This R U OK Day 2020, Karryon is launching a feelgood initiative aimed at lifting and reconnecting the travel industry in Australia and beyond via inspiring people to start get-togethers all over the country. Ready to host your own ‘Together In Travel’ micro-events? Here’s how.
One of the biggest reasons we love working in the travel industry is because of the likeminded yet diverse range of people we are fortunate to meet, share experiences and often end up friends for life with along the way.
Think for a second, how many amazing people you have already met in your travel industry journey? I’m guessing it’s probably quite a few.
Aside from the devastating departure of so many great people from our industry, the last seven months have also marked the cancellation of regular touchpoints that empower us to connect, share stories, network and socialise in person with those we care for and respect.
With physical conferences, fams, awards and events generally all on pause, we’ve been mostly limited to webinars and Zoom which have been, of course, necessary (especially for Victorians right now) but it’s rapidly losing its charm and let’s face it, will never be the same as human interaction and actual face time.
Not to mention missing out on serendipitous moments of connecting with and meeting new people.
The tough to take fallout of all of this has meant that as an industry we have become disconnected and lacking in feeling that belonging and sense of community for why we love working in travel so much.
Time to change all that. And all of us can play a part – Together In Travel.
What’s the idea? We want to inspire the travel industry (yep, you!) to spark small-scale events and catch-ups with the simple idea of bringing people together again in person to foster wellbeing and a sense of belonging.
How does the initiative work? Easy! Follow our simple five-step guide, let us help you host and promote your event and together, let’s reconnect the industry again one catch up at a time.
Step One: Think of an event idea and theme
What do you enjoy doing? What would be a fun and easy event to share with local travel industry folk in your area?
This could be as simple as meeting up to go for a walk or a run in nature, catching up for a coffee or a drink, or joining a Yoga class together.
Here’s some ideas to get you started.
- Walking and talking: Get outdoor, get your steps up and chat along the way. That’s therapy right there! And why not finish with a bevvy at the end? You’ve earned it.
- Bring back the picnic! Who doesn’t love a lazy graze in the park? Grab the rug, invite people to bring a plate along and spend a couple of hours having a laugh and some good chat.
- Get on your bike: For those that love two wheels, a bike ride is another great way to get some air in your lungs and experience nature and fun times, far away from your desk.
- Meet you at the Bowlo: Now that Spring is here, the Bowlo’s are back in full bloom and offer cheap drinks and food and some good, clean, competitive fun in the name of lawn bowls! Once daylight savings hits, they also open late, which means more opportunities to fit in with people’s diaries.
- Run your own hotel/attraction inspection? Your local hotels and tourism attractions are probably crying out for business. What if you contacted them to run a micro-fam? Tell them we’ll publish the details on Karryon and who knows what could happen.
- Get creative! You can do anything you want… Meet for a travel-inspired movie? Dog walk? Cooking class? Dance class? Museum Tour? Book Club? The list is endless… Choose your own adventure!
Step Two: Lock in a date and time
Now that you’ve got your idea, it’s time to lock in the details. Here’s some pointers to successfully organising your micro-event.
- Keep the expectations low: This isn’t about creating a big event. It’s a casual catch up so keep it accessible and low in numbers. Bear in mind your local COVID-19 social rules too when it comes to how many people can attend. You could host your event as a one-off or weekly or monthly if you wanted to mix up more people being able to attend.
- Think short time-wise: Probably around 1- 2 hours. People will stay longer if they’re having a great time but no-one wants to feel pressed to commit for too long.
- Pick a time that works: Early mornings or evenings and weekends are of course preferable, but whatever works for your group.
- Pick an easy to get to location: Ideally for both driving and public transport. Getting people outdoors
- Keep the cost down: These are tough times so you certainly don’t need all the bells and whistles and fancy locations. Whatever works and you can upgrade as you go.
Step Three: Get the word out for your event
Ready to share your Together In Travel event? Awesome! Here’s how….
- Tell your industry friends in the area and ask them to spread the word
- Invite others in your network or peer group and ask your colleagues to do the same.
- Reach out to your favourite suppliers – many who work on their own and would no doubt love to come along.
- Put your event up on our Together In Travel Facebook Page and share it with the entire industry as a calendar event.
- Don’t forget to use the #togetherintravel hashtag in your social media for your event so people can easily find it.
Step Four: Enjoy and share the story
Now the fun part – Time to enjoy the event!
Make sure you take lots of photos on your phone and if you feel up for writing a story about it then even better.
You could shoot some videos on your phone of the event and record some little interviews from the attendees of what you’re all up to.
We all want to see and hear your story! Share your photos and all on our Together In Travel Facebook page and send us the details at editor@karryon.com.au
Step Five: Take a bow
Congratulations! Aside from having a great time and putting a smile on people’s faces, you’ve played your part in starting to bring the travel industry together again.
And you will have inspired others to do the same in the process which could mean more to some people than you’ll ever know. How good does that feel?
As R U OK Day’s mission says: “Every day is the day to ask, “Are you OK?” if someone in your world is struggling with life’s ups and downs.”
We’ll have some more exciting news in the coming weeks including helping our friends in Victoria get back on their feet so stay tuned.
In the meantime, pass it on and let’s do this.
Got an idea or feedback to share? Email me at matt@karryon.com.au – I’d love to hear it.
Find out more about R U OK Day at www.ruok.org.au