We built this for venues.
With a passion for technology and a commitment to excellence, we empower venues to thrive in the digital landscape.
About us
Built by Marketers.
Perfected by Experience.
15 years in advertising & 11 years in photo booths, The Haylo was built to grow venues, not just entertain.
To provide venues of all sizes with their very own automated photo booth with built in marketing tools, all while paying for itself.
To remain an innovative asset that empowers venues to lead, adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world.
To continuously deliver unmatched value that helps venues grow, profit, and stay ahead, year after year.
Our Journey So Far
A 15 year evolution in marketing, events and entertainment, shaping The Haylo into what it is today.
Foundations in Advertising
Began at Sensis White Pages, helping businesses attract customers print & digital campaigns.
2010
Digital Marketing Mastery
Joined WME, Australia’s largest digital agency, honing skills in SEO and social media advertising.
2013
First Step Into Events
Co-founded Lavish Photo Booths in Melbourne, turning a creative side hustle into a thriving events business.
2014
Full Ownership Secured
Bought out business partner and took full control, paving the way for long-term strategic growth.
2016
Systems Over Hustle
Scaled to six booths and built systems that allowed the business to operate with minimal involvement.
2018
Exit on a High
Sold the business after 500+ events following an unexpected offer from a previous client.
2019
Connecting the Dots
During COVID lockdowns, began designing a solution to help venues using a decade of marketing + booth experience.
2020
From Vision to Reality
Built custom software and hardware, transforming venues into 24/7 in-house photo & marketing hubs.
2021
The Haylo Is Born
Launched The Haylo, merging tech, marketing and entertainment into one powerful platform for venues.
2023
Scaling with Purpose
46 venues onboarded across Australia, backed by proven ROI and appreciative partners.
2024
Product Led Growth
Developing Google Review feature, introduced The Haylographic & created a third revenue stream for venues.
2025
Automation Focus
The Haylo evolved from a photo booth into a full-time automated marketing assistant, powering repeat visits, data capture and consistent weekly profit.
2026
Why We Exist
We believe venues deserve more than packed calendars. They deserve tools that do the hard work with them.
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We make hospitality teams feel empowered, not overwhelmed
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We’re here to turn everyday events into marketing gold
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We help venues grow. No gimmicks
Who We Work Best With
We partner with venues that think long term, lead their local market and aren’t afraid to do things differently.
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Function focused venues who value guest experience and business results
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Managers who want to systemise success, not just survive Saturdays
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Teams who love great hospitality, but also want smarter tools
What Makes Us Different
We’re not a tech startup playing in hospitality. We are hospitality, built from 15 years in the trenches.
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Founded by marketers with real event industry roots
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Obsessed with making things simple, practical and profitable
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We don’t just sell a product, we champion the people using it
Where We’re Going
We’re building more than a product. We’re building a movement of venues who grow smarter, not harder.
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Expanding tools that help venues win more functions with less effort
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Creating new income streams that work around the clock, indefinitely
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Becoming the go to solution for function first venues across Australia & beyond
Team Members
Meet our team of experts
The brains, banter and big ideas behind The Haylo.
Noel Wiks
Founder
Noel created The Haylo combining his backgrounds to give venues a smarter way to add more value, drive more bookings, capture data and content, without extra staff. He blends strategy, creativity and firsthand event experience to help venues win, week after week.
Belle Ruiz
COO
Belle brings a creative, user first mindset to every part of the process, from feature design to rollout, ensuring The Haylo stays intuitive, engaging and ahead of the game. She focuses on ideas that add real value, improve usability and create memorable experiences.
CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS
What our clients say about us
Most of our founding venues are still with us today
because the results speak for themselves.
Noel has provided great training & tips on the use of The Haylo & it’s amazing features + marketing tools. He’s gone above and beyond with traditional after hours service and support (which is actually normal event/hospitality hours when you need the help and has always accepted the call for help or guidance on anything technical). He has helped us maximise the return on investment for the photo booth & added a new revenue stream to our business for his service
Paul Marketing Manager
Glad we chose The Haylo Originally booked to start in September. Due to selling functions before I had in venue we started in April It’s easy to use, our patrons love it. Birthday parties (even an 80th Birthday) Booked for Xmas in July Customer support and check-ins are 5 star
Brynie Functions Manager
I’ve had The Haylo in my venue for around 3 weeks now and have already generated $2,500. Noel has helped me every step of the way as he promised and he’s definitely surprised me. My customers love it, it’s been an awesome value add for my functions and venue.
Andrew Owner
As a small venue we’re always searching for simple yet exciting ways to value add to our clients function experience and having The Haylo has been perfect! It’s compact, easy to use and self managed, adding an extra level of fun and guest interaction. The option to have photo strips personalised to the event with our logo means we’re able to promote the venue and reach a wider audience when shared on social media. A win for us, a win for the client and a lifetime of memories and good times shared at Mr Mista for the guest!
Tracey Owner
We have been using the Haylo for well over a year now, averaging for the year just over 1 event a week. This upsells our functions anywhere from $225-$600 each time its in use. Not only are we profiting with functions, we are also doubling up and using as a marketing tool for our own internal events which also allows us to get some extra content for our socials.
The customers love it! Super handy being able to book everything all together and comes in much cheaper than hiring an external company. Noel and the team are fantastic to deal with, super quick and always available to assist when needed.
"In today’s digital world, we believe every venue deserves an in-house automated photographer to stay ahead. By combining photo booth expertise with marketing innovation, we’ve developed software that entertains guests, automates Google reviews, generates content, amplifies your brand online, reduces marketing costs and drives revenue all without extra staff."
Noel Wiks
Founder
Ready to Partner with People Who Get Venues?
Let’s chat about how we can help your venue grow smarter, not harder.
We’ve been onboard since 2023 and our customers love the idea of having a photo booth for their party and being able to offer one onsite instead of having to hire one is such a great added bonus. We not only use it for private functions but also for in house events which further adds to the experience and is great for socials because patrons tag us on their photos. Customer feedback is also amazing since it is so easy to operate even the older patrons are able to use and the quality of the photos is really good. Would 100% recommend!
Salomé Functions Manager