after-party so attendees left with both valuable connections and great memories. The roadshow secured media coverage in MPA with the feature “Hai Money expands with Melbourne Harbour event.”
The Results
The roadshow delivered exactly what it promised: a space where financial professionals could connect with peers and potential partners. The event brought together more than 80 financial professionals and attendees loved it, calling it “very well organised and incredibly thorough with a lot of networking time” and praising the warm, welcoming vibe. Big names showed up including Simon Bednar (CEO of Finsure Group) and representatives from MFAA and FBAA, showing the industry was taking notice. The event secured media coverage in MPA with the article “Hai Money expands with Melbourne Harbour event.”
But the biggest win? Changing how Victorian brokers saw Hai Money. They stopped seeing “that Sydney company trying to expand” and started seeing a credible local player genuinely invested in Melbourne. As one attendee put it, “You can really feel the heart behind what Hai Money is doing. It’s not just about numbers or growth, it’s about people.” This shift opened doors that would’ve stayed closed without showing such clear commitment.
Key Challenges & Solutions
Overcoming market scepticism meant showing, not telling. Announcing the Victorian State Manager hire before the event and talking about ongoing local investment plans proved this wasn’t just a one-off event. The roadshow backed this up by combining serious business talks with great harbourside hospitality, showing Hai Money could grow without sacrificing service quality.
Managing remote event planning from 900km away was tricky. Running a major Melbourne event from Sydney meant multiple trips to check out venues in person, building relationships with local vendors, and finding reliable local partners. Pulling it off successfully proved that growth doesn’t have to mean losing the personal touch.
Competing in Victoria’s mature mortgage market required standing out from the crowd. The live demos of upcoming AI-powered tools (AI Credit system and Referral System) impressed industry veterans. Simon Bednar, with 25 years in IT, called the innovation “second to none.” This showed Hai Money could offer both the personal touch and family feel that big groups struggle with, plus cutting-edge technology. As Bednar put it, Hai Money is “a true sub-aggregator with a business model that provides that personal touch” with a 100% Hai Money culture.
What I Learned
I learned that growing with heart matters. Victorian brokers loved the focus on local understanding and Melbourne-specific commitment. The event proved you can scale up without losing the personal touch. In fact, investing in both geographical expansion and technology at the same time actually makes things stronger.
The experience showed that technology and relationships work together, not against each other. Showing off AI-powered tools whilst creating warm, welcoming networking spaces demonstrated these aren’t opposing forces. One broker mentioned how Infynity helped gather client data and prepare applications, proving technology supports personal service rather than replacing it.
The roadshow reinforced that actions speak louder than words. Anyone can say they’re “committed” to a new market, but hiring a dedicated State Manager, investing in a premium launch event, and building real local partnerships provided actual proof. This convinced sceptical Victorian brokers the expansion was real and permanent, changing the perception from “Sydney company trying to expand” to “credible local player genuinely invested in Melbourne.”
Finally, I discovered that staying true to your values whilst growing creates lasting success. The commitment to quality service and support whilst sticking to core values (support, community, and broker-first philosophy) built a foundation that gets stronger as it grows. This approach sets Hai Money up for continued nationwide expansion, with plans to recruit brokers and expand into the Northern region whilst keeping the personal touch that defines the brand.