In Olympic history, few Aussie athletes have sparked the imagination of Australians more than Cathy Freeman OAM. This September, the Olympic gold medallist and Aussie legend will be hoping to inspire another group of Australians at TravelManagers’ annual conference in Cairns, where she will attend the closing Q&A session as one of the event’s guest speakers.
In the year of the Summer Olympics, it seems fitting that TravelManagers have called upon Freeman’s services, which TravelManagers Chief Operating Officer, Grant Campbell expects to be the highlight of the three-day conference for many attendees.
“Cathy is one of Australia’s most admired and respected athletes, a proud Kuku Yalanji woman, an Olympic champion and a national treasure,” he said.
“She was awarded Young Australian of the Year in 1990 and Australian of the Year in 1998, and we are honoured and excited that she has accepted our invitation to join us in Cairns.”
TravelManagers has also revealed that the theme for its 2024 annual national conference will be ‘Working Smarter’.
With this in mind, it has recruited internationally accredited practitioner in mindfulness and meditation, Chelsea Pottenger, to give the opening address.
“Our PTMs are busier than ever, but the price for such success can be high-stress levels and a loss of work-life balance,” Campbell remarked.
“Chelsea’s presentation aligns with the overall focus of this year’s conference, which aims to help PTMs to develop and refine the tools they need to reduce stress, tap into positive energy and build resilience.”
What’s happening?
Commencing 12 September, this year’s conference will showcase the latest tech innovations to help attendees boost productivity and improve decision-making in their businesses.
“From AI and online booking tools, to data-driven business insights and shareable content, the goal is to empower PTMs with the tools, skills and resources they need to navigate and embrace change in a rapidly evolving industry,” Campbell stated.
The three-day event will also feature a supplier trade show, training with the TravelManagers team and opportunities for PTMs to reconnect with colleagues and others.
“And of course, we couldn’t come to this beautiful part of Australia without providing attendees with a chance to experience the Great Barrier Reef,” Campbell said.
As the event draws nearer, the group says that registrations are now “pouring in”.
In April, TravelManagers revealed a stellar start to 2024 with total sales growth of seven per cent for January to March 2024 compared to the previous recordset in the same quarter last year, surpassing its own ambitious targets by 19 per cent.
In the same month, it also announced that the TravelManagers Customer Fund (TCF) had reached a milestone of $1 million in under five years since it was created to provide consumer and PTMs protections and assurance for any travel refund requirements.
