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Multi-award winning luxury tour operator, well established in Ireland and the UK
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Excelling in the Four and Five Star market for travel to Arabia, the Indian Ocean and Asia
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Offering a wide variety of luxury options including: All Inclusive packages, escorted tours, family holidays, six star cruises, exquisite rail journeys, honeymoons and weddings
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60 staff, with dedicated reservations teams of specialists for Arabia, the Indian Ocean and Asia
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A member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators, the Irish Travel Agents Association, licenced by the Commission for Airline Regulation, fully accredited with the International Air Transport Association and fully bonded
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2 dedicated brochures featuring private tours, rail journeys, cruises and resorts in Asia and privately escorted tours, cruises and resorts in Arabia and the Indian Ocean 100% focused on the travel trade with 7 regional Business Development Managers throughout Ireland and UK
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Independently owned and operated by Scottish and Irish Directors
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A dedicated agents’ website (agents.ifonly.ie) offering detailed information on an additional 200 ‘non-brochure’ hotels, tour itineraries, special offers, booking incentives and latest news
Navigating the Future
CONFERENCE 2014 KILASHEE HOUSE, NAAS
Table of Contents 2 3 5 5 7 9 11 12 15 25
Sponsor Acknowledgements Programme Details Awards Supplier Workshop General Information Advisory Board RPJ Band profile Speaker profiles Exhibitors Testimonials and Photos from 2013 conference
Dear delegate, It’s hard to believe that this year’s conference is our 10th! Our first annual conference was held at the Keadeen Hotel just a few miles down the road from Naas in Newbridge. Co. Kildare in 2005. Who could have known that less than ten short years later, Travel Centres would grow to become Ireland’s largest travel agency consortium, with a reputation to match. That first conference of ours was a small affair but it clearly was a success as otherwise there wouldn’t have been a second one. A lot has changed over those intervening 10 years and many travel agents are no longer with us — around a hundred, or possibly more — by my calculation. This would seem to suggest that those of you who are still left standing have nothing to fear of the future. The fact that you are still here when so many of your contemporaries are not could be construed as meaning that you have fully reinvented yourself in order to tackle the challenges that still lie ahead. If only things were that simple! The fact of the matter is that agents need to be constantly reinventing themselves as the challenges facing them change from year to year and the foresight and skillset that may have served some of you well up to this point may not necessarily work in your favour from this point onwards. Clichés become clichés because of the inherent truth that such sayings represent which in turn causes them to be used over and over again as they represent a succinct way to getting one’s point or observation across. One of the most oft-used expressions is ‘can’t see the wood for the trees’ and this can often be true of all business owners and not just travel agents. Because agency owners are so caught up in the day-to-day minutiae of managing their own businesses, they sometimes fail to see the obvious in front of them. That’s why we thought it would be appropriate at this 10-year anniversary to take stock of where we are and to provide a roadmap for how we might navigate the challenges that lie ahead in the next five to ten years. Ours is but one opinion in many and whilst we don’t claim to have a monopoly in insight or wisdom, we hope that, at the very least, the theme for this year’s conference will provoke lively debate and hopefully focussed actions rather than inertia! Always at your service
If Only… Headline Sponsor Royal Caribbean — Saturday lunch
Celebrity Cruises — Friday lunch
Hertz — Friday dinner wines
MSC — Manicures & Martinis
CityJet — Friday evening entertainment
Sponsor Acknowledgements 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.
Insight Vacations — Conference bags
Bookabed — Chocolates
Travelport — Agent make-overs
Travel Professionals Skillnet
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Publisher’s Note: Whilst care has been taken in compiling the information contained in this manual, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. © Travel Centres 2014.
Friday, 14th November 08.30 - 09.15
Registration (conference bags sponsored by Insight Vacations) Tea/Coffee/Refreshments on arrival
09.15 - 09.30
Conference Welcome with opening remarks by Dominic Burke
09.30 - 11.15 11.15
Notes 1. The first closed session of the morning will open up discussion on staff remuneration, staff incentive schemes and other related matters, preceded by a short presentation by Dominic Burke entitled ‘Navigating the Future’ 2. The second closed session after the mid-morning refreshment break will deal with other matters raised by members in advance of the conference with a brief closing presentation by Fionnuala Carter of Travel Professionals Skillnet.
- 11.30
Morning Tea/Coffee refreshment break
11.30 - 13.00
Closed Session 2 — Members Only (see notes*)
13.00 - 14.00
Lunch — Sponsored by Celebrity Cruises
14.00 - 14.30
‘The Future of Air Distribution’ Sinead Reilly, Country Manager, Travelport
14.30 - 15.00
‘Personalisation & Relevance — The Key to Increased Conversions & Ancillary Sales’ Brian Malarkey, Managing Director, AO UK Ltd.
15.00 - 15.30
‘The Future is Now: Innovative Solutions to Sell Ancillary Services’ Federica Galeotti, Head of Distribution, Europe (Transfer & Activities Bank), Bedsonline
15.30 - 15.50
Tea/Coffee refreshment break
15.50 - 16.20
‘Local SEO for travel agents’ — Michael Collins, Managing Director, TravelMedia.ie
16.20 - 16.50
‘If You Want to Lead, You Also Need to Manage’ Sharon Fleming, Owner, Thompson Travel International
16.50 - 17.15
Panel Q & A comprising afternoon’s speakers – Moderated by Michael Geraghty
17.00 - 17.15
AOB & conference close
17.15
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Closed Session 1 — Members Only (see notes*)
- 19.30
At Leisure
19.30 - 20.30
Drinks Reception
20.30 - 23.30
Dinner (wines sponsored by Hertz, entertainment sponsored by CityJet)
Saturday 15th November 08.30 - 09.30 09.30 - 11.00 11.00 - 11.10 11.10
Workshop registration (conference bags sponsored by Insight Vacations) Supplier Workshops — # 1 (speed-dating format) Interim Presentation — Headline Sponsor — If Only …
- 11.30
Tea/Coffee refreshment break
11.30 - 12.50
Supplier Workshops — # 2 (speed-dating format)
12.50 - 13.00
Interim Presentation — Royal Caribbean
13.00 - 14.00
Lunch — Sponsored by Royal Caribbean
14.00 - 15.30
Supplier Workshops — # 3 (speed-dating format)
15.30 - 15.40
Interim Presentation — Best Holidays in Italy
15.40 - 16.00
Tea/Coffee refreshment break
16.00 - 16.05
‘Changing the Face of Travel’ —Sponsored by Travelport— Draw
16.05 - 17.00
Supplier Workshops — #4 (speed-dating FREE FORMAT)
17.00 - 17.10 17.10
Presentation — MSC Cruises
- 17.20
Prize Draw
17.20 - 18.20
‘Martinis & Manicures’ — Sponsored by MSC Cruises
19.30 - 20.15
Drinks Reception
20.15 - 22.15
Gala Dinner
22.15 - 23.15
‘Agent and Supplier of the Year’ Awards Ceremony
23.15 - 23.20
Charity Raffle - Prize Draw
23.15 - 01.15
Dancing to the fabulous RPJ Band!
23.15 - 01.15
Alternative musical entertainment with the Phil Collins Trio
01.30 - 02.30
Finger-food buffet PAGE | 4
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Awards
Supplier Workshop
Three years ago, 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. The difficulty with handing out such awards though is the challenge that it presents in trying to create a level playing field for all members so that smaller agents weren’t being expected to beat their larger colleagues in terms of absolute sales. It was decided that the most equitable approach to allow for such anomalies would be to factor in each agencies turnover into the equation and so all members were asked to provide us with details of their audited turnover figures for the previous trading year and approximately 70 percent of you duly obliged. In those instances where we didn’t receive the necessary data, we had to use our own best judgement in order to make a determination as to what we thought such estimated turnover was likely to be. The results of our deliberations are therefore reflected in those members who will walk away with one of the 27 separate supplier awards that will be given out at this year’s ceremony. Our congratulations in advance to all the deserving winners and our best wishes to the various members who were nominated in each category. Don’t despair — if you try a little harder, 2015 is bound to be your year!
As with previous years, Saturdays’ supplier workshop operates on the ‘speed-dating’ principle whereby all the supplier tables will be numbered sequentially: 1, 2, 3 and so on. There will be two morning and two afternoon sessions, each of which will be divided into 10-minute segments. When each segment gets to the 8-minute mark, an announcement will be made that there are just two minutes ‘wrap-up’ time left on the clock. This affords each supplier sufficient time to wrap up their presentation and get agent participants to fill in the answer to that suppliers’ relevant question in their ‘passport’/ questionnaire. A countdown clock will also be displayed on the main screen up on stage to help you monitor your timekeeping. When the 10 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. 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. You are not allowed to move from table to table in a haphazard or non-sequential manner as this creates problems for other suppliers and other agent participants throughout the day and thus diminishes the effectiveness of the speed-dating process. Each agent delegate is provided a ‘passport’ when they register. Each ‘passport’ contains the following information: 1.
A brief set of notes/rules on how to participate throughout the day at the supplier workshop. Please read these rules carefully as any agents found to be in breach of them throughout the day will be excluded from the prize-draw.
2.
A list of each supplier who is in attendance at the workshop, together with a brief description of what they do (handy for suppliers that you are unfamiliar with)
3.
A question based on the content of the presentation delivered to you during your 10-minute ‘date’ with that supplier, together with a space to insert your answer.
4.
A place reserved for that suppliers ‘visa’ sticker, as proof that you visited that supplier. Each ‘passport’ document must contain not less than 28 ‘visa’ stickers out of as possible maximum of 32.
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 ‘passports’ are collected at the end of the last session of the day (16.45-17.00), and these completed documents are used to select winners for several of the prizes given away at the end of Saturday afternoon. ‘Passports’ will only be considered valid if they contain ‘visas’ for not less than 28 suppliers — four less than the possible maximum of 32 ‘visas’. Because of the time constraints being imposed as a result of the awards section during the evening, the lucky winners of the prize draw will be selected under strict supervision (two supplier witnesses) and announced immediately at the end of the supplier workshop. Prize-winner’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 prize-winners 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!
Changing the Face of Travel ‘make-over’ prize Lisa Gibson is a qualified make-up artist for the past 11 years. She trained initially with Coogan & Bergins and then went on to train with the exclusive LA make-up academy where she excelled in her field. Once fully trained she worked on behalf of the school. She continued as a freelance artist building up her reputation and clientele. She went on to work with Peter Mark to cover their award shows and photo shoots. Most recently she worked for Chanel where she gained even more experience and knowledge of the industry. Her main ambition is to make women feel fabulous, look amazing and be confident. Anyone interested in getting their make-up done should make sure that they give their business card to Joanne Madden from Travelport early the day. (Joanne can provide agents who don’t have business cards with blanks that they can fill out in order to enter the draw). Joanne will be circulating around the speeddating room throughout the day so keep an eye out for her. Joanne will pick 4 winners at 4pm to get made up for the night ahead.
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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 which is on the right side of the main building) 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 5.20 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 Please note that the morning sessions on Friday are ‘closed’ to non-members, trade press and suppliers but you are welcome to attend any of the presentations on Friday afternoon.
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Remembering your table number Any time 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. Interim Presentations Because of the fast pace of the individual speed-dating sessions, we have scheduled four 10-minute presentations (two in the morning and two in the afternoon) to help punctuate the day and allow suppliers (particularly those working on their own) to take additional rest breaks. Each presentation will be made from the stage area; be a maximum of 10 minutes in duration and will take place immediately before both the morning and afternoon refreshment breaks and before lunch and before the prize draw at the end of the afternoon. Please observe the maximum duration of 20 minutes assigned to each tea/coffee break in order to ensure that all presentations start on time.
Charity Fundraiser Three years ago, 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). On August 24th of this year, the annual family outing which was hosted at Wanderers Rugby football club in Dublin raised an amazing ¤60,000 for the various nominated charities so Travel Centres wants to play its part in raising as much money as possible for these deserving causes. On each banquet table at the Gala Dinner, you will find a brown 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. Don’t forget to clearly write out your name and telephone number on the back of the counterfoils that you put back into the envelope. 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 staff
member or one of the advisory board (see which agents are members of the advisory board, further on in this programme). Details of the total sum collected will be publicly announced immediately after the Awards, together with ticket number(s). 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 | 8
Advisory Board
Austin Carroll
Carolyn Davies
Maria Dilworth
Linda McNamara
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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!
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.
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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.
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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.
Sinead Reilly, Country Manager — Travelport Sinead was appointed Country Manager for Travelport Ireland in June 2012. She holds responsibility for Commercial Operations, Sales & Marketing and driving Strategy for Travelport GDS in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Heading up a team of 7 in the SMO, Sinead holds overall responsibility for Travelports’ business on the island of Ireland, which comprises 22 employees working in various sections of the company. The Irish division is composed of team members and senior management for Travelport globally — all of whom bring rich and varied skillsets and levels of expertise to the table. Working with such committed and enthusiastic individuals is inspiring stuff and offers a very diverse workplace environment. Sinead has worked with the company throughout the merging of Galileo & Worldspan brands into Travelport – and has been a driving force behind what has become one the most recognizable brands in the Irish travel sector. Sinead has worked in various roles in the Irish travel industry since obtaining her BA in Tourism Management from DIT.
SPEAKERS
Sinead Reilly
PAGE | 12
SPEAKERS
Brian Malarkey
Michael Collins
PAGE | 13
Brian Malarkey
Michael Collins
Managing Director — AO UK Ltd
Managing Director — TravelMedia.ie
Brian is the managing director and co-founder of AO UK LTD, a software company that specialises in product content management for the travel industry. Following a successful career in the technology sector of the Print Industry, Brian helped form AO, (a spinoff from a Global Technology firm), to focus on the Travel Market from 1998 onwards. Initially responsible for sales in the UK, he managed the launch of AO Campaign, a product based content platform, which uniquely covered multi channel publishing, helping tour operators with simultaneous cross channel publishing. As the system evolved into dynamic packaging, Brian became managing director of the company by 2006/7, helping it grow internationally whilst at the same time becoming a major shareholder in the business. Brian took the system across Europe and found customers in Germany, then Canada and finally Australia where Flight Centre introduced the company to the retail sector and a new channel of client documentation was introduced, utilising the core AO technology; the new skills of Big Data and clever automation — all of which will feature in Brian’s presentation.
Michael Collins started out in the travel industry as a travel journalist, publisher and editor, with Backpacker, Abroad and Irish Business Traveller magazines. During this time he was a regular commentator and contributor on all things travel in print and on radio and television. He founded TravelMedia.ie in 2006, representing airlines, tour operators, tourist boards and hotel companies, amongst others. More recently TravelMedia.ie has grown to encompass everything from travel PR, events, awards, road shows, trade representation, SEO, social media, media buying, blogging and content marketing. TravelMedia.ie is based in Dublin but works in the UK and Irish markets representing clients all over the globe. TravelMedia.ie work closely with TBEX, the largest conference and community of travel bloggers and writers in the world. TravelMedia.ie are media partners for TBEX Europe each autumn. www.travelmedia.ie
Federica Galeotti
Sharon Fleming
Head of Distribution Europe, Transfer & Activities Bank TUI PLC Group
JEB DIPIT (Adv)
Federica Galeotti works for TUI PLC Group in Mallorca, Spain, as Head of Distribution Europe, Transfer & Activities Bank. From 2003, she was Head of International Product at Transhotel before moving to become Head of Operations at Bedsonline in 2005. She was later appointed Market Development Manager for Italy and Greece. More recently, in 2013, Federica accepted a new opportunity within the company, joining the Transfers and Activities Bank department as Head of Distribution for Europe. With this new remit, she is responsible for promoting all the technological solutions available at TUI to sell ancillary services to European source markets’ clients. Such clients vary from travel agencies, networks, tour operators and OTAs to hotel chains. The products she sells are innovative and technologically advanced. Needless to say, this makes her current post a continuous challenge but incredibly rewarding.
Sharon Fleming is the current owner and sole trader of Thompson Travel International, based in County Armagh. Her initial career commenced with the Department of Economic Development as an Administrative Assistant for the Industrial Development Board. Over a number of years she worked in administrative roles within the Community Work Team and gained qualifications in Business Management, Supervisory Management and ultimately as a Lecturer in IT — lecturing periodically for Upper Bann Institute. Her final role before joining the travel industry was a Planning Officer for the Southern Heath and Social Services Board. Sharon moved to the travel industry almost 20 years ago in an attempt to make life ‘easier’ for herself and her young family, on the assumption that selling holidays would be a very relaxing career. As well as being recognised as a leading cruise agent within her area; a tour operator and group travel specialist, Sharon recently won the Advantage Travel Centres’ ‘Dragon’s Den’ initiative and has now set clear objectives for her business, in an ever changing environment.
SPEAKERS
Federica Galeotti
Sharon Fleming
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List of Exhibitors 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. Adventure Holidays are Ireland’s only travel company dedicated to and specialising in adventure and activity holidays. Whether you want a gentle bike ride though Tuscany, trek through some of the world’s most stunning locations, get up close to some incredible wildlife, kayak some of europe’s most pristine coastlines, or discover another culture, we help you to get more from your holiday by arranging your accommodation, transport, guides, activities and some meals, so that you can just relax and enjoy your holiday. We work with the worlds best adventure and activity operators. Their knowledgeable, enthusiastic local guides and staff will encourage you to step off the beaten path and immerse your self in the experience. On every trip you enjoy a mix of must-see highlights and memorable experiences. Whether travelling in a small group or with an independent self guided itinerary you’ll share these experiences with like-minded people, which is why our adventures are popular with solo travellers. We are Irish owned and operated with a team that has over 13 years experience in delivering wonderful experiences with exceptional customer care. 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. 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.
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Attraction World is the leading supplier of theme park tickets, attractions & excursions 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 such as skip the line, guaranteed entry into some of the world’s most popular attractions, the ability to budget and of course valuable discounts off gate rates. Also, NEW this year, Attraction World Cruise, pre-bookable shore excursions with great USPs!
EX H I B I TORS
APG Global Associates is the world’s leading network for Airline GSSAs, Airline Distribution and Sales and Marketing Headquartered in Paris, APG has 117 worldwide offices covering 170 countries and we hold various contracts with over 255 airlines. In Ireland GSSA sales and marketing is handled on behalf of airline clients China Southern, EVA Air, Sata International ,TAP Air Portugal, Air Tahiti Nui, Precision Air, Meridiana Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Heli Air Monaco and Air China. In addition the Dublin office provides agency sale support for the APG IET ticketing solution - YO IET. APG Ireland is managed by Fredi Aravena, fredi.aravena@apg-ga.ie and Paul Weir, paul.weir@apg-ga.ie The Agents Helpline Number is +353 (0)1 804 5100
Bedsonline are part of the TUI Accommodation & Destinations division, so both you and your clients can have peace of mind when booking with us. We are one of the largest accommodation, ticket and transfer suppliers in Europe and 99% of our product is directly contracted by us. We have over 10,000 staff supporting travel agents worldwide and we now offer over 60,000 hotels and apartments worldwide in over 3000 destinations. Best Holidays in Italy is an online ground arrangements operator providing tourism services to Italy. We are a team of regional specialists with unrivalled knowledge of our territory and we wish to reveal Italy made by Italians. Our properties, activities, tour packages and tailor made holidays cover not just the popular destinations but Italy’s best kept secrets from North to South and the islands. We offer authentic travel experiences to enjoy the dolce vita and Be Italy!
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EX H I B I TORS
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. Some new additions to the Bookabed website include tripadvisor reviews, attraction tickets and most recently our new landmarks filter with distances showing from the chosen hotel to the particular landmark. Bookabed is pleased to announce the launch of a white label version of our website, featuring everything that Bookabed has to offer on its current website and any future developments that will be made, further enhancing your ability to market yourselves as an online travel agency as well as your high street shop. Please feel free to speak to Lee for more information. Enjoy the conference. 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. CityJet is an independent award-winning Irish regional airline, headquartered in Dublin with offices in Paris and Antwerp. The CityJet fleet consists of 20 aircraft operating over 900 weekly flights across Europe. On the Dublin-London City route, CityJet operates up to 9 flights per day with fares competitively priced and targeted at both the leisure and corporate traveller. All CityJet fares include a free checkedin 23kg bag.
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Crystal Ski Holidays will give you tips on the best places to ski, local knowledge about the 119 resorts worldwide, including non-skiing activities, the nicest places to eat, weather reports and up-to-the-minute resort news. Crystal caters for all types of ski and snowboard holidays. The clients journey to the slopes starts with Crystal Ski where you can be confident that you’ve found exactly the holiday your client is looking for. Get the inspiration and advice you need on the dedicated agents website where you can access all information you need, as well as being able to check current availability: https://agent.crystalski.ie or Direct Line Dial: 01 433 1028
EX H I B I TORS
Cruising Excursions - 90% off all cruise passengers will book port excursions and with our commissionable prices up to 60% cheaper than the cruise lines, we offer you a great potential to gain extra profits from your cruise bookings. We believe we are the number one specialist in this field and work with agent & tour-operators all over the world offering their cruise clients the absolute best rates.
A collection of Europe’s most beautiful destinations is on sale now for 2015. Contact the Lakes and Mountain 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 offersguiding you to book that perfect holiday for your client. Get the inspiration and advice you need on the dedicated agents website. Visit https://agent.crystalsummer.ie or Direct Line Dial: 01 433 1028 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. Here at Do Something Different, we offer an incredible range of over 2,500 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 your clients get there, with gate ready tickets to the major theme parks saving them time and money. We believe that it’s what you do on holiday that’s important, so go on, Do Something Different!
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EX H I B I TORS
Flexible Autos is your dedicated trade only car rental provider. Book online with confidence, to receive instant confirmation, competitive pricing with no amendment fees or cancellation fees outside 24hrs. We offer an inclusive product with no hidden extras and work with all the major car rental brands in over 17,000 locations worldwide. Globe Hotels, supporting the Irish Travel Trade since 2004 and a preferred supplier to Travel Centres since 2007. With more exclusive partners than ever available online via www.globehotels.ie, offering 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, with exclusively negotiated added value elements passed onto all Travel Centres members, e.g. the Cordial group with free room / board upgrades and spa options. GTI is an Irish owned and operated travel company and are specialists in providing escorted tours with diverse and interesting itineraries to unique destinations across the globe. Tours are sold exclusively to the Irish market and GTI guarantee small and friendly group sizes. From cultural tours visiting top European destinations and long haul adventures further afield to remarkable Battlefield tours and educational Agricultural holidays GTI has a wide range of holidays to suit all budgets and tastes. 01 8434734 www.gti-ireland.com 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. Offering the best in worldwide “premium” cruising, onboard stylish mid-sized ships adorned with priceless art and fresh flowers, Holland America Line combines quality, value – and an award-winning “Signature of Excellence”. There’s a choice of experience for every traveller - from exotic South American cities and wildlife, Canada’s scenic coasts and colonial culture, the idyllic Caribbean for white sand beaches and tropical sunshine. Or cruise from the UK to Iceland and Norway’s spectacular fjords.
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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
EX H I B I TORS
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.
Just Sunshine is the tour operating division of the renowned El Mouradi Hotel Group, the largest hotel group in Tunisia. With offices in London, Paris, Copenhagen, Belgrade, Budapest and of course Dublin we carrying a combined passenger number of 80,000 a year. Just Sunshine offer a full in resort service with a strong team of resort managers, hotel, transfer and excursion representatives. Our aim is to offer a seamless, one brand service & great value for money. 01 969 5577 www.justsunshine.ie Best packages, Best service - with over 25 years’ experience and an outstanding reputation for excellence Keith Prowse offer a wide variety of entertainment tickets and packages and a service second to none. From the best seat at the opera in Prague to a confirmed reservation at a top London or Broadway musical. From best seats at Wimbledon to hospitality packages for the UK Premiership. From Andre Rieu tours to the Chelsea Flower Show - we offer tickets and packages to suit all tastes. Why book with us? A specialist in entertainment travel, our team is on hand to give you advice about our range of entertainment options to help your clients make the most of their holiday.
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EX H I B I TORS
Jacqueline Ellen is the premier Irish-based Malta weddings specialist providing a full-wedding planning service for both religious and civil marriages. Our mission is to provide a day that meets all your hopes and expectations at a price that more than meets your budget. Our wedding planners will oversee all aspects of your special day, from our initial visit to your home - should you so wish – to the personal supervision by our experienced staff at your wedding in Malta. 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. 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. The Paradores of Spain: 94 unique hotels dotted throughout Spain & the Canary Island, located in medieval castles, Moorish fortresses, former monasteries and convents, stately manor houses with others in National Parks or idyllic coastal settings. As official Agents in Ireland MAP Travel will advise, support and assist you in selling this wonderful product. Prices are surprisingly reasonable. 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 offered Fully Escorted Tours to Worldwide destinations for the last 30 years. From weekends in Paris and Bruges to tours of Japan and everything in between we offer exceptional value and quality on every tour. Riviera River Cruises operate a modern fleet of 4 & 5 Star ships on Europe’s finest Rivers. Our prices and quality are unrivalled in the River Cruise sector.
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Today, SAS are represented in the Irish market by ASM - Airline Sales & Marketing Ltd, managed by Alan Sparling. In 2014, SAS celebrate 48 years of nonstop air travel between Ireland & Scandinavia and offer a comprehensive timetable from Dublin to Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo. Exciting news for 2015 is the opening of two new routes into Ireland – find out more on www.sassalesinfo.com
EX H I B I TORS
Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 23 innovative ships, delivering the Ultimate holiday to more than 270 destinations worldwide. Packed full of family facilities and new technology, Royal Caribbean International’s guests enjoy highlights such as meeting characters from popular Dreamwork’s films, Broadway shows such as ‘Mama- Mia’ , ‘We will Rock You’ to name a few. Guests can also enjoy Surfing, Ice-Skating and now SkyDiving and Bumper cars at seas. Royal Caribbean now offers more choice of dining with celebrity chef partnerships such as Jamie Oliver, dedicated kids and teen clubs, children’s waterparks and a choice of family-friendly dining options.
Seabourn visits the world’s most intriguing destinations, sailing into landmark cities and hidden yacht harbours.Intimate ships designed for just 458 guests provide a perfect blend of glamorous elegance and exquisite cuisine, while intuitive, personalized service is provided by carefully selected crew dedicated to delivering a perfect experience. From the luxury of all-suite accommodations to complimentary fine wines and spirits throughout the ship, and a no tipping policy, Seabourn exemplifies the art of travelling well. 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. 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.
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EX H I B I TORS
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 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. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support of The Travel Corporation (TTC) and in particular the support of our specialist brands - Insight Vacations, our premium escorted tour operator, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise, our super luxury all-inclusive river cruises, Contiki Holidays, which offer small group adventures across 6 continents for people aged 18-35 years and the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, which is a luxury collection of 4&5 star hotels in Europe, the USA & Africa. It is with great delight that we are sponsors of the 10th annual Travel Centres conference and we wish each of you a successful conference, a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2015. 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 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.
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The Tropical Medical Bureau is the leading travel medicine clinic in Ireland with over 20 clinics nationwide, specialists in providing the best information and medical care available for the international traveller. TMB advises its patients about the health risks associated with international travel and provides vaccinations, pre travel and post travel check-ups and follow-up care. Each year TMB sees an average of 20,000 patients, ranging from the private holiday maker to the business traveller, overseas volunteers to NGOs and Government officials, all of whom benefit from the expertise of our highly experienced nurses and doctors. Turkish Airlines is a four star airline with a fleet of 258 aircraft (passenger and cargo) flying to 264 cities around the world, comprising of 45 domestic and 219 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 fourth year running. Our main networks are Europe, Russia, Central Asia, Far East Asia, the Middle East, Africa, North and South America. We currently have 12 weekly scheduled flights from Dublin to Istanbul departing Dublin with this increasing to 14 weekly flights from the 1st of April 2015. 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. 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 Belfast office) . We offer a very competitive ticketing arrangement on published fares for agents who wish to forgo their IATA licence. Our groups section were recently appointed as the official wholesaler for BA groups and we continue to offer excellent group rates on both BA and all other carriers. We wish you a successful and enjoyable conference and look forward to meeting you at our stand. PAGE | 24
Congratulations to all of you, it was a fantastic event and so well organised!
the whole event was a great success
Thanks again for a fabulous conference. Well organised and always great fun
I wanted to say a big thank you for the great day and night – everything went perfect PAGE | 25
The conference was fantastic, we really enjoyed it and I’m full of knowledge to share this morning
a very well organised A Big Thank You for y informative and great ver s weekend, which wa great fun
It was a great success all around and I am sure the positive news of the event will reverberate around the trade tomorrow and beyond
It really was a triumph
I wanted to say a big thank you for the great day and night – everything went perfectly!
I had an absolute ball, it was so well organised and ran so smoothly
A huge thank you for all of your effort in arranging such a great conference
thank you so much for an absolutely fantastic weekend PAGE | 26
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