Upon Arrival | Events & Incentives with Adelaine Ng
Adelaine Ng
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Upon Arrival is a podcast for the people creating unforgettable travel and event experiences for corporate clients. This community thrives on inspiration, ideas and strategies which are needed now more than ever through a pandemic. No one really knows when this travel-dependent industry will truly revive. But the drivers for incentive travel are still strong and it’s just a matter of finding where the success stories are. Upon Arrival aims to uncover these stories to see how the strategists amongst us are learning new ways of doing things and even discovering new destinations and experiences that might not otherwise have been considered. We talk about mindset, personal development, pivot ideas and of course, what's happening with the travel and events industry.
Available episodes
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Jul 27, 2022
Ep77 The Million Dollar James Bond and other ultimate travel experiences, with Shane Mahoney
What's involved in creating the world's Ultimate James Bond Experience and who would you have to kill to make it happen? Jokes aside, Shane Mahoney has left no stone unturned in putting together what would make the dreams of James Bond's biggest adventure fans a reality. But Shane doesn't just want to be known for his Bond creation. He is passionate about the many more ways you can elevate your travel experiences when you have the right approach.
Shane Mahoney is a serial entrepreneur, luxury lifestyle specialist and founder of Lugos Travel, an agency that believes in making luxury travel attainable. He has travelled to 22 countries and has dedicated his life to connecting and re-connecting loved ones by crafting travel experiences that surprise and delight. Shane also founded the Entrepreneurial Travel Club for entrepreneurs who network through travel experiences.
*Quotes from this episode:
*"You really only have your memories. And if you haven't put those coins in the bank, so to speak, you don't have anything to draw on, there's nothing there. And you get to the point where it's too late and your choices are taken away at some point of your life."
"We didn't become Virtuoso or Signature because honestly, I felt like I could do a better job of putting my clients in good hands (rather) than somebody in a corporate office many, many states away pulling contracts with hotels to put champagne in rooms."
"If you're only focused on price, you've already lost. I want people to focus on value. Price is what you pay, value is what you get. And if you focus on what you get, you can actually get much, much more for the dollars than you would expect."
-Shane Mahoney
*Connect with Shane:
*shanemahoney360.com
*Lugos Travel:*
lugostravel.com
*Entrepreneurial Travel Club:*
lugostravel.com/club
*Shane's book recommendation:*
Principles by Ray Dalio
*Connect with Adelaine:
*Email: uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
*Record interviews remotely with Riverside:
*bit.ly/RecordWithRiverside
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Jun 29, 2022
Ep 76 How to grow a movement, defeat the naysayers and Stay Gold with Stef Mariani
Can you trust your intuition to lead you out of the most difficult circumstances and into a life of joy and fulfilment? Award-winning artist and movement leader Stef Mariani believes you can, having experienced personal tragedy and learning how to move herself from being shut down to playing at the top of her game in just a few years.
Stef Mariani won awards as a negotiator and business strategist based in Hawaii, closing over US$100M in real estate deals. She also won Hawaii's Na Hoku Hanohano Award for her album Stay Gold In 2018. Stef has produced live events and attended many high profile ones herself including the Grammys. Her current focus is to grow her international movement of people committed to staying true to themselves despite the worst circumstances such as the financial impact of COVID and the war in Ukraine.
*Quotes from this episode:
*"The key with events (and if this is the only thing you do, it will make all the difference) is your mindset. When you walk in, you need to take time to really think about why you're there and who your audience is and why you care about those people."
"It's hard to throw a bomb at somebody who you feel connected with, because if I hurt you, I hurt myself. You don't open fire at schools. If you feel connected. You don't throw a grenade. You can't even participate in war, be a soldier if you feel connected. And the fact is we are all connected."
"If you care about people, it doesn't matter what you do, you're going to do really well."
-Stef Mariani
Music Use My Imagination played with permission from Stef Mariani.
*Connect with Stef and join Stay Gold for free:
*Website: www.thestaygoldmovement.com
FB Group: StayGoldMovement
*Stef's non-profit for Hawaii-based artists:
*Website: //staygoldhawaii.com
*Use My Imagination (No More War) music video:
*https://youtu.be/pDJu9Wt2BOU
*Connect with Adelaine:
*Email: uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
*Record interviews remotely with Riverside:
*bit.ly/RecordWithRiverside
Get 15% off your subscription with code: Adelaine
*Edit interviews like a word document with Descript:
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Jun 9, 2022
Ep 75 Regaining your life with flexibility after a disappointing post-pandemic reset, with Dr Karen Morley
The promise of a post-pandemic reset has been underwhelming for many people juggling work and home life. As long as expectations at the office haven't changed, overwork is here to stay. So what can you do to take back some control of your work-life balance? And what is the real cost of not dealing with stress properly?
*Dr Karen Morley* is an executive leadership psychologist and coach, whose vision is to help leaders get more impact with less effort. She has held executive roles in government and higher education, and is a thought leader on gender and inclusion. Her new book *FlexAbility: How high achievers beat burnout and find freedom in an overworked world *is written for a post-pandemic flexible working wold.
*Quotes from this episode:
"*I think, in a technical sense, not everybody is necessarily feeling burned out... feeling somewhat cynical about your work and feeling that you're not effective. But I do think that many people are feeling exhausted and that's more than enough to be concerned".
"There's very clear findings from the World Health Organization around the impact of chronic stress and overwork, and burnout at work. And that is you're more likely to die."
"We don't have an issue with resilience. We have an issue with recharging. We have an issue with how we manage our energy and our expectations."
-Dr Karen Morley*
*
*Connect with Dr Morley:
*LinkedIn: Karen Morley
www.karenmorley.com.au
*Dr Karen Morley's new book:*
FlexAbility: How high achievers beat burnout and find freedom in an overworked world
*Connect with Adelaine:*
Email: uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
*Record interviews remotely with Riverside:*
bit.ly/RecordWithRiverside
Get 15% off your subscription with code: Adelaine
*Edit interviews like a word document with Descript:*
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Jun 1, 2022
Ep 74 Why you're not further ahead than you thought you would be by now, with Luke Harlan
Everything we want to achieve is an inside-out job. The difficult truth is, the reason why we aren't as successful as we'd like to be can often be found in the way we think... much of it unconsciously. How can we recognise the things that hold us back and give ourselves the best chance of moving forward?
Luke Harlan is a transformational mindset coach. He helps people become the best versions of themselves by freeing up the common myths and misconceptions and the limiting beliefs that are holding them back from truly achieving what they want.
*Quotes from this episode:
**"*What I found was is that many of the things that I wanted to do externally needed to be solved internally."
"We get about 7,000 pieces of information, external stimuli coming at us every day and our brain has to dismiss most of that other or it would explode. So 95 plus percent of all of our decisions are made subconsciously. Now, what if some of those automatic behaviors were procrastination or fear or explosive act or to a stimuli or a yelling?"
"There is no creativity in negativity. If you are (just) trying to survive or you're in that pain threshold, there is no connection to the larger universe."
-Luke Harlan*
*
*Connect with Luke plus free Masterclass:
*www.lukeharlan.com
*Luke's recommended books:*
The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Jim Dethmer
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
*Connect with Adelaine:*
Email: uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
*Record interviews remotely with Riverside: *
bit.ly/RecordWithRiverside
Get 15% off your subscription with code: Adelaine
*Edit interviews like a word document with Descript:*
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May 25, 2022
Ep 73 How music can unite teams in unexpected ways with SongDivision's Andy Sharpe
Music has often played a fan-favourite role in team-building exercises that take participants from unfamiliar territory into a new space of connectedness. But it's become even more important now with many companies going through mergers and acquisitions, leaving staff unsure about their future. How can enrolling members who are even slightly suspicious of each other into a lyric-writing exercise change that?
Andy Sharpe is the CEO and founder of global sensation *SongDivision*, which has hosted more than 2,000 team bonding events globally since 2020, making them one of the most successful corporate event companies of the COVID era. His musicians have worked with top artists like Cher and Justin Bieber. Andy has been named one of Eventex’s Top 100 Most Influential People in the Event Industry.
This interview was recorded at AIME, The Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event 2022, where SongDivision brought the vibes and turned word suggestions into songs, on demand.
*Quotes from this episode:
"*I can't tell you how many conversations I've had with CEOs of companies who have just gone through a big merger and acquisition...We get them to create music together, flood their brains with oxytocin, and then they relax and can have conversations about the future rather than being paranoid about what the future is going to be."
"The joy that we see from our audiences and the people that we're working with online is the same joy that we have in person. It's a different design for a different need."
"I've had conversations with people over the years where the idea of team building is just a waste of time and cheesy. They've never thought about corporate values and purpose. I don't try and win those people over."
-Andy Sharpe
*Don't Miss:
*-How an opportunity to work with indigenous kids started Andy's SongDivision journey
-The science and art of why music is so effective in team building
-Taking participants from feeling intimidated to confident
-Leading the company through the pandemic
-Why soft skills matter in leadership
-SongDivision's new direction in Leadership and Human Resources*
*
*Connect with Andy:
*LinkedIn: AndySharpe
*SongDivision: *songdivision.com
*Connect with Adelaine:*
Email: uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
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Mar 17, 2022
Ep 72 K-Pop saves events in Japan and how a pink suit can save you from LinkedIn shame, with Tyron Giuliani
Being an entrepreneur in a foreign market presents unique challenges and opportunities. But if you can make it against all the odds, you can position yourself as the only logical solution for the services you offer. A similar approach can be taken to how you connect with people on LinkedIn.
Tyron Giuliani went from being an army officer in Australia to running several successful businesses in Tokyo. By necessity he had to turn his weaknesses into strengths and make his foreign-ness work for him rather than against him. Tyron's story includes turning to K-Pop when the pandemic hit his wedding dress business, and becoming a client acquisition expert on LinkedIn using a D.A.N.C.E. and Pink Suited method. His clients have included Amazon, Apple, and Ogilvy & Mather.
*Quotes from this episode:*
"The K-pop space is amazing. It's led by super fans. They call them masters. And each band has multiple masters and these people have huge audiences in Japan".
"Our structure used to be very commission-based, so the sales people would get the highest bonuses and that led to a lot of conflict in the company. We then changed our whole comp structure, where it was truly company-based targets, so that the cleaning staff, the prep staff, the admin staff, they would get a chunk of reward when the salespeople hit (the sales targets)...it just lifts everyone".
"People have a choice when they see a complex question (on social media), they have to (ask), 'For me to answer this and not look stupid, I'm going to have to write like five to 10 sentences. Ah, I can't be bothered."
-Tyron Giuliani
*Connect with Tyron:
*FB Group: LinkedIn Sales Funnels for Entrepreneurs
*Tyron's favourite LinkediIn tool:*
Pipedrive
*Tyron's book recommendation:*
The Road Less Stupid by Keith J Cunningham
*Connect with Adelaine:*
Email: uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
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Mar 2, 2022
Ep 71 The very bumpy road of startup stories and secrets with John North
John North has had to pivot multiple times when things kept crashing and burning through no fault of his own. By necessity he's transitioned to a serial entrepreneur, digital marketing strategist and app developer. He's also written seven #1 Best-Selling books along the way, including Startup Secrets, where he outlines five steps to fast track from an idea to a business.
John is the CEO of Evolve Systems Group and has created many products and services designed to empower business owners and entrepreneurs, including Evolve Global Publishing, Evolvepreneur.app and Evolvepreneur.club. He is passionate about helping business owners become smarter and more strategic about their marketing efforts.
*Quotes from this episode:*
"Own your own brand... The business that I had to sell, cost me a million dollars to lose that business. And the reason why it cost me all that money was I didn't own my own brand."
"Go in an experimental mindset (where) you don't care about winning or losing so much. You care about what happens."
"You've got to value your time to start with. Do I have the time to spend on that (course / program)? Or is it just pretty and shiny and I think I'm solving a problem?"
-John North
*Connect with John:*
johnnorth.com.au
evolvepreneur.club
*John's book recommendation:*
The E-Myth Enterprise
*Connect with Adelaine:*
Email: uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
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Feb 20, 2022
Ep 70 Why New Zealand considered staying closed for another year and how it could lose out to Australia, with Joanna Fountain
Two months ago, New Zealand's tourism minister, Stuart Nash, told the country's tourism industry players to prepare to have no international tourists for another year. Then, the government said it would start opening in stages. But the 7 day isolation requirement stays, meaning it's still not viable for most tourists to visit, which is devastating for the industry. So what's behind the reluctance to re-start the country's No.1 export earner?
Joanna Fountain is an Associate Professor and researcher in tourism at NZ's Lincoln University, Christchurch. She has published multiple research papers on tourism issues and has been a consultant on tourism-related projects in the country.
*Quotes from this episode:*
"New Zealand has done such a good job of keeping (Covid) out (that) there are a large proportion of the population who are just saying, 'Close the borders. Just let us live our lives here without any international visitors'."
"Some destinations are doing better... against all expectation. Businesses that have been usually reliant on international visitors have found that in domestic visitors, they have more loyal guests who are staying longer and actually spending more money."
"I'm kind of not sure what the difference is between now and another year. It's already had such a massive impact - two years without our number one export earner. I'm not sure what difference another year will make."
-Joanna Fountain
*Connect with Joanna:*
Email: Joanna.Fountain@lincoln.ac.nz
*Connect with Adelaine:*
Email: uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
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Feb 2, 2022
Ep 69 Novak Djokovic, Pandemic tourism, and 20 Case Studies with David Beirman
With Omicron and messy fiascos like the Novak Djokovic - Australian Open saga, you might be tempted to think that Covid 19 pandemic disruptions won't be letting up anytime soon to allow tourism to recover. But there's hope we'll learn from past mistakes. A look through the lens of how government and the media have historically dealt with tourism crisis can inform us of the variables that lie ahead for the industry.
Dr David Beirman is a tourism crisis, risk and recovery expert from University Technology Sydney whose views have been highly sought after by both local and international media. His new book, Tourism Crises and Destination Recovery, looks at some 20 cases of comeback from crisis in the tourism industry, including a whole section on the current pandemic, to give us some perspective to the challenges the industry is facing today.
*Quotes from this episode:*
"One of the interesting things about COVID-19 overall has been the incredible level in which government has dominated every aspect of the agenda.... And that that's had a huge effect, of course, not only on tourism, but pretty much every aspect of our life."
"Cruising, in my humble opinion, has been given a really, really difficult time by governments... and the thing that makes it so unfair is that the cruise sector has probably done more to try and minimise the risk of COVID-19 than probably any sector in all of the tourism and hospitality industry."
"There were pictures of people in Hong Kong running around in surgical masks. And in Singapore, the reality was 95% of the cases in Hong Kong actually occurred in five apartment blocks. The media never mentioned that."
-Dr David Beirman
*Don’t miss:
*- Reasons to be optimistic about tourism in 2022.
- Does Australia have an image crisis after the Novak Djokovic saga?
- The PR mistake the cruising industry could have avoided.
- How airfares could change to make the aviation business viable again.
- Key lessons from 20 cases of tourism crises and recovery.
- The media's relationship with tourism and how it treats crisis stories.
- The pragmatic way destinations can reopen their borders for tourism recovery.
*David's book:
*Tourism Crises and Destination Recovery
*
Connect with David:
*LinkedIn: David Beirman*
*Email: David.Beirman@uts.edu.au
*Connect with Adelaine:
*Email: uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
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Jan 26, 2022
Ep 68 What the world's highest achievers understand about performance and going the distance with Donna McGeorge
Superstar performers like Hugh Jackman and Carl Lewis know how to leave something in the tank for the moments they will need the extra boost most. This is a little discussed secret that can be applied to how we manage our time and schedules. It's called the 15% buffer or adaptive capacity that will not only help reclaim some of your time back but also help you achieve more. This is part two of a two-part episode.
Donna McGeorge makes work work. She is a productivity coach, best-selling author, trainer, and facilitator. Her focus is on helping individuals, managers, and teams work smarter, build collaborative relationships, and make efficient use of time. She has written 10 productivity books, with The 1 Day Refund published this month.
Quotes from this episode:
"I tell everyone to start at the end of the day. So if you're swamped, you drowning... You're at risk of failing at the important things.... I'm going to say protect the last hour of your day or whatever is possible in your busy world."
"Does it start with I'll trust you first and give you a crack? Or do you have to prove (yourself), and then I'll trust you? I think it's the former".
"If we're operating at 100% we've got no room to move... We should be operating at that 85% more consistently to feel better, do better and actually achieve more."
-Donna McGeorge
Don’t miss:
- Why Donna doesn’t believe in New Year’s resolutions
- The solution to feeling busy but not feeling productive
- The 15% buffer or adaptive capacity
- Thinking, breathing, living and working space
- Breaking the habit of always being busy
- How to be more essential but less involved
- How to protect your time
Donna’s book:
www.the1dayrefund.com
Donna's free 1 Day Refund productivity tools:
www.the1dayrefund.com/resources
Connect with Donna:
LinkedIn:Donna McGeorge
www.donnamcgeorge.com
Connect with Adelaine:
Email: uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
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Jan 18, 2022
Ep 67 How to get A Day Back from every week of your life this year, or a 1 Day Refund with Donna McGeorge
Have you found yourself asking, where has all the time gone? Or why did I feel so insanely busy last year but not more productive, even when I worked from home and in theory should've had more time to spare? Fortunately, you can get back in control of your time with some intentional strategies and a formula for reclaiming time. That's right, it's time to get your time back and here's how, in the first of a two-part episode.
Donna McGeorge makes work work. She is a productivity coach, best-selling author, trainer, and facilitator. Her focus is on helping individuals, managers, and teams work smarter, build collaborative relationships, and make efficient use of time. She has written 10 productivity books, with The 1 Day Refund published this month.*
Quotes from this episode:*
"The tendency for all of us is to say, I need more time or I need more space, more capacity. Actually, we've got enough. We just need to be clever about how we use what we've got."
"Decision fatigue... impacts o…
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Dec 30, 2021
Ep 66 Christmas was weird - A personal year of highs and lows
A short reflection on what went well and what didn't for me this year. Things don't automatically improve at the stroke of midnight into the new year. I'm still recovering from 2021 and I suspect I'll still need healing way into 2022.
*Connect with Adelaine:*
Email: uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
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Dec 20, 2021
Ep 65 How to create the Ultimate Office Christmas Party with Lisa Wiles
How do you create the ultimate office Christmas party? There are some simple but big ideas that can make your event a great success, whether the idea of being volunteered to organise the big year-end event at your workplace fills you with excitement or dread. For example, if you know what to do with lighting and the size of your props, that’s more than half the battle won.
Lisa Wiles is the founder of Sydney Party Planner, a company she launched in 2001 after working in the events industry for global companies for over 20 years. She has professionally organised hundreds of themed Christmas parties and loves a challenge, which has included venues from country barns to secret warehouses.
*Quotes from Episode:*
"Anyone can do events but it's the people that love it that bring the extra."
"People talk about decorations but I think lighting is way more important than decorations".
"There's this guy... it's in an industrial wasteland of warehouses and near the airport, and his life pa…
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Dec 16, 2021
Ep 64 How the pandemic helped Australia's Northern Territory thrive with top events with Tim Watsford
Smaller or lesser known destinations have achieved some pretty amazing things for events. Can Australia's Northern Territory surprise and wow event planners who've seen it all? It certainly wowed the Australian Event Awards & Symposium for Parrtijima – A Festival in Light, which awarded Northern Territory Major Events Company (NTMEC) the Best Regional Event this year.
Tim Watsford is the CEO of NTMEC, joining the business events tourism industry from a cricket and rugby background. Over the past 18 months, Tim has led the NTMEC team in new directions as they navigate an events sector profoundly affected by COVID-19 restrictions. The result has seen the team successfully deliver several large-scale major events in the Territory that have attracted national and international attention, and record attendance numbers.
*Quotes from Episode:*
"If you haven't been to the Territory, you'll never experience what we have to offer... Everything from chasing the elusive barramundi all the way…
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Dec 8, 2021
Ep 63 Unconventional leadership: The one thing that defines your success that is really not about you, with Geoff Donaghy
Your leadership will be exposed when tough times come knocking. Who will you be looking out for when the ground underneath is crumbling? Interestingly, by genuinely prioritising others, you may end up securing your own success. And the kind of leader you become can be traced back to, and be greatly influenced by your environment and mentors during your younger years.
Geoff Donaghy is the CEO of ICCSydney, Group Director (Asia Pacific) at ASM Global and Deputy Chair of Business Events Council of Australia. Some of his former roles include President of the International Association of Congress Centres, CEO of Suncorp Stadium and Managing Director of Cairns Convention Centre. Geoff was inducted into the Event Industry Council's prestigious Hall of Leaders in October 2021.
*Quotes from Episode:*
"Running and operating a venue is a little bit like sending a rocket to the moon. If the aim is out by a thousandth of a degree, you miss the moon by thousands of miles. So your goals and your t…
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Dec 2, 2021
Ep 62 There Has To Be More: Personal growth and your workplace culture with Rachel Service
The Great Resignation? Not so fast, and we'll see why in this episode. Millions of people are expected to quit their jobs after the pandemic, thanks to this unprecedented time of change. What does this mean for you if you're an employer? Are you about to have almost half your workforce walk out on you? Or what if you're the employee already hatching a plan for your great corporate escape? How does your personal growth affect your career?
Rachel Service is a workplace culture expert and CEO of the Happiness Concierge. Her award-winning approach to personal and professional growth has been featured in the BBC, Financial Review, Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Her TED talk, How to Break Up With Your Public Identity, was internationally syndicated on the official TED website in 2020. Rachel's new book is *There Has To Be More: The Essential Guide to Personal Growth.
**Quotes from Episode:
**
"*A lot of leaders are afraid to have the conversation of, 'Are we all in or are we half in, h…
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Nov 19, 2021
Ep 61 How to get the Chinese tourist to spend more money with you happily with Wolfgang George Arlt
Why are we talking about China? Well, there are a lot of reasons to talk about China but for our purposes, we're most interested in the country's changing travel appetite. Like it or not, China's massive population and growing wealth is a great attraction for many countries looking for tourists. At the time of this recording, China's borders remain firmly shut and they practise a Covid Zero policy. But China's residents are raring to go abroad as soon as they're allowed to.
In the second of a two-part series, Professor Wolfgang Georg Arlt shows us where many countries, especially Western, misunderstand the needs of the Chinese tourist and are misfiring in their marketing efforts to attract them. Professor Arlt is the German-based founder and director of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI), and a member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNTWO) Panel of Tourism Experts.
*Quotes from Episode:
"*There was a clear focus on quantity of arrival numbers...T…
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Nov 11, 2021
Ep 60 How the Chinese will return to travel post pandemic with Wolfgang Georg Arlt
If there was one country that all destination bureaus are most curious about during this pandemic period, it's China. The country which is probably the world’s most significant source of tourism has been locked in for almost two years with a Zero-Covid policy. So how have Chinese travel trends and preferences changed in this time?
Professor Wolfgang Georg Arlt is the German-based founder and director of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI), and a member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNTWO) Panel of Tourism Experts. In the first of a two-part series, he pulls apart the curtains behind China's great wall of information for a sneak peek into the changing Chinese attitudes towards travel and experiences.
*Quotes from Episode:
*"There is an opportunity for many small places. If you offer a nice product, if you give people a reason to come, you can get Chinese tourists to places which are not on the main track, and also at times of the year where may…
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Nov 3, 2021
Ep 59 Festivals by subscription with no ticketing fees coming to a live event near you with Ed Vincent
How would you like to never pay ticketing fees and always get a better deal to access live events? That's the promise of Festival Pass, which is the world's first live events subscription service across various experiences including music, film, food & wine, theatre, and tech & innovation. Launched in the US, the plan is for a truly global village of experiences as more countries ease restrictions to allow gatherings again.
Ed Vincent is an entrepreneur with over 25 years experience in business, technology and management. Among his achievements was the founding of an e-commerce business in 1999 which was sold to a competitor in 2001. He also founded companies like SimplyEngage, myProducer, and Predict Ventures before starting and becoming the CEO of Festival Pass.
*Quotes from Episode:*
"What I'm most excited about is when somebody comes onto our platform and says, Hey, I'm in New York city but I can't get out ...and I want to see my favourite band in five places playing live tonigh…
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Oct 27, 2021
Ep 58 Why your "I help" statement doesn't work on social profiles, and other marketing mistakes you could be making, with Shani Taylor
The rules for connecting authentically with your audience keeps changing and some of the new rules even contradict widely-held practice. With so much conflicting advice from the gurus, who do you choose to believe? How can we make sure we're speaking to our audience rather than at them?
Shani Taylor is the Client Connection Consultant at Open to Grace. She specialises in showing entrepreneurs, coaches and consultants how to become visible to the right audience and connect with the right messaging. She has also co-authored a new book, Intuitive: Speaking Her Truth.
*Quotes from Episode:*
"There is so much conflicting advice... but what the gurus are telling you is not the truth of how they became the guru, because if that was the truth, then every single one of us would be a guru because we would have followed their advice and it would have worked."
"Social media is there to be social. So you need to know how to sell socially."
"The number one thing that's getting in the way for in…
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Oct 20, 2021
Ep 57 The 5 ways business and leisure travel will change as borders reopen with Henry Hooper
Travel dreaming has begun again as borders start to reopen across the Asia-Pacific region. But travel has also changed during the pandemic, disrupting supply and demand patterns which could impact pricing. Henry Hooper identifies five major ways the industry is now different as people start booking their flights and hotels.
Henry Hooper is the General Manager of Klook ANZ, one of the world's leading travel activities booking platforms, offering over 240,000 experiences in more than 500 destinations. Based in Singapore, Henry oversees the domestic strategy for ANZ, which includes both business development and marketing initiatives across all verticals, such as tours, activities, car rental, airport transfers and accommodation.
*Quotes from Episode:*
"I used to be able to wake up at 6am in Singapore and be on a 7.30am flight to Thailand. We're so far away from that happening. And I do think that's going to force people to say, do I really need to go on this trip or not."
"FOMO, like…
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Oct 14, 2021
Ep 56 The social media opportunity that most hospitality and events businesses are ignoring with Sabrina Meyers
You'd think that event profs and hospitality services aimed at business events would be lighting up their social media with their offerings and experiences. But while many have social media accounts, most of the feeds offer irregular and lacklustre content. Sabrina Meyers' mission is to inspire confidence in the industry with strategies to optimise their social platforms and win more clients.
Sabrina Meyers is a visibility coach and strategist to the Event Industry on all things social media. She is the Founder of Hot Hospitality Exchange and The Get Visible Collective, an online community for event and hospitality professionals learning how to level up their social media to maximise online engagement, reach and growth. Sabrina is also an experienced speaker and event moderator for in-person, hybrid and virtual events.
*Quotes from Episode:*
"Do not post and ghost. You need to start engaging with people. You need to start going to other people within your space, within your industry…
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Oct 6, 2021
Ep 55: How business tourism is processing change and what change is doing to our mental health with Karen Bolinger
Will an industry known for its optimistic outlook and creative pursuits return with the same gusto it had before? It's an interesting question since society has made further mental shifts compared to even a year ago when we realised the Covid-19 pandemic was not going away as quickly as we'd hoped. And there are definite consequences for the industry, requiring new strategies for navigating customer experience.
Karen Bolinger has a long history working in the events, tourism and hospitality services industry. During her time as CEO of the Melbourne Convention Bureau, the MCB achieved its most successful years on record, including Victoria's highest ever economic contribution of A$500 million in one financial year. She is currently Acting Chief Operating Officer for Destination Gold Coast and Strategic Business Consultant for PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association ).
*Quotes from Episode:*
"There (are) groups that want to go back to business as usual and think nothing h…
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Sep 29, 2021
Ep 54: Why this year is harder than last year and what's working now with Georgie Stayches
When the only constant thing is sudden change, are your event plans ready to adapt and change course quickly? In this anniversary episode, Georgie Stayches shares tips on how the events industry can navigate uncertain times, as well as managing our emotions when demands are being placed on our mental health in unprecedented ways.
Georgie Stayches is the Founder and Chief Engagement Officer of Fetching Events & Communications, an agency specializing in event management, communication, and volunteer management. An industry expert with over 20 years of experience, she is passionate about events and communications that make an impact on the community.
*Quotes from episode:*
“Your Covid-safe plans need to be really flexible and really dynamic because at any moment it can change… depending on what's happening… Everything moves really quickly and you've got to be ready for that.”
“You're dealing with different expectations and different experiences with Covid compliance. And I t…
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Sep 23, 2021
Ep 53: The magic business and outsourcing equation that works with the future with Morris Misel
What is the equation entrepreneurs and companies need to operate their business and resources to be effective today? Flexibility is now a minimum requirement in business. Whether you're a solopreneur or leading a company in the industry, the right blend of core operations, outsourcing and automation will keep you effective and agile.
Morris Miselowski is a business futurist, founder and lead strategist at Eye on the Future. He’s also Australia’s first and only futurist in the Einstein 100 Genius (G100) alumni and an Adjunct Industry Fellow with Griffith University, heading a research division specialising in disability and resilience.
*Quotes from Episode:*
"Don't ask for certainty when my life is so uncertain. Ask for commitment. Ask for me to join you and to want to be part of the common direction we're going in."
"When this epidemic hit us, we went looking for the lowest hanging fruit of technology - what's available now that we can repurpose and cobble together and use as b…
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Sep 15, 2021
Ep 52: What's changed in business events tourism and travel trade publishing in the past year with Karen Yue
Reality check: How far has the industry evolved since Covid-19 first hit? Professionals have switched careers, we've changed the way we consume content, human connections have become more important than ever and the entire industry has been pivoting to cope.
Karen Yue is the Group Editor at TTG Asia Media heading a team of editors, reporters and correspondents across the Asia-Pacific region. Founder of the TTG Content Lab which creates multi-platform content, Karen also oversees titles such as TTGmice, which has won several PATA accolades.
*Quotes*
“Prior to the pandemic, travel and tourism accounted for one in four of all new jobs created across the world. international visitors’ spend amounted to 1.7 trillion US dollars in 2019. But throughout 2020, the very tough year, it suffered a loss of about 44.5 trillion to 4.7 trillion US dollars... you can see that the data is quite heartbreaking.”
“Fearless, farsighted, decisive leaders are always needed, especially in tough tim…
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Sep 6, 2021
Ep 51: How positive psychology enhances incentive experiences and challenges you to face your triggers, with El Kwang
Positive psychology isn't about staying positive all the time, contrary to popular belief. Applied correctly, the skill of positive psychology will help address our triggers for why we're reacting the way we do during the pandemic, and why we keep self-sabotaging. Ultimately positive psychology just helps people flourish and thrive. But not only that, positive psychology can be used to improve incentive experiences and give meetings a new dimension.
El Kwang designs engaging experiences across the Asia Pacific region and has worked in the hospitality, tourism, and business events industry for over two decades. He is the founder-CEO of consultancy firm Untangled and owns two brand experiences, Biz Events Asia and U Agency. More recently, he established BEAM, an agency that produces content and designs experiences that help their clients’ brands stay ahead of their game. El is also a board member of SITE (Society for Incentive Travel Excellence).
*Quotes from Episode:*
“(Fact chec…
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Aug 24, 2021
Ep 50: Why are we still in lockdown even where vaccination rates are high? with Hannah Pearson
We didn't think we'd be still here, in lockdown and unable to travel or plan events, 18 months since Covid first hit. Governments across the region have had different ideas about how to tackle the pandemic. Critics could say some governments appear not to have had an idea at all. Do we laugh or cry, as those in the industry are left to fend for themselves, often with little or at best, ineffective support systems?
Hannah Pearson is the director of Southeast Asian travel consultancy Pear Anderson, based in Kuala Lumpur. She helps travel organisations target the Southeast Asian & Muslim market and produces a weekly report on COVID-19's impact on the region's tourism industry. Widely referenced, Hannah has featured on BBC World News and the Phnom Penh Post. She also co-hosts the The South East Asia Travel Show podcast.
*Quotes from episode:*
"The difference, I think in mentalities between travellers, is quite distinct. So whenever Indonesians can travel, you do see this pickup in domes…
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Aug 17, 2021
Ep 49: Youth and adventure tourism raring to go with Alex Hill
Youth and adventure tourism is the biggest earning sector of Australia's international tourism market and yet has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. But as soon as flights return, young people will be some of the first to flood back into the tourism market, even willing to pay for a two-week hotel quarantine in order to spend some pent-up savings for a long working holiday.
Alex Hill is president of advocate organisation Adventure Tourism Victoria (ATV), Melbourne operations manager for Tourism Adventure Group and general manager for United Backpackers. Alex has worked in hospitality and tourism management roles all over Australia, the UK and Germany.
*Quotes from episode:*
“It's called adventure travel for a reason… And I think if there is going to be a segment of the population that are willing to risk something, it's the adventure travel industry. And I think (that while) our segment is almost decimated at the moment, it can rebound very quickly given the opportunit…
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Aug 11, 2021
Ep 48: How sports betrayed me but led to my powerful Goldilocks storytelling business with Rachel Boardman
It's the story you hardly hear: Life after professional sports can be a huge struggle for many athletes trying to find a new identity and be just as successful. But Rachel Boardman's own story of transformation has enabled her to extract lessons that entrepreneurs and event professionals can use to employ storytelling and take their business to the next level. She shares her Goldilocks formula that demystifies the science of storytelling for impact.
Rachel is a former UK national athlete, a PhD turned Storyteling Coach and host of the S Word podcast. A natural-born storyteller, she can often be found crafting and telling stories across social media and podcasts. She specialises in helping other entrepreneurs easily attract their dream customers through storytelling in all aspects of their business.
*Quotes from Episode*
"I got to the point where I was like, I can't do this. And I felt like swimming had betrayed me. I had like this big, messy breakup with it and I just didn't want to…
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Aug 3, 2021
Ep 47: Gamifying live entertainment and taking it to the next stage with Arthur Kerekes
Event gamification is a hot topic. But how do you adapt and gamify live entertainment for the online or hybrid environment for events? Simply with some tech adaptation and out-of-the-box thinking. The process may require some investment initially but the payoff is an event that will have attendees talking about it long after it's over.
Arthur Kerekes is the founder of Fusion Events, an award-winning entertainment and event planning company. In 2017 he founded the worlds first audience curated concert experience where the audience curates the live show in real time called uRequest Live. Named by BizBash as one of the 250 Most Influential Event Professionals in Canada (2020), Arthur was also named Event Professional Of the Year at the Canadian Event Industry Awards (2015 and 2017).
*Quotes From Episode
*"What entertainers need to get into is finding ways to gamify what they do... I'm talking about actually gamifying the content, gamifying the program and taking this choose-your-own-ad…
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Jul 20, 2021
Ep 46: How to know if you're wired to be a six percent entrepreneur with Robin Copernicus
Every industry is shaped by the quality of its entrepreneurs who disrupt the status quo, inspire admiration and challenge our world to be better. But how do you know if entrepreneurship is truly in your DNA, that you have a future being a visionary and trailblazer? In 2015, a global report found that 66 percent of adults saw entrepreneurship as a good career choice and more than half of the working age population felt they could start a business. But true entrepreneurs are rare.
Robin Copernicus is the founder of Vertical Liftoff, the first startup accelerator that helps founders skip investor funding. He's also the author of Minimum Viable Mockup and podcast host of The Six Percent Entrepreneur. Robin's current mission is to help startup founders build an audience and get their first paying customers without relying on pitch decks, business plans, or giving up equity to venture capitalists.
*Quotes From Episode
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"The thing about failure is when most founders fail, they will actuall…
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Jul 13, 2021
Ep 45: How healthy buildings can improve happiness and reverse chronic disease with Ken Fong
You've probably heard of sick building syndrome. But what if we could make our buildings healthier, improving staff happiness with an impact-to-bottomline outcome and even reverse incidence of chronic illness? It sounds a little too good to be true until we look at the science a little closer. And it's even more important now in the era of COVID-19.
Ken Fong is an award-winning acoustics specialist and a health and wellness coach based in Australia. Passionate about amplifying the impact of people and organisations through public health, he leads the Healthy Buildings & Communities work at Arup Melbourne and is currently leveraging the Healthy Buildings Frameworks for the property sector. Ken is also part of a COVID-19 task force for The International WELL Building Institute.
*Quotes From Episode*
“For a long time, we haven’t paid much attention to how our environment affects our personal health. When the sick building syndrome came to public consciousness, we realised the space…
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Jul 6, 2021
Ep 44: The truth about becoming a YouTube food sensation and publishing How to Cook That with Ann Reardon
With more than four million subscribers on YouTube, Ann Reardon has learned a thing or two about how the internet's second biggest search engine works. She's also done a ton of food research and experiments which help us understand the way food works, how non-food elements affect our perception of food and looked at Covid's possible impact on our taste buds.
Ann is a certified food scientist, dietician and seasoned online content creator who’s on a mission to inform the public about falsehoods in the food industry. She's also the creator of the YouTube channel How To Cook That with over half a billion views. During the pandemic, she finally started on a long-awaited request by her fans…a cookbook. How To Cook That: Crazy Sweet Creations, has already shot to the top of Amazon's list.
*Quotes From Episode
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"There's actually been properly documented scientific studies where they look at changing different elements of the same meal and how that affects people's perception of it... I…
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Jun 29, 2021
Ep 43 Moments That Matter and 1001 EventProfs: A storytelling campaign for a cause with Shawn Cheng and Anh Nguyen
The events industry has never seen a film like this one. Moments That Matter will be a documentary that aims, for the first time, to tell the story of events tourism from the perspective of the lives that have been impacted at events, for a public that barely even knows about the industry's existence.
Shawn Cheng is a Client Solutions Manager at MCI Group and co-founder of #EventsProfBreakShit. He is also a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and Certified Digital Event Strategist (DES) and was named among the “Planners of the Year” by Smart Meetings Magazine in 2019.
Anh Nguyen has 15 years' experience in event design, production, and management. Founder of Spark Event Management and Head of Community Engagement at Twine, she heads a network of independent planners collaborating to deliver event experiences. She was named a Meetings Today 2020 Trendsetter for successfully leading 50 event professionals to coordinate the Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) Goes Virtual initiativ…
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Jun 22, 2021
Ep 42 How small destinations can attract incentive groups by thinking out of the box with Alexandria Tomayko
Small tourist destinations can often feel disadvantaged. They have less tourism assets to draw incentive groups which are prized business visitors. But there are ways of attracting incentive groups by using out-of-the-box thinking.
Alexandria Tomayko is a self-described nomadic foodie and sustainability queen, currently based in Bali. Founder and Experience Coordinator of Nomadic Planning, she's been professionally event planning for 15 years including multiple incentive projects. She is also starting an app called Little Black Book Series which will match event planners with more sustainable venues.
*Quotes from Episode
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“Every space has a very unique thing, whether it’s the story about how it was made or how the land was bought or something like that. So really highlighting this to make it unique because that’s a story and people love a story.”
“How do you want them to feel? As event planners we are basically experts in manipulation. From the lighting in the room to the…
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Jun 15, 2021
Ep 41 Replay: Learning from lightbulb moments and being ready for opportunities with Darryl Lovegrove
The way you look at the world can have a profound impact on what you receive from life. Most entertainment acts for corporate events fail to achieve the global success that's been The Three Waiters. What began as an "accidental idea" inspired by The Three Tenors has now been performed about 14,000 times in 90 countries and it's still going strong. What is its secret to success?
Darryl Lovegrove is the show's co-founder whose combination of performance skills and entrepreneurial thinking has made him a popular speaker at conferences. His new book Why Haven't I Heard Of You? provides principles to show you how to keep innovating and learning from popular culture to stand out in today's noisy world.
Darryl is gifting his music for free to buyers of his book.
*Quotes From Episode*
"I get that not everybody has a bulb moment. Or maybe they do but they don't realise that the way they're thinking about life (means) they've got negative firewalls up so they don't actually see the bulb mome…
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Jun 8, 2021
Ep 40: Should you work with a competitor? Part 2 with Mark Goldman
Work with a competitor? It's an idea most CEOs and entrepreneurs shun. In reality, rivals can make good partners in business and this setup can potentially help drive more customers and sales for both parties. But how do we begin and ensure that this collaboration will be efficient and not cause unresolvable conflicts in the long run?
Mark Goldman has been an actor, author, storytelling expert, magician, mediator and psychodrama therapist. He's also been a meeting planner, dance instructor and a New York chef. This variety of roles has seen him work with many teams and different types of people. It's come very useful in his work as a mediator, resolving disputes and helping people avoid conflicts in the first place.
*Quotes From Episode
*“Your focus is always the competitor, the other guy, the other company. And I think in order to work with a competitor, you have to shift your focus to the customer and what the customer’s needs are.”
“How do you know if they’re not going…
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Jun 2, 2021
Ep 39 How to resolve conflicts in unconventional ways. Part 1 with Mark Goldman
We don't like it when it happens. But conflict is often unavoidable wherever there are groups of people who need to live or work together over some time. However some conflicts are more difficult to resolve than others, in which case, an experienced mediator can help. Seemingly deep disputes can be healed through unconventional methods like psychodrama and the understanding of space as it relates to connected feelings. Sounds woo hoo? Not when conventional methods have failed.
Mark Goldman has been an actor, author, storytelling expert, magician, mediator and psychodrama therapist. He's also been a meeting planner, dance instructor and a New York chef. This variety of roles has seen him work with many teams and different types of people. It's come very useful in his work as a mediator, resolving disputes and helping people avoid conflicts in the first place.
*Quotes From Episode*
"Let's say you have a cubicle at work versus an office and that's the place where you have this conflict…
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May 25, 2021
Ep 38 Why thinking like a girl can be a good thing with Dr Tracy Packiam Alloway
Women form a huge core of the tourism and events workforce. Yet many women still try to be more like men to prove themselves in the workplace. Is it time to challenge long-held beliefs that tend to diminish the way women's brains work?
Dr Tracy Packiam Alloway is an award-winning psychologist, professor and TEDx speaker who has dedicated her career to researching female brain science. On the speaker circuit, she works with Fortune 500 companies and women’s organizations like the National Association of Women Business Owners. Her research has been published in Forbes, Bloomberg and the New York Times and is a regular blogger for Psychology Today and The Huffington Post.
Her latest book is Think Like a Girl.
*Quotes From Episode*
"Interestingly, a lot of the women leaders that I had a chance to speak with... often have the misperception that they have to be this very transactional, masculine, even aggressive type of leader to be perceived as a good leader."
"A simple tip that I ta…
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May 18, 2021
Ep 37 How event planners are using Clubhouse and the future of NFTs in events with Rod Vowell
Clubhouse has announced it will be available to Android users worldwide starting this week, after being iPhone-exclusive for more than a year. How can business tourism and event planners get the most out of it?
Rod Vowell is the Director of Operations at Huddle Agency and founder of the Clubhouse rooms Events Australia and Sustainable Events. He is passionate about creativity, technology and sustainability as the core values of his company. He has spent countless hours in Clubhouse and organised a number of client events on the platform.
*Quotes From Episode*
"I had the fear of missing out when I first started on it. In my first week, I was on it from dawn to dusk...but I found my niche with sustainability, with virtual events, with tech on there."
"On the incentives side, I think you've got a really big opportunity here....If you're in New Zealand, be the first person on Clubhouse to bungee whilst on Clubhouse...there's nothing stopping you from doing it."
-Rod Vowell
*Don't mis…
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May 11, 2021
Ep 36 How AI can make you a content marketing machine with Suzette Bailey
It sounds too good to be true that AI (Artificial Intelligence) can write your content marketing for you. This can be a godsend for small business owners and solopreneurs who are fully aware that visibility is a key part of what builds the know, like and trust factor... but often struggle making the time to create that content.
Suzette Bailey is the CEO and Co-Founder of SimpleMarketing.AI and CEO of Sensory7. Although a bioscience graduate who built a successful multi-million dollar Australian IT company, she found herself struggling when she tried to start a small business. That's when she found her opportunity to fill a market gap helping startups to create content using AI.
*Quotes From Episode*
"The first reaction (I often get about AI is) that fear factor. But I cut through that by actually getting them to understand and aligning it with the way they work... And then once they start to think of it from that perspective, it doesn't seem so scary anymore."
"AI is the future. We…
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May 4, 2021
Ep 35 Events on a mission: taking Korean beauty secrets to the world with Fama Ndiaye
What if the whole purpose of your events is to educate people in another country but the borders are still closed or conditions on the ground are still untenable? For Fama Ndiaye, the mission remains and the only way forward is to learn to live with Covid.
Fama is the co-founder of Kbeautycon and CEO of Kworld Media. She had plans to launch events around the planet, educating people about Korean beauty secrets, a world she felt was often poorly understood. She reveals her passion for other cultures to appreciate and benefit from the Korean philosophy and study of skincare.
*Quotes From Episode*
"A lot of people thought that Korean beauty is not for women of colour, period. (That) it's just for white women or Asian women. And I wanted to break that stereotype because it really is all about your skin type."
"A lot of people still don't understand why Kbeauty is so special. In the US there is a big emphasis on makeup (styles). In France, they like natural-looking makeup. The South Kor…
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Apr 27, 2021
Ep 34 How you can make events sustainability better by not ticking all the boxes with Alexandria Tomayko
Covid has meant a mixed bag when it comes to sustainability in our events. On the one hand, we're printing less promotional stuff but on the other, we're using more disposable cups and masks. Where is the way forward?
Alexandria Tomayko is a self-described nomadic foodie and sustainability queen, currently based in Bali. Founder and Experience Coordinator of Nomadic Planning, she's been professionally event planning for 15 years and is starting an app called Little Black Book Series which will match event planners with more sustainable venues.
Quotes From Episode
"(Ask) what is important to you on a sustainability level because there's four different prongs. Choose one that's really important and stick to that one because it's actually not sustainable to try to be a hundred percent sustainable. You're just going to drive yourself mad. So it's better for you to find the things that really resonate with you at your core and say, okay, this is going to be implemented throughout."
"Don…
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Apr 20, 2021
Ep 33 How to present like your career depends on it with Sam Cawthorn
More than 70% of people fear public speaking more than death, according to the US National Institute of Mental Health. But what is also true is that public speaking or presenting can boost your reputation and open new opportunities for your life and career.
Sam Cawthorn has mastered this art and trained thousands as an international speaker on leadership and public speaking. He is the CEO and founder of Speakers Institute and Speakers Tribe. He is also both a Young Australian Of The Year and Edupreneur of the Year. His new book is People Follow People: The Twelve Characteristics of an Influential Leader.
This is the final of a two-part interview on leadership with Sam.
*Quotes From Episode*
"Nervousness and excitement is exactly the same biological feeling. The only difference is your breathing. So if you breathe shallow, you're nervous. If you breathe deep, then you're excited. So the bottom line is, change your breathing."
"But my wife, she looks at me and she says, 'Sam, I'm no…
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Apr 13, 2021
Ep 32 How to work with Gen Z as lockdowns end with Sam Cawthorn
As lockdowns ease, a new crop of Generation Zers is joining the workforce without office skills. Yet research* shows 76% of this group expect to receive a promotion within their first year of employment.
Sam Cawthorn is an international speaker on leadership and public speaking. He is the CEO and founder of Speakers Institute and Speakers Tribe. He is also both a Young Australian Of The Year and Edupreneur of the Year. His new book is People Follow People: The Twelve Characteristics of an Influential Leader.
This is part one of a two-part interview on leadership with Sam.
*Quotes From Episode*
"These are people that have grown up with a device in their hand and the way they can innovate into the workforce is going to be pivotal. I believe in the next three to five years, every single part of our personal and professional lives will have AI incorporated in some way, shape or form. So the more that we actually employ these younger generations, they can help, push the company towards…
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Apr 6, 2021
Ep31 How your pretty website could be losing you clients with Doreen Brown
Websites are often neglected for new content and this could be costing you visitors and clients. Don't make the mistake of putting all your energy into social media and ignoring your online storefront. There are free tools to help you get more visibility in front of your target audience.
Doreen Brown is the owner of Let's Get Visible, specialising in website optimisation and SEO or Search Engine Optimisation. She is passionate about educating small business owners and nonprofits -who usually don't have the budget for big agencies -about getting the best results from their websites.
*Quotes From Episode
*"Search engine optimization has evolved. It's not about the number of keywords that you have ranking on page one, position one. It's (about) how valuable your information and your content is and matching that with user intent."
"What happens is organizations and businesses will be fixated on this particular keyword that they want to rank number one for. But there's other low hangin…
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Mar 30, 2021
Ep 30 Secrets animals can teach us about working with people with Tom Curtain
Animals can teach us a few things about how teams work and how to bring out the best in people. This is a fascinating area of study demonstrated through the Katherine Outback Experience, a show developed from years in the Australian outback by entertainer Tom Curtain.
Tom specialises in breaking in horses and working dogs that others have found difficult to train. By studying their personalities, Tom works out the secret to getting the best out of each animal and applies the same principles to his team. The lessons make a unique show for corporate events that want a show involving horses, a singer-songwriter and ideas for better team building. Tom has won multiple awards in Australian tourism and for his country music.
*Quotes From Episode
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"I just think if bosses are aware of how (staff) are feeling, what they could have gone through and even just being an ear or even if colleagues could read other people (and) be a bit more in tune with their body language, the team environment c…
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Mar 23, 2021
Ep 29 Lessons from my events CEO life while raising a young family with Nicole Santer
Running your own company while managing a young family can teach habits that will serve you well into the future. Structure, discipline, flexibility and kindness to self all play a harmonious role for a successful life that might seem otherwise impossible.
Nicole Santer is the founder of event agency Extraordinary Events and the creator of EventBuzz360, a digital platform connecting buyers and suppliers, with another platform being hatched. She has organised large-scale events such as LinkedIn, Harvey Norman and Amazon. Nicole shares tips for young entrepreneurs, her observations of changing trends in the industry, and how she's successfully juggled the roles of CEO and being a mum to two young kids.
*Quotes From Episode
*
"Sometimes you have to take that kind of leap of faith in yourself and go, you know, I think I'm going to be good at this... I think that's the thing for entrepreneurs and especially female entrepreneurs. They never believe that they can do it."
"iIf you go back 2…
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Mar 16, 2021
Ep 28 Rebooting events tourism in Adelaide amid "through the roof" competition with Damien Kitto
Events are returning but the landscape has changed tremendously with increased competition for the same pie. But while the domestic market has become more crowded as larger destinations shift their focus, competition could be at an all-time high once international borders re-open in more locations.
Damien Kitto is the Adelaide Convention Bureau's CEO, leading the charge for the recovery of business events tourism for South Australia. He is cautiously optimistic about the industry's future but believes Adelaide's size will help it secure more business events ahead of its bigger competitors.
*Quotes From Episode*
"Being a small city that's open, clean, green and free to move around is going to be really important... we'll see that the rise of global boutique cities like Adelaide are really going to progress and grow and secure a lot more business events in the future."
"Without a doubt (competition) will be harder. Destinations were already cashed-up, there's incredible infrastructur…
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Mar 9, 2021
Ep 27 Behind the travel trade (MICE) public relations smokescreen with Martin Donovan
Can you actually trust the reviews you see on hotels, venues and destinations? There's a whole web of players that involve writers, public relations, product suppliers, advertisers, media salespeople and social media influencers that may have a role in trying to influence your purchase decisions for business and travel.
Martin Donovan is the publisher and editorial director of Mix Meetings magazine based in Hong Kong, which covers travel trade activities known in the industry as MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions). He gives us an insight into what goes on behind the scenes and draws from trends in China that serve as a barometer for the rest of the world.
*Quotes From Episode
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"What you're seeing in China now is that the netizens are seeing that (some) bloggers are essentially being paid and courted by the industry to say nice things about the industry. So when we come out on the other side of this, there is going to be a kind of sorting out"
"The syrupy press re…
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Mar 2, 2021
Ep26 Kellene Vaile: Don't get caught out. How prepared are you for life's unexpected twists?
You're prepared for anything and everything... until you aren't. Life can throw us some surprises but you don't have to be a victim of unexpected circumstances. It usually just takes some non-financial investment in yourself.
Kellene Vaile is a preparedness consultant and award-winning marketing strategist. A former editor-in-chief of Monetary Intelligence Magazine, she's made multiple appearances in the media including National Geographic and Fox News for her views on self-reliance both for individuals and corporate organisations. She has taught a course called "Rape Prevention for Couch Potatoes".
*Quotes From Episode*
"You've got to be humble enough and say, 'Wow, but it's a window, it's not a door'. (But) I'm just so glad I went through that measly little window because it ended up paying off in spades."
"People tell me I can't get better prepared for my business or I can't get better prepared in my life because I don't have enough money. Well, financial preparedness in terms o…
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Feb 23, 2021
Ep25 Darryl Lovegrove: How Three Waiters took the world's corporate entertainment scene by storm
Most entertainment acts for corporate events fail to achieve the global success that's been The Three Waiters. What began as an "accidental idea" inspired by The Three Tenors has now been performed about 14,000 times in 90 countries and it's still going strong. What is its secret to success?
Darryl Lovegrove is the show's co-founder whose combination of performance skills and entrepreneurial thinking has made him a popular speaker at conferences. His new book Why Haven't I Heard Of You? provides principles to show you how to keep innovating and learning from popular culture to stand out in today's noisy world.
Darryl is gifting his music for free to buyers of his book.
*Quotes From Episode*
"I get that not everybody has a bulb moment. Or maybe they do but they don't realise that the way they're thinking about life (means) they've got negative firewalls up so they don't actually see the bulb moments."
"Be as curious as you possibly can. A lot of people are telling you to stop watch…
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Feb 16, 2021
Ep24 Gabrielle Dolan: Magnetic storytelling in business without the tears
Storytelling in business has become a trendy idea. It could after all, make the difference between whether someone stays engaged with you or tunes out. Or whether they buy from you or pass you off as uninteresting. But navigating storytelling in business may not be as straightforward as you believe.
Gabrielle Dolan is an international speaker on the subject whose clients have included VISA, Amazon and even a US president's foundation. She was awarded the 2020 Communicator of the Year by the International Association of Business Communicators Asia Pacific region. Her new book Magnetic Stories shows you how to use brand storytelling to stand out from the crowd.
Scroll to the bottom for details of a limited-time promotion for her book.
*Quotes From Episode*
"One of the big reasons we are reluctant to share stories in a business sense is this whole fear of judgment. A lot of people say, 'No one would be interested in my stories because they're normal and pretty boring.' But that's why…
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Feb 9, 2021
Ep23 Peter King: Hacking an exhibition centre and other un-Conventional ideas
How do you lead a company of more than 900 employees through a pandemic? By taking a back seat... sort of. When Australia's largest convention facility, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, was asked to prepare to be a Covid hospital and morgue, it was presented with the darkest vision anyone could imagine for its space.
But almost a year later, the MCEC is thriving with ideas that have come from the ground up, thanks to the leadership of its CEO Peter King. Guiding the center through an unprecedented hackathon to re-imagine its 70,000 square meter space, MCEC is bringing Hollywood movies and digital art galleries into its previously conference-focused spaces.
*Quotes From Episode*
"We did a huge amount of work in a short space of time to potentially become a 600 bed ICU hospital. Virtually within 24 hours of making that decision, the numbers just flattened a little bit ... and luckily (the government) decided to not go ahead with that and we haven't needed it. But the th…
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Feb 2, 2021
Ep22 Chris Zeiher: The Lonely Planet pivots into its new future... again
The much-loved Lonely Planet brand once represented a trusty book to help us navigate our holiday destination. As the internet took over, the company has been challenged to defy a slow death, forcing it to pivot multiple times with new owners and is now taking on its biggest battle of all, with much of travel grinding to a halt.
Chris Zeiher is the Lonely Planet's Asia-Pacific spokesperson who has worked with the company for 15 years. He has been with the organisation since its first pivot when Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler sold most of the business to the BBC.
*Quotes From Episode*
"The interesting thing for us is that the general public have put much more of an emphasis or belief back in printed products."
"It's those kind of ventures that we want to surface and showcase to people and say, there are these crazy, creative, excellent individuals out there giving a really fresh take on the way that they delivered their product. And it makes a real reason to visit."
-Chris Zeih…
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Jan 26, 2021
Ep21 Svetlana Jovanovic: Norfolk Island's quirky appeal for events & tourism
An island business holiday sounds more appealing than ever with low Covid cases and boutique meeting spaces. Even better when the island has a history of convicts, ocean views for every accommodation and quirky residents.
Svetlana Jovanovic is the general manager of The Unique Tourism Collection in Sydney, which has represented Norfolk Island for ten years. She has accumulated a treasure trove of stories discovered over many visits to the island and is convinced this is one of the most underrated opportunities for events and tourism.
*Quotes From Episode*
"Back in those days when you were really bad criminal coming out of England you went to Sydney first but if you were convicted of rape or murder or something like that you were sent to Norfolk Island,"
"They don't call it fishing on the island, they call it catching because the waters are so abundant that if a fisherman goes out and doesn't catch a fish within five minutes, he or she will declare that there are no fish. That that'…
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Jan 19, 2021
Ep20 David Beirman: How Covid will change travel in 2021 and why it's different from any other pandemic
The reason why Covid's impact on tourism is different from any other pandemic is a man-made one. In fact, it's a government one. All over the world, lockdown announcements and border restrictions at sometimes short notice has complicated the recovery of travel and events.
David Beirman has studied tourism risk, crisis and recovery for more than 40 years and has dissected the issues surrounding travel and Covid-19. A senior lecturer at University Technology Sydney, David has taken history's perspective to understand the impact of the pandemic and look for opportunities to pivot through case studies.
*Quotes From Episode*
"You can never assume that the crisis you're about to face is the same as the one that you just came through. So the rules are going to change (and) we need to be prepared as best as we possibly can."
"Because it's global and because resolving the problems from the crisis depends so heavily on government regulations, the recovery is going to be slower than if it was…
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Dec 29, 2020
Ep19 Jessie Heng: Pivoting with tech didn't work for us. Here's what we're doing instead.
Much of the applause this year has gone to travel trade players that used technology to re-purpose their services to keep their clients engaged. But technology hasn't been everyone's saviour.
Jessie Heng is the regional director of Singapore-based MICE Maestro who's connected a few dots and sees the mental wellness sector as a viable market for her travel trade company.
*Quotes From Episode*
"The Red Ocean is where the market is very saturated, where everybody is looking at the same pie for the longest time and trying to reinvent themselves within that Red Ocean. The Blue Ocean is the place where there isn't really a lot of competitors and it's certainly a new market."
"I've managed to move into a blue ocean that I found in the mental wellness industry. I think there's a lot of potential here where I can still continue my passion and build my goals within a new industry."
*Connect with Jessie Heng*
MICE Maestro: micemaestro.com
Healing Mind Haven: healingmindhaven.com
*Connect wit…
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Dec 22, 2020
Ep18 Yento Chen: How I survived 2020 and found my pivot for my incentive travel company
Sharing the highs and lows of running an incentive travel business in Jakarta this year, Yento Chen talks about his crisis point and the idea that saved his company from going under.
Yento Chen is the CEO of Destination Tour in Jakarta, a company he founded in 2015 specialising in events and incentive travel.
*Quotes From Episode*
"Emotionally this year has been really hard. I've never experienced this in my life. The months that were darkest for me was April to June".
"For the first time, I brought my family out of the house. We went to the zoo and I saw so much life in my kids. When I saw their faces I thought, we need to make friends with this pandemic".
*Connect with Yento Chen*
Instagram: @yentochen
Website: destinationtour.co.id
*Connect with Upon Arrival:*
Email: uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
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Dec 15, 2020
Ep17 Mariska Kesteloo: Influencer Marketing in business tourism and riding the roughest year
Mariska Kesteloo is on a mission to raise awareness about the mostly untapped potential of using influencer marketing in the business events tourism space.
She creates B2B influencer marketing campaigns for suppliers including hotels, and convention bureaus in the meetings & events industry.
But this pioneer was herself thrown a new curveball this year, as if Covid wasn't enough. Mariska talks about her heart-wrenching journey that's changed her and even improved her business.
*Quotes From Episode*
"There's a younger generation entering the workforce that has grown up with social media, it's a part of their lives and I think we must not underestimate that and the younger generation is now making decisions about major conferences."
"It's been a hell of a year, I never cried in my life as much as I have this year... But I wanted to share (my story) and I'm so thankful that I did because apparently many more people are suffering than I thought."
*Don't miss:*
6.08 - How a business to…
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Dec 8, 2020
Ep16 Scott Aaron Pt2: LinkedIn secrets for connecting with your target audience
Scott Aaron's business took off when he started using LinkedIn to find people who needed what he had to offer. After teaching his friends how to do the same, the business coach and LinkedIn master now teaches a repeatable method for generating successful leads. Some of his advice runs contrary to popular wisdom in the LinkedIn space!
This is Part 2 of my interview with Scott, where he does a deep dive into LinkedIn's do's and don'ts, and survives LinkedIn purgatory to tell the tale.
*Quotes From Episode*
"The longer people wait to get off Facebook and Instagram and get onto LinkedIn, they're going to miss the boat. Between 2019 and 2020, 8.7 million Millennials are now populated on the LinkedIn platform, which means almost 12% of the LinkedIn population is now of millennial age, which also tells you, they are also sick and tired of the song and dance of Facebook and Instagram."
"People ask me all the time Scott, do I need two different profiles. No you don't".
-Scott Aaron
*Don't…
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Dec 1, 2020
Ep15 Scott Aaron Pt1: Creating multiple streams of income
If you've lost your job recently you're probably wishing you had built more sources of income. But it's not too late to start and with the right advice, you'll build the right foundations for success.
Scott Aaron was forced to find ways to earn money to pay off massive debts. What he learned has helped hundreds find their own path to gaining financial security. Today, he is a business coach, speaker, award-winning online marketer and a LinkedIn guru.
In Part 1 of this interview, he shares his story of navigating through personal crisis and discovering income-making strategies along the way.
*Quotes From Episode*
"Everyone knows that multiple streams of income makes sense. But there are so many different ways to create money."
"Wallace goes on to say, instead of living in a world of competition and comparison, instead, live in a world of creation and collaboration. So it got me thinking, the way that you create is the same way that you collaborate. It comes back to connecting."
-S…
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Nov 24, 2020
Ep14 Randolph Koh & Mint Leong: Pungent durian fruit attracts incentive travellers
Can Malaysia's pungent, gassy durian be an incentive travel attraction? Durians are not for the faint-hearted tourist, its smell having been likened to gym socks with a hint of garlic. Yet visitors are timing their travels around the fruit's season and companies are paying big bucks for their top staff flying in to enjoy the fruit.
Note: This interview will appeal more to durian fans and listeners comfortable with the Malaysian accent.
Randolph Koh is a durian connoisseur who only buys durians by the truckload and only when it meets certain conditions.
Mint Leong is the founder of Sunflower Holidays in Kuala Lumpur, specialising in incentive trips and tailor-made tours.
*Quotes From Episode*
"It is very strange, no matter what the smell, especially if you put it in the fridge, no matter what kind of durian (it is) you eventually will think that it is some kind of gas leak because it is actually gas."
"Once they tasted our Malaysian durian, they were hooked on it. I had a Japanese…
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Nov 17, 2020
Ep13 Karen Yue: Lessons learned from Covid & the future of publishing
Hindsight can teach us a few things - Karen Yue has seen event businesses adapt their game and observed common traits in leaders who succeed. She also explains why she's optimistic about the future of travel trade publishing and has a few words of advice for writers starting to look for work.
Karen is the Group Editor of Singapore-based TTG Asia Media, heading a team of almost 20 editors, reporters and correspondents across Asia-Pacific. She also leads TTG Content Lab, a division that supports industry stakeholders in their content creation across multiple platforms.
Under her charge, TTGmice features won PATA Gold Awards’ Travel Journalism for Business Articles in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2020.
*Quotes From Episode*
"(With) leaders who have been able to pivot and to move ahead, the one common trait they all have is that they are not afraid of making changes. I think as individuals, when we worry too much, we overthink things and don't move."
"It's funny because every time I ta…
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Nov 10, 2020
Ep12 El Kwang: The inside-out approach to pivoting your business
What can cooking teach us about managing expectations of ourselves when the world around us is shifting? Apparently, quite a few things like gaining confidence in new skills we didn't think were important before. El Kwang shares life lessons from his cooking experiences as well as his inside-out approach to pivoting his business after being hard-hit by Covid.
El is the founder-CEO of consultancy firm Untangled and owns two brand experiences -Biz Events Asia and U Agency. He's also a board director on the global network of incentive travel professionals SITE.
*Quotes From Episode*
"I think COVID has broken the spell of our crave for external approval because it really broke the transactional relationship. And it also allows us to focus on who we choose to listen to nowadays when it comes to constructive criticism."
"Don't assume that you always have to lead. I think that if you have a diverse team of people with different life experiences, not just in age or race, but diverse in life…
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Nov 3, 2020
Ep11 Karen Bolinger: What crisis has taught me as a CEO
Crisis or tragedy can strike while you're at the top of your game. While Covid 19 has been a shock to many, some have weathered the storm more easily because they've become more resilient. But is resilience something you can build?
Karen Bolinger experienced tragic losses during her most successful years as CEO of the Melbourne Convention Bureau. Under her leadership, the MCB achieved its most successful years on record, including Victoria's highest ever economic contribution of A$500 million in one financial year. But these were also some of her darkest personal days.
Karen talks about how she got through the pain, as well as the strategies she and her team employed to put Melbourne on the map for business events tourism and exponentially grow its revenue.
*Quotes From Episode*
"I'm at the top of my game. Is this career suicide, pardon my pun, or should I continue on and just, you know, get over it?"
"I think with 'CEO' when you get into that job title, sometimes you live for the…
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Oct 27, 2020
Ep10 Janet DeNeefe: The Ubud Writers Festival re-writes itself
It's deja vu for the *Ubud Writers Festival* which was born to rebuild the tourism economy after a crisis. Instead of cancelling, this year's festival called *KEMBALI 2020: A Rebuild Bali Festival* offers the event's broadest and most diverse lineup of some of the world's most celebrated writers, artists and cooks.
Janet DeNeefe is the founder and director of multiple hospitality ventures in Bali, a massive foodie and book lover. She started the Ubud Writers Festival in response to the 2002 Bali bombings and later the Ubud Food Festival in 2015.
*Quotes From Episode
*"I was telling staff since March that we have to go online and because I was in Italy in February, so I can see the full effect of this tidal wave coming towards me like... I just thought holy mackerel, this is bigger than I imagined. So I came back from Europe and said to the team, we have to go online (and) I think they were just in a state of shock ... But it's very exciting too because it's all, new technology."
"An…
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Oct 20, 2020
Ep9 Morris Miselowski: Innovating our way through the pandemic
"You should never let a good crisis go to waste," is a saying that's being quoted often in the pandemic. Covid 19 has forced us to embrace innovation and technology at speeds we weren't prepared to do before, making us more nimble for the changes to come.
Morris Miselowski, business futurist, founder and lead strategist at Eye on the Future, talks about how inventions that were previously discarded have now been retrieved from the bin and used to create experiences.
*Quotes From Episode*
"I remember really uncomfortable experiences in America and other places where the culture is, if you don't like the speaker you just literally get up and walk out. I'm saying that because online has the same issues as offline, or on stage, or in physical spaces. We are part of the attention economy. What we're doing is competing for people's attention."
"This year, we have honestly gone into a black hole and we will come out five to 10 years ahead. We don't need to convince an audience anymore that…
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Oct 12, 2020
Ep8 Hannah Pearson: Region updates and how travellers will become even more last-minute
It's been a whirlwind few months since Covid hit early this year. Six months on, the Asia-Pacific region seems to be operating in a two-speed recovery mode as countries deal with the pandemic, presenting challenges to travel re-starting in many destinations.
Hannah Pearson, director of Southeast Asian travel consultancy Pear Anderson, shares her observations of developments in the region and how Covid has hit event and travel planners.
*Quotes From Episode*
"It's been a complete shift. You know I've been someone who used to be out... on sales calls every day, meeting people and so from going (from) that to just being at home, trying to arrange video conference calls, it was a real shock."
"I think we're going to see more mono destinations as well with people feeling safer in a way, to just limit their exposure to lots of destinations by staying in one, whereas before in the Southeast Asian market they tend to like to visit multiple destinations within one trip.
"And I think people…
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Oct 6, 2020
Ep7 Georgie Stayches: Your messaging needs to match where your audience is emotionally
There's more to communication than you might think. We live in a world where content needs to be created in a hurry. But are we hitting the wrong notes when we do, especially during the pandemic?
Taking us through some points for consideration is Georgie Stayches, Founder and Chief Engagement Officer at Fetching Events & Communications. She's a respected expert on visibility, messaging and creating events with purpose.
*Quotes From Episode *
"I'm conscious at the moment that people are exhausted... I guess the key thing would be, don't project what you're personally going through, through your communications."
"I knew from my experience that behaviours would change. I looked at previous epidemics... then looked at what the research was around how people felt about coming back to events."
-Georgie Stayches
*Don’t Miss:*
2:41 - How Georgie ended up doing events as a profession.
5:39 - The low and high points in her career in building her company.
12:02 - How the pandemic change…
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Sep 29, 2020
Ep6 Karen Bolinger: Hybrid models still need to start with the customer in mind
Karen Bolinger is the Asia Pacific Managing Director at PCMA, the Professional Convention Management Association. She put Melbourne on the map for business tourism, delivering the city's most successful years on record.
Karen connects most actively on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Contact Upon Arrival at uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
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Sep 29, 2020
Ep5 Karen Yue: Your team is your first priority
Karen Yue is the chief editor at TTG Asia Media. Business tourism title TTGmice won several PATA Gold Awards for business articles under her charge.
Karen shares frequent industry updates on LinkedIn. TTG's titles include TTG Asia and TTGmice www.ttgasia.com, www.ttgmice.com
Contact Upon Arrival at uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
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Sep 29, 2020
Ep4 El Kwang: Always be prepared for change
El Kwang is the founder and CEO of the consultancy firm Untangled, and owns two brand experiences -Biz Events Asia and U Agency. He's also a board director on the global network of incentive travel professionals SITE.
El's website is bizeventsasia.com or email him at el@untangledgroup.com
Contact Upon Arrival at uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
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Sep 29, 2020
Ep3 Hannah Pearson: More important than ever to stay informed
Hannah Pearson is the founder of Pear Anderson consultancy in Kuala Lumpur and co-host of the South East Asia Travel Show podcast.
She produces a weekly report on COVID-19's impact on Southeast Asia's tourism industry.
Her website is http://www.pearanderson.com/
Contact Upon Arrival: uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
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Sep 29, 2020
Ep2 Morris Miselowski: We get tripped up if we focus on the how
Morris Miselowski is a business futurist to the travel industry and Australia’s first and only futurist in the Einstein 100 Genius (G100) alumni, an honour he shares with Barbara Streisand. He's also an Adjunct Industry Fellow at Griffith University.
Find all things Morris at www.morrisfuturist.com
Contact Upon Arrival: uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
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Sep 29, 2020
Ep1 Georgie Stayches: Don't move on without grieving lost business first
Georgie Stayches is the Founder and Chief Engagement Officer at Fetching Events & Communications. She's a respected expert on visibility, messaging and creating events with purpose.
Georgie's website is www.fetchingevents.com.au where you can find blogs, insight interviews and webinars.
Contact Upon Arrival: uponarrivalpodcast@gmail.com
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Sep 17, 2020
Welcome to Upon Arrival
Upon Arrival is a podcast about creating unforgettable travel and event experiences for corporate clients. It’s also about finding where the success stories are during Covid times, sharing notes, learning new ways of doing things and even discovering new destinations and experiences that might not otherwise have been considered.
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