Reporting from TravelManagers’ annual national conference in Cairns, Karryon is bringing you all the latest updates from an event that promises a packed schedule full of insights, imagination, connection and more than just a little fun.
And what a year it’s been for TravelManagers. In the 12 months since Christchurch 2023, the mobile agency network has seen business boom. So the theme of this year’s conference, Working Smarter, seems spot on ahead of an anticipated influx of business in the coming year.
That’s a wrap!
The TravelManagers ‘Working Smarter’ conference concludes with the gala awards dinner at the Cairns Convention Centre, where the group recognises its top achievers and other PTMs who’ve best represented the brand over the past 12 months.
Among the winners are Louise McCarthy, who receives the PTM of the Year award (for the second straight year), Rachael Portelli, who earns the PTM Choice Award, and Nicole Cocks, who scores the new Above and Beyond Award. For a full rundown of all the award winners, click here.
Conference queen
The conference itself was one of the big winners. Obviously, there’s no one true measurement of the overall success of a convention, but we’ve lost count of the number of delegates who’ve declared the event one of, if not the best convention ever. And that’s feedback from some experienced conference-goers.
But is it that shocking… with a surprise performance by Christine Anu, many moving PTM stories, generous support from partners, top-notch wining and dining, visits to Green Island and Palm Cove, golfing and positive reports from TravelManagers leaders on the state of the business. That’s not to mention, a QA with Cathy Freeman.
Cathy Freeman’s here!
Cathy Freeman has joined the TravelManagers conference, taking part in a fireside chat. Joining a long list of guest stars at the event, the Olympic legend was quizzed on her mindset as an athlete, emphasising the freedom and joy she found in running.
In addition, Freeman highlighted her foundation’s work in supporting indigenous children, particularly in education and sports.
Freeman also touched on the importance of mental health – a major feature at this year’s conference – vulnerability, and the importance of the Brisbane Olympics for unity and community engagement.
But this is a travel industry conference… so inevitably, Freeman was asked about her favourite destinations – and the first places that came to mind were Broome, Uluru, Tasmania and the Dandenongs.
“I’m loving moving around my home country,” she says, proudly. A future domestic tourism ambassador?
A word from the sponsors
Of course, conferences wouldn’t be possible without the support of partners – and who doesn’t mind an ‘ad’ when it’s showcasing beautiful destinations, imagery of luxury cruise ships, or indeed powerful and personal stories?
And there was no shortage of sponsorship support here. Platinum partners include The Travel Corporation (including TTC Tour Brands, AAT Kings and Uniworld), Amadeus, AmaWaterways, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Cover-More, Cunard, Holland America, Intrepid Travel, Princess Cruises, Room-res, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn and Silversea, while gold partners include Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Viking. There are also around 60 silver and bronze sponsors.
Among the most notable of the many platinum partner presentations are:
- A Q&A with Emma Carey, who regales how she survived a 14,000-foot fall while skydiving in Switzerland, and how Cover-More aided her recovery with a $144K claim.
- A Q&A with House of Travel CEO Joe Araullo and PTM of the Year Louise McCarthy who recount their exciting recent adventures with TTC Tour Brands.
- AmaWaterways’ fun game of ‘kahoots’ – about the cruise brand of course – in its conference debut.
More moving moments
PTM presentations continue on day three of the conference, with seasoned Tassie travel pro Mel Whyte sharing her journey from almost-academic to agent (would you rather be writing press releases for politicians or selling travel?).
She recounts her experiences on the World Youth Program, her first love and her travels through South America – where she had “some of the best experiences of my life, and some scary ones” – including being held up at knifepoint in Peru.
She also details her children’s medical challenges, highlighting her advocacy for their needs. In addition, Mel discusses her own struggles, including a difficult marriage and her mental health journey, including an ADHD diagnosis. But Mel has prevailed.
“My biggest success from supporting my brain health was creating systems and learning new ways to make the same money, but hopefully more, and spending less time on [work],” she explains. “My clients are by far my biggest advocates, and I grow my business to have more clients on the Big Island than I do in Tassie.”
Elsewhere, PTM Melanie Carter shares her journey from a childhood of travel with her Ukrainian father to her career in financial planning and travel management. She transitioned to the travel industry after a life-changing trip to China, valuing a work-life balance and her special client relationships.
During COVID-19, she was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy and multiple myeloma, which reinforced her commitment to living fully.
She also emphasises the importance of redefining success, leveraging technology like Google Suite and Trello, and the value of community and collaboration in her business growth.
Her goal is to visit 50 countries by age 50. And she’s well on her way there!
And the host venue for 2025 is…
TravelManagers MD Michael Gazal reveals that the host destination for the next TravelManagers conference will be Bali.
The event will also mark a first for the group (and perhaps the industry?)… it will be held midweek, from 16-18 September. Before you get your calendar out, that’s a Tuesday to Thursday. And that’s an approach that’s here to stay.
“We’ve made the decision internally that all our conferences are going to be midweek,” House of Travel CEO Joe Araullo tells Karryon.
The logic behind this, he says, is simple: it makes it easy for delegates to attend the event and still spend time at home on the weekend with their families. The decision also aligns with TravelManagers’ approach to fostering a healthy work-life balance.
The venue for the 2025 conference will be the Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali.
Permission to party
Globus family of brands (GFOB) gets the party started on a Friday night at Cairns’ Salt House bar and restaurant.
The dress code for the function? Smart tropical! And doesn’t everyone look great… with the majority donning their most colourful florals and outfits.
There’s plenty of food – BBQ, Mexican, Asian and dessert stations, an open bar, a cranking DJ and a 360 photo booth for those game enough to break out some moves.
There are even some fireworks, which although not organised by Globus, seemed an apt way to celebrate another massive (and successful) day.
Green Island
Snorkelling with turtles… tick. Checking out coral reef… tick. Rainforest walk… tick. Coming across cool but skittish birds (called Buff-Banded Rail birds)… loads of ticks!
The boat trip out to Green Island may have been rocky, but conference guests have a swell time breaking for a few hours on beautiful Green Island, off the coast of Cairns – one of the many reasons why TNQ makes for a great conference location.
A couple of things we learn on our guided snorkelling tour with Georgia… 1) some coral produces mucus to protect it from the sun (which can theoretically be used as human sunblock, and 2) they do get the occasional dugong here! Otherwise, you just have to settle for almost guaranteed turtle spotting.
Expulsion to excellence
Next up on stage is PTM Ally Casey, who shares some personal and professional insights, highlighting her journey from being expelled from Catholic school at 15 (to much laughter) to building a successful travel agency (to much applause).
Her business, which quadrupled from 2019 to the present, benefited from embracing change and maintaining client relationships.
“One thing that I think contributed to this growth is that a wise man once told me to be always willing to accept and embrace change. And I took his advice on board,” she says.
One of these pivots (remember that word?) came during the pandemic.
“I made it known to my clients that I was willing and available to book repatriation flights for people stuck overseas – and word spread very quickly. I captured a lot of new clients from this.”
She also picked up clients who were looking for a new agent during the loss of many advisors during the pandemic.
The speaker also introduces her virtual assistant, Hazel, and emphasises the use of tools like Trello and Loom to help boost productivity.
NT’s only PTM
Lisa Malnar moved to Darwin around 14 years ago – and is now the only NT-based PTM. While self-employed for over 25 years, she emphasises the importance of community involvement to help business growth.
“There are so many other people in your community, who can also be a source for your business,” she tells attendees.
One example is when Malnar’s volunteer work led her to Activate Darwin, an organisation that holds several annual events and who hired Lisa on several occasions to assist with travel arrangements.
She also highlights how offering prizes for fundraising efforts can boost business.
“Last year, I donated a measly $200 voucher [for one event]. Since then, I’ve tracked over $150,000 in sales just from that one little donation. A little good can provide great rewards.”
Big Night Out
After a big afternoon on the tradeshow floor at the Working Smarter conference, it’s time for delegates to let their hair down at Hemingways Brewery for the official conference welcome function. But before that, The Travel Corporation hosts the more intimate ‘Newbies’ welcome function.
“The culture that exists within TravelManagers is a very special one. And the team at the NPO, they care about your business – and today is a wonderful example of that, about making sure you have that balance in your life,” TTC Director of Trade Engagement Scott Cleaver says at the event.
The event is for new PTMs and those attending their first TravelManagers conference to meet and mingle, together with the NPO team. And it sets the scene for the conference welcome function, a massive party sponsored by Cover-More Insurance.
Moving moment
Renee Millard shares her journey from a retail store to a PTM, emphasising the importance of, yes, working smarter, leveraging technology and most crucially, maintaining a work-life balance.
She details the challenges of living in a small town and talks about sponsoring local events and building community connections. She also stresses the importance of prioritising face-to-face connections over emails in her work.
But the presentation kicks into another gear when Renee reveals her battle with breast cancer, which she, at least partly, attributes to the high levels of stress she underwent just prior to diagnosis when her business was “obliterated” during the COVID pandemic. It’s moving stuff.
But Renee says, “I knew if I needed and wanted to, that I would rebuild my business, doing it on my terms, working with the clients I want… and working around my family as they are and always will be my priority.”
“I am available 24/7 to assist clients in emergency situations. But now it’s about work-life balance.”
An ATIA debut
ATIA CEO Dean Long addresses attendees, marking the first time an ATIA (and before that AFTA) boss has spoken at a TravelManagers national conference.
During his presentation, Long mostly talks about ATIA’s plans and its achievements – like advocating for the travel sector in Canberra, conducting 300 consultations to improve representation for members, boasting a 97 per cent retention rate and offering support when things go wrong.
“It’s how you deal with those moments that will ultimately set you up for success, and that is why we have a robust consumer complaint program,” he states.
“We make sure that you have support – in line with your head office – and you can admit that things go wrong, learn from it and don’t do it again.”
He also spotlights out TravelManagers’ two individual NTIA finalists for the Most Outstanding Mobile/Home Based Travel Advisor category, Julianne Gazal-Rizk and Melanie Whyte, as well as the group for its finalist spot in the Most Outstanding Mobile Advisor Network and Most Outstanding Employee Engagement and Recruitment Program categories.
Keynote unlocks minds
During her keynote, Chelsea Pottenger – founder and director of EQ MINDS and a mental health expert – recounts her journey from a high-stress work environment to overcoming postnatal depression (including suicidal thoughts) and finally pursuing a career in psychology to help others avoid similar struggles.
Pottenger emphasises the importance of stress management techniques like exercise, sleep, diet and social relationships, and runs through a 45-minute interactive, and at times hilarious, science-based session on stress control.
Simply put, it’s all about prioritising mental health from the moment you wake to the time you hit the hay. And feedback following her keynote is glowing.
She also puts a ‘5 for 5 challenge’ to PTMs and those present for better mental health, by:
- Changing your alarm sound – to upbeat music, nature sounds or even applause!
- Not checking your phone for the first eight minutes after waking up
- Thinking of five things you’re grateful for – even if it’s just for drinkable tap water
- Telling yourself that “today is going to be a good day”
- Doing the above for five days.
No FNQ here
Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen is in a jovial mood when he hits the stage at Working Smarter.
“In Tropical North Queensland, we call it Tropical because we don’t want you joining the ‘FNQ’,” he says.
“We want you to be in your place, we want you to enjoy everything. There’s no FNQ here.”
On brand, he adds, “At Tropical North Queensland, we believe that working smarter means firstly connecting to where you are.” Hear, hear.
“So get a chance to spend some time in nature. Look out at that beautiful view Crocodile Mountain,” he tells the audience.
“What we think is working smarter here in Tropical North Queensland is when we start by understanding where we are and where our clients are.
“We know we can work with purpose to find solutions. And I know that for PTMs… you do this every day, that as Personal Travel Managers, you spend your time to understand the customer, to really work smarter.”
And TTNQ needs to use all the nous it has as tourism to the region is still lagging.
“Our international tourism is only halfway back to where it was in 2019,” Olsen states.
“Bringing visitors here is what keeps culture alive. It’s what keeps young people connected to country, language and their story.”
In the House Of Travel(Managers)
Simply put, this is the biggest TravelManagers conference ever. During the TravelManagers official welcome, TravelManagers Australia Managing Director Michael Gazal says there are a record 435 delegates present at the event. That includes around 200 PTMs.
There are also some 67 organisations representing 81 brands, including a massive 128 suppliers for the day’s trade show. According to Gazal, the conference was sold out in an impressive three weeks.
Despite this, Michael says the group doesn’t take anyone’s attendance for granted – especially considering how busy TravelManagers’ PTMs, in particular, are right now.
In addition, he updates guests on how the group is Working Smarter: by making jobs easier with tech, adapting to change with AI and more aggregated content, making data-driven decisions and avoiding mental fatigue – among other pillars.
Gazal also gives a shout-out to the CATO Touring Academy, which some PTMs are currently involved with – in order to boost touring knowledge.
Finally, Gazal flags the work the group has done in the mental health space – especially poignant given today is RU OK? Day.
Commissions soar
House of Travel CEO Joe Araullo says the average commission of PTMs in 2023 rose by a huge 49 per cent. So far in 2024, that figure is up again by seven per cent. The average commission for the top 50 PTMs is around $310,000.
Such is the PTMs’ success, that Araullo jokes that he and Gazal are thinking about coming PTMs themselves (to rapturous laughter).
“So given that we’ve got all the media around inflation, interest rates and cost of living, the reality is we’re still performing fantastically,” he says.
Mentalist MC
The emcee for the conference, for the second straight year is Jordana Borensztajn. As well as being a journalist, keynote speaker and humourist, Jordana is also a mentalist – and demonstrates that with a mentalist maths trick.
It’s on brand for the conference theme, Working Smarter. Guests are told to embrace the learning and be open to new possibilities that they don’t even know exist yet.
Special guest
Renowned Aussie singer Christine Anu made a surprise appearance at the start of the conference, giving attendees a rousing performance of not just one, but three songs. And not just that, she brought her daughter – Zipporah Mary Corser – along to help her out with some of the songs.
It isn’t often a conference starts with an all-in singalong and dance – but hey, this is a TravelManagers event. And they’ve got some things to sing and dance about (with the help of a multiple ARIA award-winning artist).
Smoking ceremony
TravelManagers’ conference was given a warm welcome (literally) with a traditional smoking ceremony as the event kicked off at the Cairns Convention Centre.
But a smoking ceremony also involves music – and on this occasion, a fun call and response featuring some Indigenous words for ‘mountain’ and ‘fire’ (kudos on the pronunciation everyone). And thanks Richard from the Tjapukai people for the good vibes to kick off the conf!
VIP dinner
It literally takes five seconds to feel the love between PTMs as they reconnect for a special VIP dinner the night before the conference officially commences.
Sponsored by Collette, the dinner is being held at the beachside Nu Nu Restaurant in beautiful Palm Cove. And with champagne in hand, even a strong wind couldn’t stop those present from enjoying the party.
Among those present at the VIP event are a select group of guests including some of the longest-running PTMs, those who’ve attended every TravelManagers conference and the highest-selling PTMs of the past 12 months.
Collette Sales Manager David Farrar tells Karryon at the event that Collette has seen a whopping 400 per cent rise in business so far this year from TravelManagers. So it’s little wonder the company is keen to grow that relationship even further.
Teeing off
Before the conference officially kicks off, it tees off with a round of golf between National Partnership Office (NPO) staff, Personal Travel Managers (PTMs) and suppliers at the Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Golf Course.
Sponsored by Viking, the event is a leisurely way (frustrating stray shots aside) for participants and staff to ease their way into a busy-looking conference. And competition aside, it’s a friendly affair!
For more information on TravelManagers, click here.
All images Mark Harada / Karryon (unless stated).
