Around 2,500 of Flight Centre Travel Group’s top performers worldwide along with support staff, suppliers and partners travelled to Lisbon for FCTG’s annual Global Gathering 2024 for three days of sun, sangria and fun plus some formal awards and a conference following EOFY events in Australia and the UK.
A whopping 30 per cent of GG24 attendees are novices in their first year in the business, which bodes well for the Group and industry’s ongoing bounceback.
In addition, Global Gathering 2024 welcomed its largest contingent of suppliers with more than 300 partners in attendance.
Delegates from Australia, NZ, South Africa, UK, Europe, UAE, Asia and the Americas stayed in seven hotels in and around Lisbon’s Baixa downtown district for GG24 from 12-14 July, hosted by host partner Turismo de Lisboa.
The overall vibe was described as high-energy with Lisbon declared a friendly and welcoming host city and attendees thrilled to be back in Europe for GG24.
Flight Fest gets the party started
After supplier appreciation events earlier in the week, the party in Portugal kicked off with the Flight Fest Welcome Event – a Fiesta Branca (White Party) at the historic Pátio de Galé venue in Terreiro do Paço where attendees wore white paired with a custom GG scarf.
Revellers were greeted by drums and enjoyed Delta’s 360-degree photobooth, complete with a body-painted statue model, sangria, bands, dancers and DJ Wildflower bringing the tunes.
Back to business and bravery
On Saturday, the Global Gathering 2024 Conference took place at the 19th-century Campo Pequeno – a former bullring turned event space.
With the theme, ‘Be Brave’, delegates wore their nation’s t-shirts and heard from inspirational keynote speaker Portuguese big-wave surfer Maya Gabeira about being brave, the power of repetition and travel as educational and replenishing.
Another sporting legend, NFL’s Tom Brady, also addressed the FCTG audience in a video as part of his relationship with Delta Air Lines.
Corporate Traveller Global Managing Director Tom Walley took on hosting duties, entering the hall carried in a sardine can to The Beatles’ “Come Together” and throwing plush fish to the crowd.
FCTG Global Managing Director & CEO Graham “Skroo” Turner also spoke about the conference theme, sharing global results and talking about making brave decisions and setting higher goals.
In true Aussie style, Walley capped off the conference by doing a ‘shoey’ on stage with Delta Air Lines Director of Sales Charlie Schewe and Los Angeles was announced as the location of next year’s Global Gathering – a first-time GG destination.
GG24 Gala Awards time
After free time to explore Lisbon, attendees assembled in their formal finery at the Global Gathering 2024 Gala Awards Dinner & After Party at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa conference centre, hosted by The Only Way Is Essex’s Gemma Collins.
Recipients of the prestigious Director’s Awards were Australia’s Tom Walley and Andrew Stark along with the UK’s Adam Murray, demonstrating the strong performance of Flight Centre brand and Corporate Traveller.
Superstar Rita Ora was the evening’s main act, followed by UK DJ Jax Jones at the after-party.
Global Gathering 2024 sponsors also attracted some new supplier packages designated by major (‘bodacious’) partners such as Delta, Europ Assistance and Sabre along with ‘audacious’, ‘tenacious’, ‘courageous’ and ‘flirtacious’ partners.
GG24 also partnered with local Lisbon charity SOS Children’s Villages for this year’s event, which offers alternative care and support for kids, young people and their families.
