A contingent of eight delegates representing Travel Oregon and Travel Portland were in Sydney this week for their annual sales mission with trade and industry.
The visit included product training sessions with key Travel Agents and B2B meetings and culminated in a unique ‘makers event’ showcasing the eclectic mix of food, art, outdoor leisure, music, culture and design that is the fabric of Oregon State and the city of Portland.
Travel Portland’s International Tourism Manager, Heather Anderson, said the aim of the event was to give consultants the chance to “live and breathe” the two destinations.
According to Travel Oregon’s Vice President and Global Sales, Petra Hackworth, the number of Aussies travelling to Portland and Oregon is growing, alongside overall numbers to the US.
She said the event was an opportunity to capitalise on this success.
“We are excited to see the growing number of Australian travellers to Portland and Oregon and look forward to capitalising on the US being the number one long haul travel destination for Australians.”
Petra Hackworth, Travel Oregon Vice President Global Sales.
A converted warehouse space in Rosebery transported guests to the streets of Portland where artists, tattooists (of the temporary kind!), donut makers, baristas, and t-shirt printers interacted with guests to create a virtual travel experience.
Drinks provided by Portland distillery – Aviation Gin, Kombucha Wonder Drink and Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley were served with an Oregon inspired menu including Rogue Cheeses from Southern Oregon’s Rogue River Valley and Red Duck hot sauces.
Oregon’s year-round skiing and outdoor lifestyle was also on show with representation from Mt Hood which is located 90 minutes from Portland and is home to three of the state’s popular ski resorts – Timberline, Mt Hood Meadows and Ski Bowl.
Street Artist, Dallas Clark, from Work-Shop, a creative space in Sydney’s inner city Redfern, crafted a live street art-style mural throughout the event capturing the essence of Portland, while guests created their own piece of Oregon with an interactive painting class. Work-Shop will take its creative concept studios based across Australia to the city of Portland in the near future.
Prior to the Sydney visit, the group spent time in Melbourne holding training sessions and hosting a VIP dinner with 30 travel trade partners at Roxborough restaurant in St Kilda, chosen for its Portland-esque vibe and cuisine.
The trip to Oceania also included Auckland where similar training sessions and a makers event took place.
READ: Travel Oregon brings the booze & laughs to Sydney