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TOP 7 TAKEAWAYS from the 2018 Helloworld Travel OMC & Business Summit

You've seen the pics, you've congratulated the award winners AND you read all the group updates, now it's time to dig a little deeper into this year's Helloworld Travel OMC & Business Summit.

You’ve seen the pics, you’ve congratulated the award winners AND you read all the group updates, now it’s time to dig a little deeper into this year’s Helloworld Travel OMC & Business Summit.

Here’s a list of the top seven takeaways from this year’s event:

 

1. SATC has the very best show bags

No, not Carrie and her galpals, the other SATC – the South Australian Tourism Commission.

South Australian Wirra Wirra red wine, Haigh’s giant chocolate frogs, keep cups… and whatever that square thing* was from China Southern! They were repeatedly referred to as ‘the best show bags from any conference ever’. Thanks SATC!

*We’ve been told on good authority that it was a reusable drink bottle!

 

2. ReadyRooms

karryon ready rooms

It’s been completely renovated and Agents are excited!! Launched by Cinzia Burnes in ineffable style, the new ReadyRooms was a hit with the delegates (so too was the local SA wine handed out in celebration to accompany the announcement!).

Click here for more on the ReadyRooms makeover.

 

3. Asia Escape’s in the house

karryon asia escape holidays

Hot on the heels of the announcement, two days prior that Helloworld Travel had acquired 60 percent of Asia Escapes, Managing Director of Asia Escapes Mason Adams made an unannounced appearance to talk to the delegates about his company and how excited they are to be a part of the Helloworld Travel family.

Click here for more on the acquisition.

 

4. Marketing initiatives galore (so big we had to make two points)

4a. Helloworld Travel on the TV!

karryon helloworld on TV

Among the big announcements was the news that Helloworld Travel was partnering with Channel 9 to launch a Helloworld TV travel show!!

Filmed across the globe, broadcast on Channel 9 and across their companion channels NineLife and NineNow, the series of 20 episodes will be presented by a range of exciting celebrity hosts including Sonia Kruger – who appeared via video at the conference to speak to the delegates. The program will be officially launched later in the year (will we get an invite to that paaarty?).

 

4b. Helloworld Travel across the News – literally

The big announcements kept on coming and one that got a particularly rousing reception from the delegates was a new partnership between Helloworld Travel and News Corporation. The Platinum Partnership will give Helloworld Travel and Agents access to News Corporation’s audience of 15.5 million Australians each month (that’s 84.9 percent of the population!!) across print and digital. The unparalleled partnership includes Escape, advertising and editorial opportunities, travel tips and expert insider knowledge and as well as ownership of travel content across news.com. They said it was “a partnership at a scale never been done before” and boy does it sound like it.

 

5. Mick Colliss

helloworld travel omc

Who would have thought Sudoku was so funny? But the Vice-Captain of the ‘Most successful Sudoku team to ever represent Australia’ (in his travel day uniform of course) had the delegates in tears of laughter as he expertly regaled the story of his rise to fame to finally reach his lifelong dream of Representing Australia.

 

6. Gala Awards Event

karryon_helloworld_gala_awards

Never failing to disappoint the Awards were once again a big hit of the conference. Thanks to Qantas Airways the celebratory evening applauded nominees, finalists and winners from across the Helloworld Travel networks. The entertainment was also top notch with former Hunters & Collectors front-man Mark Seymour wowing the crowds before SA’s answer to ABBA got the dance floor rocking into the wee hours. Now you know which of your colleagues knows all the words to Dancing Queen.

 

7. Goooood Morning Vietnam

karryon good morning vietnam

Going to Ho Chi Minh City baby! Of course all the delegates loved Adelaide… but who isn’t excited about the destination for the Helloworld Travel OMC and Business Summit being Vietnam for 2019?!

 

READ: Introducing the new & improved Ready Rooms

READ: Find out who won an award at Helloworld OMC

READ: See what happened at Helloworld’s 2018 OMC

Did you attend this year’s conference? What were some of your top takeaways?