Victorian-based independent travel agency Connected Travel has just wrapped its inaugural national conference in Hobart, bringing together 14 agents from across Australia for three days of sharing, learning, connection and celebration.
Held at Lenna of Hobart, Connected Travel’s national conference embodied the NTIA-nominated agency and training academy’s ethos of doing things differently with a mix of supplier workshops, local experiences and hands-on learning.
Local highlights included experiences at MONA and the Posh Pit private ferry experience with a focus on hands-on learning and genuine connection.
Connected Travel Founder & Director Marissa Papas said the event reflected everything the agency stands for: fresh, purpose-driven and built differently.
“Every advisor who attended came into the industry with no prior experience – just a deep passion for travel and a vision to run their own business independently. Now, with Connected’s guidance, they’re doing exactly that,” Papas said.
“This was never going to be a ‘sit-in-a-conference-room-all-day’ kind of event. We’ve built something different here and this conference brought it to life.”
Suppliers were also asked to show up differently and Papas thanked Amanda Fenwick (Evolution Travel Collective), Lara Anderson (NCL), Greg Wilson and Michelle McIntyre (Wide Eyed Tours & Travel), Kristy Marshall (Stuba), Maxine Wiggs and Mary Halteh (eRoam) and Kim Vaughan (AmaWaterways) for stepping up and bringing real value to the inaugural event.
From brand-new agents launching on 1 July 2025 to long-standing members, the event highlighted the strength of the agency model, including the recognition of an advisor who has been with Connected Travel since day one, five years ago.
“We don’t use the word ‘family’ lightly. It means sharing the laughs, the tears, the good and the hard parts. That’s what makes this community so special,” Papas said.
Find out more at connectedtravel.com.au
