Travel Centres 2013 Conference Programme

Page 1

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 1

21/10/2013 16:03


Introducing

...proud to sponsor the 2013 Travel Centres Conference •

Providing the best in travel to Arabia, the Indian

Ocean and Asia.

Dubai Abu Dhabi Oman Maldives Mauritius Seychelles Sri Lanka

Cover: Romantic dining at the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives.

India Nepal Bhutan Myanmar(Burma) Thailand Vietnam Cambodia Laos Malaysia Bali Singapore Hong Kong

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 2

Excelling in the four and five star market

Offering a wide variety of luxury options including all-inclusive packages, escorted tours,

Tour Operators, licensed by the Commission for Aviation Regulation, accredited by IATA and fully bonded. •

escorted tours, cruises and resorts in Arabia

and weddings. A fully independent company, owned and operated by Scottish and Irish Directors. •

A multi-award winning luxury tour operator established in the UK for over 12 years.

Dedicated reservations teams of specialists for Arabia, the Indian Ocean and Asia.

2 dedicated brochures: private tours, cruises and resorts in Asia and privately

family holidays, six star cruises, honeymoons

A member of the Association of Independent

& the Indian Ocean. •

Wholly focused on the travel trade with no direct marketing.

A team of 7 Business Development Managers across Britain and Ireland.

A dedicated agents’ website (agents.ifonly.net) offering detailed information on an additional 150 ‘non-brochure’ hotels, tour itineraries, booking incentives, latest news etc.

21/10/2013 16:03


Introducing our Ireland Product & Business Development Manager With a wealth of long-haul experience and a

In addition, Martin’s

superb understanding of the Irish outbound

experience in

travel industry, Martin Penrose has been

product development

appointed as If Only...’s new Product &

will also be well

Business Development Manager, spearheading

utilised when he

our operation in the Republic of Ireland.

attends key trade

Martin’s career has included marketing, product and sales roles in Ireland, Scotland and England with American Express, South African Airways, Twohigs Worldwide, Escape2 and most recently with Topflight Worldwide. At If Only... we promote our luxury holidays solely through retail travel agents and Martin will join our team of 7 Business Development Managers across Ireland and the UK who work very closely with the travel trade, offering advice, training, educationals and marketing support.

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 3

Tel: 01 447 5275 Web: www.ifonly.ie Introducing our new brochures.

fares such as WTM and ITB Berlin to negotiate the best possible deals with some of If Only...’s 800+ hotels in Arabia, the Indian Ocean and Asia. Martin can be contacted by emailing martin.penrose@ifonly.net or calling 087 947 2708. Travel Centres’ agents can also call our If Only... specialists for enquiries and

How to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s critical – Both in your business and your life

reservations on 01 447 5275 or order brochures by e-mailing rtsbrochure@rtsbrochure.ie.

21/10/2013 16:03


Dear delegate,

Table of Contents 3 4 6 6-7 8 10 12 13 17 28

Sponsor Acknowledgements Programme Details Awards Supplier Workshop General Information Advisory Board RPJ Band profile Speaker profiles Exhibitors Testimonials and Photos from 2012 conference

2013 started with a bang but is likely to finish with a whimper! We all had such great expectations at the beginning of the year but were quickly brought down to earth as bookings began to trail off from April onwards only to be given a kick in the teeth in July because of the amazing few weeks of uncharacteristic Irish sun that arrived to taunt us! If anything, this year has proved yet again that the retail travel industry is vulnerable at all times to events and circumstances that are usually beyond everyone’s control and that’s why we need to start taking a more proactive role in our own futures! One such way is to start taking control of the things that we can change and that’s why this year’s conference has adopted a health theme with the guidance of business guru Niall Strickland. Not only will agency owners and managers learn how to conduct health audits on their own businesses but also their own personal health as well — thus ensuring that they maintain a healthy work-life balance. Owners/managers will also learn that all marketing activities don’t have to cost you money when Travel Media founder, Michael Collins takes to the speaker’s podium to explain how agents can make Social Media work for them — without having to retain the services of a PR expert like him! Looking after your business is fine and dandy but it becomes a pointless exercise if you’re not still around to enjoy its future success and that’s why we’ve invited author and medical practictioner Dr. Mark Rowe to talk to us about how to get the perennial juggling act that is the work-life balance, just right! Of course, no conference would be complete without delegates being afforded the opportunity to relax, chill out and make new friends as well as renew old friendships against a backdrop of good food and great entertainment and that’s why for this year’s event, we have engaged the considerable musical talents of the RPJ Band — universally acknowledged as perhaps the best ‘event’ band in the UK — to help you dance the night away following the Gala Dinner and awards ceremony on Saturday night. For the next 48 hours, check your problems at the door and join us in a wonderful weekend of informative debate and good company! Always at your service

PAGE | 2

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 4

21/10/2013 16:03


If Only … – Headline Sponsor

Sponsor Acknowledgements

Royal Caribbean — Saturday Lunch

Events such as this depend on the generous sponsorship that underpins much of the content featured over the course of the two-day programme. Although all our suppliers have contributed to the central funding that covers much of the main running costs, these suppliers in partictular have dug deep into their pockets in order to show their appreciation for the business that you, our members generate for them year round. It is therefore only right and fitting that we should acknowledge them here.

Hertz — Friday Dinner wines United Airlines — Owners/Managers lunch, Friday Silversea — Pre-dinner entertainment, Saturday MSC — Manicures & Martinis, Saturday 1STS — Conference Bags TravelCube — Post-RPJ Band DJ Do Something Different — Hosted table for agents Sunway — Hosted table for agents Bookabed — Chocolates Travel Professional Skillnets

PAGE | 3

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 5

21/10/2013 16:03


Friday, 8th November 08.45 - 09.30

Registration (conference bags sponsored by 1STS)

09.30 – 11.00

Closed session1 — Members Only (see notes *)

11.00 –

11.15

Morning Tea/Coffee refreshment break

11.15

12.15

Closed session2 — Members Only (see notes *)

12.15

– 13.00

13.00 - 14.00

‘How to Carry out a Health Check on your Business’ Niall Strickland — MBA, MIB (GRAD), NDBS

14.45 – 15.30

‘Social Media — An Opportunity or a Time Waster?’ Michael Collins — MD/Founder, TravelMedia.ie Founder, Abroad Magazine, Founder/ Publisher, Backpacker Magazine

15.45 – 16.45

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 6

Lunch Sponsored by United Airlines

14.00 - 14.45

15.30 – 15.45

PAGE | 4

‘An Analysis of key Travel Agency Metrics’ — Members Only Alan Richardson — Manager, Licensing & Administration, Commission for Aviation Regulation (followed by Q&A)

Afternoon Tea/Coffee refreshment break ‘Prescription for Happiness — a New Philosophy of Wellbeing’ Dr. Mark Rowe — Senior clinical lecturer with UL Graduate medical School, former ICGP Examiner, Author

16.45 - 17.00

Conference close and book signing — Dr. Mark Rowe

17.00 – 17.30

A.O.B. & Conference Close.

17.30 – 19.30

At Leisure

19.30 – 20.30

Drinks Reception

20.30 - 23.00

Dinner (wines — sponsored by Hertz)

*Notes 1. The first closed session of the morning will focus on a review of the year to date; a discussion on the significance of the EU Package Travel Directive and how this may ultimately impact on current bonding requirements 2. The second closed session will include presentations from Syneo/E Concepts and Vertical Group

21/10/2013 16:04


Saturday Programme 09.15 – 10.00

Workshop registration (conference bags sponsored by 1STS)

10.00 – 11.30

Supplier Workshops (speed-dating format)

11.30 –

11.45

Morning Tea/Coffee refreshment break

11.45 – 12.00

Interim presentation: If Only …

12.00 – 13.00

Supplier Workshops (speed-dating format)

13.00 – 14.00

Lunch — Sponsored by Royal Caribbean

14.00 – 15.30

Supplier Workshops (speed-dating format)

15.30 – 15.45

Afternoon Tea/Coffee refreshment break

15.45 – 16.00

Interim Presentation: 1STS

16.00 – 17.00

Supplier Workshops (speed-dating format)

17.00 - 18.00 ‘Martinis & Manicures’ (located just beside workshop area) — Sponsored by MSC Join Rebecca Kelly for MSC CRUISES Martinis and Manicures hour Surely nothing could be finer than getting your nails painted jazzy shades whilst sipping on a freshly shaken cocktail? Manicurist will be on hand to style up your fingers or toes so go for a pretty pastel, a sparkly number or vamp it up with red or black. Shake in a martini or a cosmopolitan and leave perfectly polished and buzzed for an amazing night. As MSC Cruises is an equal opportunities sponsor, male delegates are also welcome! 17.00 - 19.45

At your Leisure

19.45 – 20.30

Drinks Reception—Entertainment sponsored by Silversea

20.30 – 22.15

Gala Dinner

22.15 – 22.45

Awards Presentation

22.45 - 01.00

Dancing to the RPJ Band

01.00 – 03.00

Disco (sponsored by TravelCube)

PAGE | 5

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 7

21/10/2013 16:04


Awards At last year’s conference — the first such weekend-long event that Travel Centres had held in over four years — we decided to inaugurate an awards ceremony that would recognise the efforts of member agencies in supporting preferred suppliers. Judging by the subsequent feedback that we received from both agents and suppliers alike, the innovation appeared to strike a chord. Indeed a few agency owners approached us after the ceremony on the Saturday night, assuring us that it was going to be their single-minded ambition over the course of the coming 12 months to ensure that their agency joined the list of recipients when the awards are being handed out this year. It will therefore be interesting to see as to whether or not those agents’ ambitions get to be realised in 2013!

Supplier Workshop As with previous years, Saturdays’ supplier workshop will operate on the ‘speed-dating’ principle whereby all the supplier tables will be numbered 1, 2, 3 and so on. There will be two morning and two afternoon sessions, each of which will be divided into 15-minute segments. When each segment gets to the 12-minute mark, an announcement will be made to the effect that

there are just three minutes left. This affords each supplier sufficient time to wrap up their presentation and get agent participants to fill in the relevant question on their questionnaires. When the 15 minutes are up, all agent participants are expected to move on to the next numbered table in the sequence — e.g., if you are sitting at table 11, you then move on to table 12.

PAGE | 6

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 8

21/10/2013 16:04


If you are at table 30 and that is the highest numbered table in the room, then the table that you move to is table 1 and so on. Each agent delegate is provided with a questionnaire when they register. The questionnaire contains a question which has been set by each supplier participating in the workshop. The relevant answer to each question is contained within the presentation that each supplier makes. The purpose of each questionnaire is to incentivise each participant not to skip any sessions throughout the day. Because there are more suppliers than there are sessions, no one can possibly see all suppliers. For this reason, staff attending from each agency should not sit together at each supplier table. You need to split up in order to cover all the

suppliers present, between you — i.e. if person 1 sits down at table 5, then the second staff member should be at least 10-15 numbers away, e.g., table 20. All questionnaires are collected at the end of the last session of the day (16.4517.00), and these completed questionnaires are used to select winners for several of the valuable prizes given away at the Gala dinner on Saturday evening. Questionnaires will only be considered valid if they contain correct answers to any 20 questions —i.e., the total number of sessions conducted throughout the day. This year, because of the time constraints being imposed as a result of the awards section during the evening, the lucky winners of the questionnaire draw will be selected before the dinner under strict supervision (two supplier witnesses) and announced immediately before the awards ceremony. Prizewinner’s names will be announced and shown on screen, along with a list of the prizes on offer and who they have been donated by. As each prizewinners name is announced, they will be invited to approach the stage and choose their prize from a selection of sealed envelopes — thus accentuating the level of surprise upon opening and also making the distribution of the more valuable prizes more random and thus fairer! PAGE | 7

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 9

21/10/2013 16:04


General Information Check in Please note that check in at the hotel is not before 3.00 p.m. so if you are arriving on Saturday, please proceed directly to registration (Located in the Orangerie) and either leave your luggage in the car (if using own transport) or leave in the care of the porter (if arriving via public transport. All luggage will be kept in a secure location until such time as you are in a position to check-in later — i.e. after 5.00 p.m. when the supplier workshop finishes. Punctuality As we are working to extremely tight schedules, it is important that every delegate observes the times allocated for each event throughout the conference weekend — e.g. tea/coffee breaks; workshop segments, presentations, lunches etc. This will ensure the smooth running of the event and a better overall conference experience for all concerned. Closed Forum Due to the number of formal presentations being given at this year’s conference, we are limited to just 90 minutes ‘talk time’ during the first closed session on the Friday morning, in addition to a further 30-minute wrap-up session at the end of the day for A.O.B. Both of these sessions are closed to member agents only so suppliers may not attend. In order to ensure effective use of these two time slots, please submit in advance, any questions/queries that you wish to have aired during these sessions.

Book Signing Author and presenter Dr. Mark Rowe will be signing copies of his book entitled ‘The Men’s Health Book, immediately after his presentation on Friday afternoon, Remembering your table number In addition to your lanyard, you will also be presented with an additional name card when you register. The name card will have your name on it so please insert it into the card holder on the back of your conference bag. This will enable you to identify your bag, should you mislay it at any point during the day. Anytime we break for refreshments or lunch over the course of both days, we recommend that you leave your conference bag containing all your paperwork, notes and giveaways on the seat that you have been occupying and just remember the number of your table so that when the workshop resumes after each break, you can collect your belongings and move to the next numbered table in the room. Remembering your table name immediately before each break will help us streamline our proceedings throughout both days. Intermission Presentations As with last years’ supplier workshop, there will be two general presentations given from the main stage — one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Each presentation will address the whole room; be a maximum of 15 minutes in duration and will start immediately after the tea/coffee break so it is important that everyone observes the maximum duration of 15 minutes assigned to each refreshment break in order to ensure that both presentations start on time. This year, the morning

PAGE | 8

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 10

21/10/2013 16:04


presentation is by our Headline Sponsor If Only … and the afternoon presentation is being given by 1STS. Charity Fundraiser Last year, a group of high profile travel professionals comprising Ciaran Mulligan (Blue Insurance), Dave Walsh (Etihad Airlines), Yvonne Muldoon (United Airlines), Sinead Reilly (Travelport), Philip Airey (Sunway) and Lorraine Quinn (Royal Caribbean) organised an amazing family event called Travel Funday (www. travelfunday.ie) which was held at the ALSAA Centre opposite Dublin Airport. A huge amount of effort went into that event which raised around €30,000 for two worthy charities — The Irish Cancer Society and Pieta House. Such was the success of that day that it has now become a permanent fixture on the travel industry calendar and this year’s event which again took place on September 1st last, raised somewhere in the region of €50,000. Travel Centres fully supports this wonderful initiative and these two great charities and so requests that you and your colleagues dig deep into your pockets this year to raise as much as we can and possibly even win yourself a wonderful prize for your efforts! On each banquet table at the Gala Dinner, you will find an envelope containing a book of raffle tickets. Guests are encouraged to purchase a sheet of 5 tickets for €10 (or multiples thereof) by detaching any sheet(s) and depositing the relevant amount back in the envelope along with the book containing the counterfoils. You should also write your name and mobile telephone number across all five counterfoils that you leave behind in the book for easy identification later. These counterfoils will be entered into a draw for a prize/

prizes donated by Travel Centres. One person at each table should assume responsibility for collecting payments from each of the other guests at that table before returning the envelope containing the book of counterfoils and monies to a Travel Centres advisory board member. Details of the total sum collected will be publicly announced immediately after the Awards, together with winning ticket number. Don’t forget to bring cash with you! Welcome packs Each delegate staying at the conference hotel will find a welcome pack in their room which will provide them with details of the various spa packages, leisure options and local attractions that are available to spouses/partners who are not participating in any of the business sessions over the weekend. Suggestions A lot of thought and planning goes into arranging each year’s conference but we’re always receptive to new suggestions as to how we can improve on the delegate experience and make the content of these weekends more relevant to your business. Ideas on a postcard please. (Better still, just email them!) Testimonials Some of your colleagues will be absent from this year’s event and for a variety of reasons. If you enjoy yourself this weekend then we’d like to hear from you so we can share your comments/ observations with those who perhaps take a little bit more convincing that such events are both relevant and worthwhile. PAGE | 9

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 11

21/10/2013 16:04


Advisory Board

Austin Carroll

Carolyn Davies

Maria Dilworth

Linda McNamara

The advisory board comprises eight member agents who, between them, represent the interests of the general membership and who, in conjunction with the management team, define the policies and supplier preferences of the group. The board positions are voluntary so board members donate freely of their time and expertise throughout the year in order to help drive the collective agenda of members. The board meets periodically throughout the year. The advisory board currently consists of the following members: Austin Carroll, Platinum Travel, Clontarf, Dublin Austin started in the travel business in 1989 as Financial Controller with Budget Travel. Austin was with Budget for 10 years prior to leaving the travel business to pursue other interests. Like most of us in the industry he found it hard to stay away and set up Platinum Travel in 2005 with his wife Ciara. Austin currently looks after the accounts, marketing and web development of the business, with Ciara and the rest of the team looking after sales and customer service. Austin’s favourite holiday destinations are Barbados and fly-drive holidays in the USA.

Carolyn Davis, Liberty Travel, Letterkenny In 2002 and with over thirty years experience working in the travel and hospitality sectors in the UK, Cyprus and Ireland, Carolyn established Liberty Travel in Letterkenny. The agency has since grown in size and reputation to become Donegal’s leading travel agency. Her team of six staff has vast experience and love to travel themselves, bringing a wealth of knowledge to the client. Carolyn has embraced digital marketing and social media and identifies this as an important strategy for the way forward. Carolyn is the ‘Travel Section Expert’ for Highland Radio, Irelands leading independent radio station. Maria Dilworth, Blackpool Travel, Cork Maria has been involved in the travel industry since 1976 and opened the doors of Blackpool Travel in 2000. After many years of living and breathing travel Maria took a sabbatical from the industry and earned her BCL Law Degree from UCC and practised as a solicitor specialising in Employment Law. Maria made a return to the travel industry in recent years and favours America and Spain as her holiday destinations!

PAGE | 10

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 12

21/10/2013 16:04


Linda McNamara, Ace Travel, Newcastle West Linda opened Ace Travel 15 years ago to service clients in the West Limerick area and has grown over the years to become one of the top agents in the Munster area. Ace Travel has won several awards over the years and has a fantastic staff which offers professional and friendly service thus retaining clients year in and year out. Linda enjoys travelling and has undertaken some excellent trips all over the world. She also enjoys a good game of hurling whether at local level or the All Ireland finals. Declan O’Connell, Lee Travel, Cork Declan has been in the Travel Industry since 1975. Based in Cork City with offices in Midleton, Youghal and Ballincollig, Lee Travel now employs 26 people. Declan recently joined the board of the Irish Travel Agents Association and strongly believes in the future of the travel agent. He enjoys travelling very much and has recently clocked up his 60th country with a few more to go. Michael Bowe, Bowe Travel, Thurles Michael Bowe Jnr. is the 4th Generation of the Bowe family to run Bowe Travel. First established in 1906 by Michael’s great- grandfather — it has

continued to thrive down through the intervening decades and is based in Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Michael was reared in the travel industry and like the rest of us, loves to travel! Michael Geraghty, Cavan Travel, Cavan Cavan Travel was established in February 1988 by Michael and his wife Margaret, so he will be celebrating 25 years in business in 2013! His second office — Virginia Travel, was subsequently opened in November 2011 – great timing! Michael now employs seven staff between the two offices. Michael has been involved with Travel Centres since its inception. Italy is Michael’s favourite holiday destination.

Declan O’Connell

Michael Geraghty

Tom Britton

Michael Bowe

Tom Britton, Marble City Travel, Kilkenny Tom started in the travel industry in 1995. He is managing director of Marble City Travel, Kilkenny. Since 2010 Marble City Travel has increased its staffing from 3 to 10 with continued growth into 2014 planned. Last year has been a good year for Tom as Marble City Travel were recently honoured by Royal Caribbean, when the agency received an award for strongest growth performance in 2012. Tom has often been described as a “cruise anorak”, having completed over 20 cruises in recent years. PAGE | 11

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 13

21/10/2013 16:04


The RPJ Band The RPJ Band was founded by Rick Parfitt Jnr with one goal in mind, to simply be the most energetic, crowd pleasing, foot stomping, hands in the air, incredible, never to be forgotten best event band in in the world! Having been involved in music for many years Rick had access to some of the best session musicians in the world, he approached them with the concept that a collective should be created that utilised incredible players, culminating in a band that surpasses everyone else in the market place and with the unique aim of turning any event into a concert reminiscent of Wembley Stadium! The RPJ Band has since become the nations number one choice for event organisers and coordinators not just in the UK but also around the globe.

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 14

Utilising some of the best session musicians in the UK with a diverse touring history ranging from Lily Allen, The Wanted, Robbie Williams, James Morrison, Lady Gaga through to Hurts, Amy Macdonald and even Lionel Richie, you know that when you book The RPJ band you are about to witness something special, and most importantly utterly memorable. The band is as professional as they are accommodating and as all their clients will testify, they are a joy to work with, this is shown in the 100% rebooking rate the band has achieved!.

“Rick was truly awesome, his energy on stage is amazing!� Sam Branson, Virgin Money

They strive to exceed expectations at every turn, and one thing is for sure they will leave your crowd breathless, smiling and crying out for more, in short there simply is no better band to make any event more memorable than The RPJ Band, their incredible musicianship, utterly brilliant crowd interaction, and sheer euphoric force they bring to any event is something truly not to be missed.

21/10/2013 16:04


Carole Smith

Pat Kennedy

Carole Smith is Founder of SynNeo, and provides SMEs with online marketing support and training.

Pat is the co-director of eConcepts and provides strategic social media and e-commerce advice to all his clients.

Carole worked in the Irish travel industry for over 20 years with roles in retail, corporate and the GDS. She’s been business coaching since 2007 and specialising in social media since 2011. Carole has had a number of her articles published when contributor to one of Ireland’s leading health magazines and been a guest blogger with the U.K. company, Social Media Frontiers.

Pat has worked for many years as an engineer and uses his skills to bring an efficient and effective solution to his clients. He has been working in the web industry in Ireland for over 14 years and launched an online entertainment guide in 1998, when a maximum number of people in Ireland were still novices. Pat’s core interest lies in “e-Services,” mapping real world processes and activities into online applications and solutions.

Email: carolesmith@synneo.ie http://www.synneo.ie/

SPEAKERS

Carole Smith

Email: p.kennedy@econcepts.ie econcepts.ie/about-us/meet-the-team/

Pat Kennedy

PAGE | 13

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 15

21/10/2013 16:04


SPEAKERS

Michael Collins Michael Collins has worked in the Irish travel and media industries for 13 years.

Michael Collins

During this time he has worked as a travel journalist, editor and publisher, editing and publishing Backpacker and Abroad magazines. He also co-founded Irish Business Traveller with the Sunday Business Post. He has also worked in television (No Frontiers RTE, Ireland AM TV3) and radio (Morning Ireland, Drivetime, The Last Word, The Marian Finucane Show) as a presenter and travel expert. Michael is well known in the Irish travel industry and is respected for his industry knowledge, contacts and professionalism. He founded TravelMedia.ie in 2006. TravelMedia.is a full service PR, marketing, communications and representation company. TravelMedia.ie is Ireland’s leading travel media company – specialising in PR, events, media buying, strategic advice, industry consultancy and digital communications within the Irish travel industry for both trade and consumer.

TravelMedia.ie specialises in PR, media buying, strategic advice, event management, industry consultancy, content marketing and digital communications within the Irish Travel industry – delivering measurable results for its clients. Founded in 2006, TravelMedia.ie has grown and expanded to meet the needs of a growing list of clients which include airlines, tourist boards, travel agents, tour operators, hotels and travel related products and services. Michael’s level of experience and knowledge of the Irish travel industry allows him to provide innovative and strategic ideas and plans to our clients. From event management to press trip organisation – Michael can advise you who you need to know and how best to communicate with them in order to have your brand at the centre of the Irish travel industry and at the forefront of Irish consumers’ minds.

PAGE | 14

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 16

21/10/2013 16:04


SPEAKERS

Niall Strickland Niall Strickland is an experienced business professional and serial entrepreneur. His early career included a number of senior roles with ďŹ nancial services companies in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Niall graduated from the University of Limerick in 1986 with a degree in business studies and followed this with a Masters degree in Business Administration in 1991 in Trinity College, Dublin. Following 20 years of service with AIB Bank and several of its subsidiaries, Niall set up his own Management Consulting business in 1999 and has been working with a wide range of small and medium businesses in Ireland and the United States since then. He has also set up several internet businesses which sell consumer products and knowledge based products both domestically and overseas. Niall likes to write about business topics that have resonance with small and medium businesses and he shares this information widely through syndicated ezine publishers around the world as well as on his own websites. He has also written a number of books including: How to Carry Out a Health Check on Your Business,

The Secret to Writing a Winning Business Plan in 3 Easy steps and 12 Steps to Landing the Job you Deserve. He has also written and published a book about Electro-Acupuncture. Due to the recession in Ireland, Niall has spent the last couple of years developing business tools and business advice content which is focused on serving small and medium businesses, without the need to engage a management consultant. His latest innovation is an intelligent business software product called “HowsMyBusinessDoing�. This innovative cloudbased software carries out a detailed analysis of any business across 28 key measurement areas and automatically generates a 50+ page report which helps the business owners or managers to identify and focus on key areas of their business requiring attention. It effectively replaces the need to employ a management consultant to assess how a business is performing.

Niall Strickland

Niall is also engaged in a number of Executive coaching assignments both here and in the United States. For more information about Niall and what he does, you can visit www.niallstrickland. com or www.HowsMyBusinessDoing.com PAGE | 15

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 17

21/10/2013 16:04


SPEAKERS

Dr. Mark Rowe Dr. Mark Rowe is a Family Physician based in Waterford City Ireland. He founded the Waterford Health Park (www. whp.ie) as a new paradigm for sustainable improvements in community health. The building was a short listed finalist for World Building of the year at the World Architecture festival awards in 2010.

Dr. Mark Rowe

In 2013 , the Waterford Health Park received the Global Health Improvement Award, “A Place to Flourish“. Mark is author of ‘The Mens Health Book – A Guide for the Irish Man’ which was published by Blackhall Publising in 2009 with all royalties going to a Cancer Charity. He has also contributed to books on Leadership in Ireland and Healthcare Management. Dr. Rowe has published a number of national guidelines and articles in the Irish College of General Practitioners Journal ‘Forum’. He has a longstanding interest in medical education, as a trainer of young family doctors with the South East G.P. Training Programme in Ireland, as Senior clinical lecturer with the University of Limerick Graduate Medical School , and formerly as an ICGP examiner.

He is a member of “leading by design“ , an international collaboration of leaders committed to improvements in health through a more effective design of the environment. He graduated from U.C.D. Medical School in 1991 and went on to specialise in family practice, becoming a member of the Irish College of General Practitioners in 1995, having achieved a first place ‘Ellerd Eppel’ award. He has worked with national and local media consistently over the years as an advocate for health. He delivers seminars on “health” and is an international keynote speaker on the topics of “New Philosophy of Wellbeing“, “Health Leadership”, “Generative Space” and “A Prescription for Happiness.”

PAGE | 16

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 18

21/10/2013 16:04


A2B Transfers are one of the largest transfer providers globally. Earn commission and book in confidence from Airport, Port, Ski, Railway Station and Resort in over 9000 destinations. We offer Shuttle, Private Taxi, Minibus, Water Taxi and Luxury Vehicles in the destinations that you need. Working with 156 car rental partners through a network of 193 countries in 15,210 locations. ACH are committed to offering good value, excellent service and superb commissions to Travel Centres Members in Ireland. The Affordable Car Hire product is a fully inclusive prepaid product with no hidden extras.

EX H I B I TORS

List of Exhibitors

Amadeus is the world’s number one travel technology company. We invest more in Research & Development than anyone else. This means Amadeus is able to deliver award-winning technology like Cruise Shop, e-Power internet booking engine and Ticket Changer. Our smarter technology will help you deliver superior service that keeps customers coming back for more. So whether you are selling through a retail outlet, on the web, or over the phone; Amadeus is here to help you succeed in travel. Headquartered in Paris, APG is an International GSSA with 108 worldwide offices. In Ireland, APG represents the following carriers: Air China, Air Tahiti Nui, China Southern Airlines, Darwin Airlines, Heli Air Monaco, Hong Kong Airlines, Precision Air, Sata International, TAP Portugal and YO Interline E-Ticketing. For information on any of the above please contact Paul Weir, Sales Manager APG Ireland, during the conference workshop Attraction World is the leading supplier of theme park tickets, experiences and attractions worldwide. With over 8000 experiences in over 50 countries we guarantee to have something for everyone. Advantages of pre-purchasing are numerous including exclusive tickets for your customers, guaranteed entry into some of the world’s most popular attractions, the ability to budget and of course valuable discounts off gate rates.

PAGE | 17

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 19

21/10/2013 16:04


EX HI B I TORS

ATTS Travel Representation Solutions is Ireland’s leading travel industry representation company. At the Travel Centres Conference ATTS will showcase the following clients whose respective profiles appear elsewhere on these pages : Affordable Car Hire, El Al Airlines, Expedia, RailShop. Azamara Club Cruises is a destination-immersive cruise line for travellers who want to not only see the places and cultures they visit, but to live them. The two intimate, 694-guest ships offer a boutique European hotel ambience with extraordinary service, fine cuisine and wines from around the world. Blue Insurances Ltd. is the industry’s leading supplier of Travel Insurance and also the preferred supplier for Travel Centres. Blue Insurances offer a policy specifically tailored for the needs of the travel industry which includes Strike cover, Supplier Insolvency and optional extras like Cruise Connection and Travel disruption. Blue Insurances were once again voted Best Travel Insurance Supplier in 2013, thanks to the support from all of our agents. We at Bookabed are proud to be a preferred supplier to the Travel Centres group and it is a privilege to be involved in the 2013 conference in Killashee House. Bookabed is a 100% Irish owned trade-only, award winning, accommodation supplier. We pride ourselves on our outstanding customer service and having the most up to date website currently on the Irish market, offering Travel Centres agents everything from flights, transfers and accommodation, to anywhere in the world. Founded in 1968, Breakaway are an Irish family-owned travel agency supporting Irish travel agents and agencies for over 45 years. We are an official distributor for Disneyland Paris and have over 21 years experience promoting Disneyland Paris. We provide online booking with real time availability. Contact Us for : Disney Training for staff; Flyers ,Brochures, Ezines and local marketing support. The Magic is just a click away: Visit www.breakaway.ie Call us on 01 6079999 We’re redefining the way you see the world. It’s time to become immersed in new cultures. Wake up in exquisite Modern Luxury™ every day of your holiday. Understand the difference between visiting a destination and truly experiencing it. We call it Modern Luxury™ and it’s what makes a Celebrity cruise an experience like no other.

PAGE | 18

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 20

21/10/2013 16:04


Crystal Ski Holidays will give you tips on the best places to ski, local lnowledge about the 106+ resorts, including non-skiing activities, the nicest places to eat, weather reports and up-to-the-minute resort news. Feel free to ask us anything while you’re researching. With Crystal Ski you can be confident that you’ve found exactly the holiday your client is looking for. Why book with us? We’re a specialist team of passionate skiers and boarders. Find out more contact the Specialists Today: 01-4331028 https:// agent.crystalski.ie

EX H I B I TORS

For over 50 years, Cosmos has offered savvy, value-minded travelers the most affordable travel packages to the world’s most captivating places. Our incredible value helps travel buffs travel more often. Travelfox.ie are the GSA for Cosmos Escorted Tours in Ireland since 2011 and we now have a dedicated Cosmos specialist within the team to cater for all Travel Centres members’ needs.

A collection of Europe’s most beautiful destinations is on sale now. Contact the Lakes and Mountains specialists to find about new beach destinations, more All Inclusive, Free places for groups, and much more. The expert staff are on hand to give you the most up to date information on hotels, resorts and latest offers-guiding you to book that perfect holiday for your client. Find out more contact the Specialists Today: 01-4331028 https://agent.crystalsummer.ie DM Tours is a division of O’Hanrahan Travel Ltd, Monaghan. Our product range includes holidays by coach and by air and features agricultural tours and special interest tours specifically designed for groups, clubs and associations. We can tailor make an itinerary by coach or air and coach in Ireland or abroad to suit your clients requirements. We feature popular agricultural shows such as Royal Highland Show, Royal Welsh Show, Great Dorset Steam Fair, Cambridge Sales, Sima Agri Show in Paris, Agritechnica in Hanover. Discovery Puglia are the specialists for Puglia in Ireland, providing stay-only, activities and inclusive holidays in the Heel of Italy. We cater for individuals and groups, offering ground arrangements and accommodation in our handpicked collection of properties, from standard to luxury, self catering and all-inclusive. Activities, such as grape and olive harvest, cookery classes with local chefs, guided tours, food & wine tastings, boat trips and bike excursions will transform your customers’ holiday into a unique travel experience.

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 21

PAGE | 19

21/10/2013 16:04


EX HI B I TORS

Here at Do Something Different, we offer an incredible range of over 2,000 pre-bookable worldwide attractions and experiences, from the ordinary to the extraordinary. We make booking easy, with many of our products bookable with no deposits or cancellation fees. It’s also simple when you get there, with gate ready tickets to the major theme parks saving you time and money. We believe that it’s what you do on holiday that’s important, so go on, Do Something Different! With competitive group rates from Ireland to Israel and a local sales support service to all Travel Centres Members. Expedia TAAP (Travel Agents Affiliate Programme): One of the largest online travel companies in the World. Expedia TAAP offers the Travel Centres Member opportunity to book +210,000 hotels Worldwide. With generous commission paid on packages, flights, hotels and activities. Flexible Car Hire is a trade only car rental broker, with experienced reservations team, and dedicated sales team who together provide a full personalised service. We have introduced a new system, allowing us to provide instant confirmation on 95% of cars. We offer fully inclusive rates, and have full supplier transparency and easy to see important information such as excess and fuel policy. We also provide no amendment or cancellation fees, and offer 15% commission. Call now on 021 601 9067 or email sales@flexiblecarhire.com. Web www.flexiblecarhire.com Globe Hotels, supporting the Irish Travel Trade since 2004 and a preferred supplier to Travel Centres since 2007. We launch a new website later this year, with added functionality and a faster booking process. More exclusive partners online via globehotels.ie website, with unique deals especially in the Middle East and Asia. Directly contracted properties in key holiday resorts will continue to be an important part of our brand, exclusively negotiated added value elements passed onto all Travel Centres members, e.g. the Cordial group with free room / board upgrades and spa options.

PAGE | 20

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 22

21/10/2013 16:04


Hertz is the largest daily car hire brand in the world with more than 8,500 locations in over 147 countries globally. Offering customers guaranteed make and model reservations through our collections ranges which are available at more on-airport locations than anyone else. Hertz Gold Plus Rewards allow customers to bypass the queue and get on the road faster whilst collecting points and other benefits at the same time.

EX H I B I TORS

GTI (Group Travel International) are a professional, Irish owned and operated travel company specialising in high quality escorted, school and tailor made tours to destinations all over the world. With a real love of travel and a dynamic, enthusiastic team to help you every step of the way, GTI have been successfully providing affordable luxury tours to the Irish market for more than 10 years.

Providing the best in travel to Arabia, the Indian Ocean and Asia, award-winning If Only... excels in the 4* & 5* star market, offering a wide variety of luxury options: all-inclusive packages, escorted tours, family holidays, six star cruises, honeymoons and weddings. From that first conversation with our knowledgeable reservation staff who have visited almost every property featured, to delivery of travel documents in a leather wallet and personalised ‘meet and greet’ service on arrival, If Only... goes the extra mile – making travel beautiful. One Stop Touring Shop offers 3 unique brands under 1 roof. Travel Centres agents have access to unique, complimentary brands; Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, Insight Vacations, and Contiki Holidays for 18-35s. From premium and luxury escorted tours, ultra-luxury river cruises to young and lively trips and adventures we take care of every detail, accommodation, transport, sightseeing and authentic experiences. We provide the perfect trip to many destinations across many different ages and experiences. Excellent commission rates and a dedicated sales team.

PAGE | 21

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 23

21/10/2013 16:04


EX HI B I TORS

Interhome is one of Europe’s largest providers of self-catering holiday homes, villas and apartments, a member of Hotelplan. With a holiday home portfolio of over 30,000 properties in 29 countries Interhome offers wide range of villas, apartments, and chalets. A large choice with gardens and pools, chalets located directly on the ski runs, or houses and apartments located in city centres worldwide or retreats in the countryside all year long. We have local offices that ensure a straightforward key collection, local knowledge, and our multi-lingual 24 hour telephone hotline. Every villa, apartment and chalet is subject to a rigorous quality control before the star rating is agreed. ABTA (L7890) Irish Ferries has the largest and fastest ships on the Irish Sea, with the best connections Dublin/ Holyhead and Rosslare/Pembroke with crossing times as little as 1hr 49 minutes offering 6 sailings daily. We also sail Rosslare/ Cherbourg or Roscoff on the fabulous Oscar Wilde with on-board entertainment for all the family and choice of cabins. Drive or walk on we have fantastic facilities on-board, free WiFi, Club Class Lounge, Bars, Cinema and Restaurants. www.irishferries.com Tel: 0818 300 400 [press 8 for agents direct line] Irish Ferries, Alexandra Road, Dublin.

Mercury Direct will launch its biggest ever and most competitively priced brochure over branded especially for Travel Centres members. It will cover the periods of 1st Jan - 31st Dec 2014, covering winter and summer 2014 season. Prices will be keener than ever before. Mercury Direct customers will be getting the best value holiday with even greater choice, lots of value added and a combination of destinations that will suit everyone. Direct flights from the Republic of Ireland, plus Fully Escorted Tours at fabulous prices. Our company is a DMC established in 1953. We began operating in Ecuador and have expanded to Peru, Argentina, Chile and Colombia. We pioneered travel to the Galápagos Islands and today we own a trio of expedition vessels: Santa Cruz, Isabela II, La Pinta; plus the Finch Bay Eco Hotel. In 2011, we inaugurated a boutique hotel in the historic heart of Quito, Casa Gangotena, and in 2012, we opened the strikingly-contemporary Mashpi Lodge, a luxury cocoon in the clouds.

PAGE | 22

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 24

21/10/2013 16:04


For over twenty years, Pioneer has been the reason behind many fabulous traveller experiences. The products on offer in the South of India are quite varied - from home stays to deluxe resorts; from tree houses to plush beach resorts; unique houseboats, wildlife sanctuaries etc. We also feature some excellent resorts for Ayurvedic treatment. Please visit our website & take a look at the sample itineraries, which can serve as a starting point in planning trips to Southern India.

EX H I B I TORS

MSC Cruises is the market leading cruise company in the Mediterranean, South Africa and Brazil and operates across the globe. MSC Cruises sails throughout the year in the Mediterranean and offers a wide range of seasonal itineraries in southern Africa, northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, the French Antilles, South America, the Canary Islands and the United Arab Emirates. Its modern fleet comprises twelve ships.

Booking service for all International Rail destinations Worldwide. Travel Centres Members can now access a comprehensive Rail booking service to Leisure and Corporate clients through the ATTS RailShop “One Stop Shop for every Rail Trip”. RailShop is the only company in Ireland that can offer the sale of Interrail Passes including train reservations. Resorthoppa is the leading provider of cheap airport shuttles & taxi transfers. We provide airport transfers in over 100 countries and 9000 destinations worldwide. Riviera Travel has been operating for 30 years. We offer Escorted Tours and River Cruises to approximately 20 countries, including new tours in 2014 to China, Japan, Thailand, Portugal & Greece. We focus exclusively on the Group Escorted Tours and River Cruise Market We offer a product which does not lend itself to ‘dynamic packaging’, but adds value – this is our niche. We use major scheduled airlines such as Aer Lingus & Virgin Atlantic. Our hotels are mostly centrally located 4-star properties. CONTACT: Stephen Sands Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 22 innovative ships, delivering a WOW holiday to more than 270 destinations worldwide. Packed full of family facilities, Royal Caribbean International’s guests enjoy highlights such as meeting characters from popular Dreamwork’s films, dedicated kids and teen clubs, children’s waterparks and family-friendly dining options.

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 25

PAGE | 23

21/10/2013 16:04


EX HI B I TORS

For over 47 years, SAS have provided consistent air access between Ireland and Scandinavia. Today, SAS offer up to 26 nonstop flights each week from Dublin to Copenhagen, Stockholm & Oslo. In June 2013, SAS introduced two brand new service concepts: SAS Go, if you are simply looking for a great deal and SAS Plus if you want a great deal more. Find out more about SAS Go & SAS Plus on our dedicated agent website www.sassalesinfo.com Silversea offer the very best in 6 Star all-inclusive luxury cruises on a fleet of 8 intimate ships covering over 850 ports of call throughout the World in all seven continents, including Expedition cruises to the Arctic, Antarctica, West Africa and the Pacific. All Silversea cruises offer an easy going all-inclusive lifestyle, the finest cuisine at sea from the Chefs of Relais & Chateau and with a butler service for all guests no matter which grade of suite they occupy. South African Tourism is the national tourism agency responsible for the marketing of South Africa as a preferred tourist destination. The Trade Relations department specifically concentrates on supporting tour operators and agents with joint marketing, road shows, training and FAM trips. SPORTSTOURS: No. 1 supplier of Premiership packages to the Irish Travel Trade. We have negotiated fantastic rates with our hotel partners and will pass on substantial savings to your clients. We offer: 12% commission on all packages; quality programme ; quality 3/4/5* hotels in prime locations; best match day tickets; choice of ground only or with travel; knowledgeable staff and quality of service. We also offer stadium tours and Shows. Serving the Irish Travel Trade for over 25 years. Sunway Holidays is Irelands largest Irish owned tour operator with over 70 destinations worldwide including: Summer and Winter Sun, Worldwide, USA & Canada, Australian Tours, Cruise, River Cruise, Sunsail , Neilson Beach Clubs, Club Med, Escorted Tours, Adventure Touring Holidays, Weddings & Honeymoons, Turkey ,Lapland and worldwide groups department. We are proud of our 46 year reputation of providing good value quality holidays at the best price. Sunway offer educational trips and we are very keen to support agents with in-house training & joint promotions.

PAGE | 24

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 26

21/10/2013 16:04


Thomson Cruises go the extra mile to make you feel at home. In fact, last summer, 99% of our customers rated our service as good or excellent. We’re offer flights from 22 UK and Irish airports, and there are exciting destinations to choose from. And, best of all, tips and service charges are included in the price. Travel Focus is an Irish owned company offering quality holidays to a wide range of destinations since 1998 and we offer the most extensive Southern Africa product on the Irish market. The Travel Focus reservation team are vastly experienced and have an in-depth knowledge of our product. Each quotation is tailor made to your client’s exact requirements and budget (this can sometimes take a little longer but it is also why less than 1% of our clients complain).

EX H I B I TORS

Thomas Cook – A brand built on trust, with quality assured and expertly tailored holidays for all your customer needs. We unveiled our new Sunny Heart brand in October 2013. Our new logo The Heart together with the brand essence of “Let’s Go!” reflect our strategy and values and demonstrates the excitement and energy within our Group.

The Travel Professionals Skillnet provides tailored, subsidised training to Travel Professionals and is promoted by the ITAA. We deliver a broad range of training on any topic applicable to travel businesses. There is free training available to Job Seekers. The Travel Professionals Skillnet is funded by member companies and the Training Networks Programme, an initiative of Skillnets Ltd. To find out more, visit www.TravelProfessionalsSkillnet.com. Powering global travel, TravelCube – GTA’s booking site in 54 countries throughout Europe and Latin America – is accessed online or via XML, connecting retail and online travel agents, tour operators and consolidators to tens of thousands of accommodation options, tour guide and transfer services, unique experiences, excursions, attraction tickets and restaurants, as well as destination information and advice. Processing thousands of bookings every day in more than 25 languages, TravelCube’s reliable technology provides unrivalled content at the best possible prices. www.travelcube.com

PAGE | 25

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 27

21/10/2013 16:04


EX HI B I TORS

Travelport empowers Irish agents to search and sell the broadest range of travel content. We pull together the ever-expanding world of travel content and make it accessible, through an open platform with a superior user experience. With a product portfolio comprising the most relevant technologies and services, and an advanced technology platform, Travelport keeps agents’ capabilities high and costs down. One of our key strengths is our seven strong Irish sales team who are on hand to support and drive your business forward. Turkish Airlines is a four star airline with a fleet of 230 aircraft (passenger and cargo) flying to 239 cities around the world, comprising of 43 domestic and 196 international destinations. We have received several “Passengers Choice Awards” from the consumer ranking group Skytrax. Turkish Airlines has been chosen the “Best Airline in Europe” for the third year running. Our main networks are Europe, Russia, Central Asia, Far East Asia, the Middle East, Africa, North and South America. We currently have 10 weekly scheduled flights from Dublin to Istanbul departing Dublin with this increasing to 12 weekly flights from the 1st of April 2014. United offers nonstop flights from Dublin and Shannon to New York/Newark Airport, from Dublin nonstop to Washington, D.C. and from Shannon to Chicago. From these U.S. gateway airports, customers can connect to over 300 destinations across the Americas. Onboard, enjoy a choice of seating options including Economy Plus® with extra legroom or relax in the comfort of Business First® flat-bed seats that recline 180 degrees. Seats in all classes feature an Audio/Video on Demand entertainment system offering films, TV programmes and music. Established back in 1982 and a part of the Vertical Group, Vertical Systems is one of the longest established and largest suppliers of travel technology to the UK travel industry. Today, Vertical Systems provides services to 10,000 travel agent desktops in the UK from single branch independent agents to multiple groups including Thomas Cook, one of the largest travel companies in the UK. Vertical prides itself on its ability to meet the total requirement of today’s travel agent, large or small with a costeffective solution that enables agents to concentrate their efforts on selling holidays.

PAGE | 26

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 28

21/10/2013 16:04


Wonderful Krakow is a tour agency specialising in providing services for the English speaking tourist. Our experienced guides will take you to all the must-sees in Krakow and its vicinity, such as the Wieliczka salt mine and Auschwitz-Birkenau museum. Fans of the outdoor experience should definitely try Wonderful Krakow’s trips to Ojcow National Park and Zakopane, the winter capital of Poland. The agency offers also booking for dental services in Krakow

EX H I B I TORS

Wings Abroad Holidays are the Turkish holiday specialists! Hi to all our friends and we hope you all enjoy this years conference. As we say goodbye to this Season – we now start to look forward to 2014. We will continue on our promise from day 1 – to support the Irish Travel Agent. Our 2014 programme will feature our collection of “WINGS” properties exclusive to Wings Abroad and much more! So for 2014 – Think Turkey – Think something for everyone – Think Wings Abroad.

World Travel Centre are proud to be a preferred supplier for the Travel Centres group. We offer competitive consolidated fares on all major carriers from both Ireland and the UK (through our NI office Thriftway). We also offer a ticketing arrangment on groups and published fares for agents who wish to forgo their IATA licence. We wish you a successful and enjoyable conference and look forward to meeting you at our stand.

PAGE | 27

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 29

21/10/2013 16:04


Congratulations on what has been by far the best organized and attended conference I’ve been to in years”

The conference was fantastic, we really enjoyed it and I’m full of knowledge to share this morning”

you have surpassed yourselves once again, a fantastic couple of days both business wise & socially’

’just wanted to say a big thank you to you and all your team at Travel Centres for a fantastic weekend’

PAGE | 28

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 30

21/10/2013 16:04


Thank you both so much for organising such a wonderful conference at the weekend”

a great success all around and I am sure the positive news of the event will reverberate around the trade tomorrow and beyond”

congratulations on a fabulous event. Extremely well run and most enjoyable and beneficial!”

It was a great conference as I mentioned to you at breakfast, by far the best in Ireland!’

PAGE | 29

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 31

21/10/2013 16:04


just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work in making the conference such a success, we had a great day/night”

congratulations on a fabulous event. Extremely well run and most enjoyable and beneficial! “

Well organised and worth-while. Work wise it was without doubt the best night I have had travel wise since I started in the business”

thank you so much for an absolutely fantastic weekend”

PAGE | 30

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 32

21/10/2013 16:04


to be able to attend to such a wonderful event, was a privilege for us”

I just wanted to thank you for organising such an amazing conference. I thoroughly enjoyed it and certainly took a lot from it”

Thanks again for a fabulous conference. Well organised and always great fun”

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for all of your effort in arranging such a great conference”

PAGE | 31

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 33

21/10/2013 16:05


Introducing

...proud to sponsor the 2013 Travel Centres Conference •

Providing the best in travel to Arabia, the Indian

Ocean and Asia.

Dubai Abu Dhabi Oman Maldives Mauritius Seychelles Sri Lanka

Cover: Romantic dining at the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives.

India Nepal Bhutan Myanmar(Burma) Thailand Vietnam Cambodia Laos Malaysia Bali Singapore Hong Kong

Excelling in the four and five star market

Offering a wide variety of luxury options including all-inclusive packages, escorted tours,

Tour Operators, licensed by the Commission for Aviation Regulation, accredited by IATA and fully bonded. •

escorted tours, cruises and resorts in Arabia

and weddings. A fully independent company, owned and operated by Scottish and Irish Directors. •

A multi-award winning luxury tour operator established in the UK for over 12 years.

Dedicated reservations teams of specialists for Arabia, the Indian Ocean and Asia.

2 dedicated brochures: private tours, cruises and resorts in Asia and privately

family holidays, six star cruises, honeymoons

A member of the Association of Independent

& the Indian Ocean. •

Wholly focused on the travel trade with no direct marketing.

A team of 7 Business Development Managers across Britain and Ireland.

A dedicated agents’ website (agents.ifonly.net) offering detailed information on an additional 150 ‘non-brochure’ hotels, tour itineraries, booking incentives, latest news etc.

The Professionals Skillnet is funded by member companies and the Training Networks Programme, an initiative of Skillnet Ltd. funded from the National Fund throught the Department of Educations and Skills

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 34

21/10/2013 16:05


Introducing our Ireland Product & Business Development Manager With a wealth of long-haul experience and a

In addition, Martin’s

superb understanding of the Irish outbound

experience in

travel industry, Martin Penrose has been

product development

appointed as If Only...’s new Product &

will also be well

Business Development Manager, spearheading

utilised when he

our operation in the Republic of Ireland.

attends key trade

Martin’s career has included marketing, product and sales roles in Ireland, Scotland and England with American Express, South African Airways, Twohigs Worldwide, Escape2 and most recently with Topflight Worldwide. At If Only... we promote our luxury holidays solely through retail travel agents and Martin will join our team of 7 Business Development Managers across Ireland and the UK who work very closely with the travel trade, offering advice, training, educationals

Tel: 01 447 5275 Web: www.ifonly.ie Introducing our new brochures.

fares such as WTM and ITB Berlin to negotiate the best possible deals with some of If Only...’s 800+ hotels in Arabia, the Indian Ocean and Asia. Martin can be contacted by emailing martin.penrose@ifonly.net or calling 087 947 2708. Travel Centres’ agents can also call our If Only... specialists for enquiries and reservations on 01 447 5275 or order brochures by e-mailing rtsbrochure@rtsbrochure.ie.

and marketing support.

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 35

21/10/2013 16:05


Reservations: 01 447 5275 Web: ifonly.ie

Travel Centres 2013 brochure.indd 36

0729

21/10/2013 16:05


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.