Monash Marketing Business Breakfast

Description

Tourist Destinations: Attracting markets, delivering experiences, growing business opportunities

Tourism contributes an estimated $24.8 billion to the Australian economy and more than 214,500 jobs for Victorians, making it a major driver of business. Underpinning this are some emerging trends, in personal health and wellbeing, adventure, adrenalin and solo travelling, which are creating exciting business opportunities.

Virgin Holidays have introduced new pricing for single parents and Intrepid Travel is launching a ‘solo-only’ tour range. People can seek out yoga, meditation and spiritual healing in retreats from Bali to the Eastern Caribbean Sea, hike in Tanzania, white-water raft in New Zealand and rock climb in Spain!

Join the Monash Marketing Business Breakfast to hear from our guest speakers – a CEO of a peak tourism organisation, tourism operator and a mayor from a tourist destination – as they share their tourism challenges and wins.

Strong growth in tourism requires bold management and the calibre of speakers will guarantee you will walk away with ideas to boost your business, be it big or small, established or emerging, local or global.

Guest speakers

Felicia Mariani, Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Industry Tourism Council

Felicia Mariani, Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Industry Tourism Council, will share on visitations and the impact of domestic and international competition, how to support emerging destinations and the challenges of managing a tourist footprint on sought after tourist destinations, such as Phillip Island and the Great Ocean Road.

Felicia has had a long and accomplished career in the tourism, entertainment and events sectors across Australia, commencing her career here in the early 90’s with Tourism Victoria as part of the team that launched the highly successful and internationally lauded ‘You’ll Love Every Piece of Victoria’ campaign. Following 7 years in Melbourne, Felicia headed north to Sydney, as Director of Strategic Communications in the lead up to the 2000 Olympics. She subsequently was appointed inaugural Executive GM of Tourism Sydney and then took up the role of Marketing Director for Tourism NSW.  Moving to Tasmania, for 5 years she held the role of CEO of Tourism Tasmania. Her time there saw a major reinvention of the destination, establishing a clear positioning for Tassie on the global stage. Her career has spanned both the public and private sectors, with subsequent roles as MD of the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC); a senior leadership role in Victoria’s Dept of Premier & Cabinet; and CEO of a national Not-for-Profit organisation. In January, Felicia took up the role as Chief Executive of the Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC). Felicia is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and sits on the board of RSPCA Tasmania as Vice President and Deputy Chair, along with being a Director on the Mornington Peninsula Regional Tourism Board.

Jody Grossfeldt, Head of Guest Experiences, AAT Kings & Inspiring Journey

Jody Grossfeldt is the Head of Guest Experience at AAT Kings, Australia and New Zealand’s leading guided holiday and day tour provider.

With over 21 years’ experience in the travel industry, Jody began her career with Australia’s Wonderland before joining APT where she managed the Sales and Marketing function for their Sydney Day Tours portfolio. Jody developed her expertise through a variety of roles, before accepting the role of Regional Touring Manager, overseeing the Melbourne and Day Tours Division. After 12 years at APT, Jody joined the AAT Kings team, where she guided the merger of the Day Tours businesses of APT and AAT Kings. From special projects to business development Jody has extensive experience in all facets of coach touring. Her current role as Head of Guest Experience encompasses all management of all domestic and international product development and operations across the AAT Kings business.

Amanda McClaren, Mayor, Strathbogie Council

Amanda McClaren, Mayor, Strathbogie Council, will speak about the challenges and rewards for tourist destinations, shedding light on Nagambie as Victoria’s tourist gateway to gourmet food, fine wine and water-sport.

Councillor Amanda McClaren was first elected in October 2016 and elected immediately into the role of Mayor. Amanda is now serving in the second term as Mayor, a role she finds is both a privilege and immensely rewarding. Amanda is an active community advocate for the region and stands as a current Board Director of Goulburn River Valley Tourism, former Deputy-Chair of Victorian Regional Community Leadership Programs and a former CEO of Goulburn Murray Community Leadership Program. In addition to her role in Local Government, Amanda is a small business owner with qualifications as a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, with a Bachelor of Applied Science with Honors from RMIT University, and brings experience from her former role as CEO of the Fairley Leadership Program aimed at ‘developing leaders to be catalysts for positive change in the Goulburn Murray Region.’ Communications, engagement and marketing encompass Amanda’s strengths that have driven personal success in business as well as efforts with Council advocating for regional development and growth. Amanda is a strong advocate for the vision of the Strathbogie Shire ‘together we are building a flourishing community’ and the shire continues to deliver innovative solutions. “I am passionate about community engagement, and capitalising on the opportunities that are available in the Strathbogie Shire.” Cr McClaren continues to utilise a wide range of skills and experience both on Council and in the broader community for the betterment of the Shire of Strathbogie.

Professor Harmen Oppewal, Head of Monash Business School’s Department of Marketing

Professor Harmen Oppewal, Head of Monash Business School’s Department of Marketing will look at investing in tourism research to employ marketing as a source of competitive advantage and offer a rich exchange of ideas for industry, staff and students.

Harmen Oppewal is Professor of Marketing and Head of the Department of Marketing at Monash University. He holds a PhD in urban planning from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands and has degrees in geography and psychology from the University of Groningen. He held previous academic positions at the University of Sydney, University of Surrey (UK) and Eindhoven. His research focuses on consumer behaviour in retail, tourism, transport and related contexts. He published in premier tourism journals including the Journal of Travel Research and Tourism Management and is a member of the JTR editorial board. His work also appeared in the most prestigious journals in marketing, retail and transport such as the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Retailing and Transportation Research. Over the years he conducted numerous marketing and planning oriented studies for companies and government bodies, often using experimental modelling methods. He received funding from the CRC for Sustainable Tourism to study tourist destination choices. His research interests focus on assortments, channel and destination choice, consumer decision making and experience, place attachment, preference formation, shopping behaviour, store atmosphere, and visualisation effects. He teaches consumer behaviour and research methods at postgraduate levels and is chair of the Monash Business Behavioural Lab committee. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy.

Brigette McGuire, Principal and Managing Director of McGuire Marketing

Brigette McGuire, Principal and Managing Director of McGuire Marketing, with 20 years’ experience in Brand Management and Marketing Strategy, will MC the Breakfast.

Brigette McGuire is a leading executive in marketing, media, governance and a commentator on business issues, behaviours and ethics in the sport and recreation sector. Over a 25 year career, Brigette's work in the sport and entertainment sectors has spanned leading organisations including the USTA, Tennis Australia, Golf Australia, the Australian Sports Commission and the Nine television network to name a few. As Director of Marketing for Tennis Australia and the Australian Open Grand Slam, Brigette was described as the most powerful woman in tennis having responsibility for the global brand. A member of the Monash University's Business School Advisory Board, the Sport Environment Alliance Board and former Chair of the Department of Marketing Advisory Board, Brigette is Monash University Alumni having graduated with a Master of Marketing Degree from the University's Caulfield campus. As a junior athlete, high performance coach and mother of national and international junior athletes, Brigette's understanding of sport and it's connection to the Australian public is second to none.

The future of tourism looks promising and we hope you’ll join us!