Who got a new gig this week? Check out this week’s travel industry movers & shakers!
1. New director heads up Radisson sales
Radisson Hotel and Suites has appointed Mr Bill Bradley as the new Director of Sales and Marketing.
Bill came into the role after operating as an independent hotels consultant for the last 7 months.
He brings with him extensive hospitality experience having worked for Accor Hotels and Silverneedle Hospitality.
Bill has worked predominately in the sales and marketing arena but also spent 3 years as Franchise Development Manager.
2. Marketing gets a new face at Radisson
Silky Bedi has been appointed to Sales & Marketing Coordinator at Radisson Hotel & Suites.
She has more than 10 years’ experience in the travel & Hospitality industry, having worked with some of Australia’s leading Travel wholesales and Hotels, which include Adventure World, Creative Holidays, Qantas Holidays, Meriton Serviced Apartments and Stamford Hotel and Suites.
Most recently she worked as a Sales Coordinator for Tourism Portfolio, a boutique Marketing & Representation company, representing international DMCs, luxury properties and high-end meeting venues across Australia.
Silky brings to the team a sound understanding of the industry, along with proven Sales, Marketing and Customer Service skills along with her passion for building strong relationships.
3. W Retreat & Spa Bali scores Aussie chef
W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak has announced the appointment of award-winning Australian chef, Matthew McCool, to the role of Chef De Cuisine of its signature restaurant, Starfish Bloo.
Starfish Bloo is the hotel’s elegant, beachside dining destination for lunch and dinner and is well known for its extensive Sunday brunch.
The menu is heavily inspired by the sea, featuring Pan-Asian fare mixed with Western touches – an ideal fit for McCool who credits two years in Beijing for his Asian influence on cuisine.
McCool, who relocated to Bali for the role, was previously Chef De Cuisine at Altitude Restaurant at Sydney’s Shangri-La Hotel, a restaurant which earned three hats from the prestigious Gault&Millau Australia and won Restaurant of the Year at the Tourism Accommodation Awards in 2014.
Kicking off his career over a decade ago, McCool cut his teeth with a traineeship under world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay at his three-star Michelin restaurant in London, in addition to Tom Aikens and two-star Michelin restaurant Chez Bruce.
He made his foray into Asia in 2010, when he was appointed Chef De Cuisine at Aria at China World Hotel, Beijing, a post that would earn McCool Chef of the Year at the 2011 Time Out Beijing Awards and ‘Restaurant of the Year’ by City Weekend Beijing.
4. New appointment for Tjapukai
A tourism marketing professional who played a key role in the team responsible for bringing the Australian Tourism Exchange to Cairns in 2014 has been appointed to direct sales and marketing at Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park.
Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park Chief Executive Officer Greg Erwin said Brian Hennessy would take on the newly created role of Director of Sales and Marketing to lead the sales, marketing, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) and reservations team.
“This is a very exciting time for Tjapukai as we emerge from our $12m revitalisation and Brian will lead our relaunch and ongoing sales activity.”
Greg Erwin, Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park Chief Executive Officer
Mr Hennessy said he was very proud to be joining one of the hero experiences of Indigenous tourism in Tropical North Queensland.
“Tjapukai is one of the pioneers of Australian Indigenous tourism and has achieved very strong awareness globally,” he said.
“This role presents an opportunity to build on that very rich history of taking Indigenous culture to the world.
“People are looking for authentic hands-on personal experiences and the reinvigorated Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park offers just that.”
5. New sales head joins Ocean Hotels & Tourism
Ocean Hotels & Tourism welcomes Martina Neidig to lead its sales and marketing team, and to build on years of continued growth for the Queensland based company.
Martina has been appointed as Group Sales and Marketing Manager.
She will represent the company’s hotel properties: Hides located in Cairns and Club Crocodile Resort in the Whitsundays region. Martina will also use her experience and close industry contacts to steer the sales and marketing of the highly successful Sunlover Reef Cruises brand.
With over 15 years experience in similar roles, she said she is extremely excited to take up the new role, and join the dedicated Oceans team, headed up by Group General Manager Julie Duncan.
Martina is passionate about the tourism industry and the regions in which the Ocean group operate. After a long association, Martina has developed a strong affiliation with the Great Barrier Reef to which Ocean’s flagship company; Sunlover Reef Cruises takes visitors from all over the world to see every day from Cairns.
In the coming period Martina looks forward to establishing contact and strengthening relations with our key agents and industry partners.