The fifth annual TravMedia Summit Australia, sponsored by Visit Europe, brought together 300 Australian and New Zealand travel writers, editors, influencers, broadcast journalists and international and domestic travel and tourism brands for a fantastic day of networking, learning and development.
The Summit is part of TravMedia's International Media Marketplace (IMM), the leading media networking event for the travel industry, now in its 11th year.
The stellar line-up of media and industry panellists included Keynote Speaker Catriona Rowntree, affectionately known as "Australia's Most Travelled Woman" after leading Australia's favourite and longest-running travel and lifestyle program, Getaway, for more than 26 years.
"We were honoured that Catriona Rowntree could join us today to share humorous anecdotes from her illustrious career”, said Nick Wayland, CEO and Founder of TravMedia. “The room was filled with seasoned travel veterans, and she knocked it out of the park,"
The Summit presenters dove into top-of-mind issues, including Inclusive Tourism, the future of PR, the outlook for destination marketers and the ever-changing media landscape. The Broadcast Media: Cracking the Code Panel examined earned, owned and paid coverage and how to place your destination and travel products in front of millions.
Shelley Winkel, Consumer PR Leader for Tourism & Events Queensland, moderated the panel, which included Emma Sturgiss, Head of Global PR for Tourism Australia; James Wilkinson, Host of Wayfarer Travel and Lifestyle TV show and On-Air Travel Expert for Seven News Australia; Meredith Marks, Senior Producer at Nine Entertainment Company; and Quentin Long, Managing Director of Australian Traveller Media.
Kylee Kay, Managing Director, Linkd Tourism, led the conversation on Inclusive Tourism, which became the hot topic of the day with lively contributions from panellists Louise Terry, President of GALTA, Australia's LGBTQ + Travel Association; Inclusive and Accessibility Tourism Advocate Martin Heng; and Mathew Cameron-Smith, CEO of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia.
The Destination Marketing Panel highlighted best-in-class marketing campaigns. Brent Hill, CEO of Tourism Fiji; Sofia Hansson, Australian Chapter Chair for European Travel Commission; and Steve Cox, CEO of Destination NSW, discussed trends, how the consumer is rebounding post-pandemic, and actions DMOs are taking to compete for tourism dollars.
The Slam with Travel Editors panel brought together Anthony Dennis, Editor, Traveller; Rowena Ryan, Editor of Digital, Escape; and Stephanie Holmes, Travel Editor of NZ Herald Travel - NZME, to share their insights on pitches piquing their interest, the future with AI and the importance of video and social media.
Last but certainly not least, The Future of PR Panel convened industry veterans and disruptors Philip Engelberts, Founder & Director, PEPR Agency; Alice Moore, Director, Elysee Collective; Kate Jenkins, PR & Marketing for LATAM Airlines; and Stephen Howard, Group Director of Marketing, Ovolo Group. The day concluded with a cocktail reception hosted by Crown Sydney in the Pearl Ballroom overlooking Sydney Harbour.
The TravMedia Summit is the forum for the travel industry to connect and learn from our most influential leaders. The one-day conference brings together travel and tourism PR Professionals, editors, and travel writers to inspire ideas, share insights, and discuss the trends, opportunities, and challenges affecting our industry.
Presented the day before IMM, The TravMedia Summit attracts A-list media from Fairfax Media's, Traveller, News Corp Australia's Escape, Australian and International Traveller, and more.
