If you long to be able to catch up with travel industry friends and colleagues again for a networking lunch, a chat and a glass of wine, here’s some inspiring photos from Queensland that prove it’s possible.
Lockdowns may come, it’s true – but they also go away again, and these photos serve to remind you of that.
When the residents of southeast Queensland entered lockdown on Saturday 31 July, they did so without knowing how long it would last, nor when social gatherings with friends and workmates would be able to resume.
Among them were 39 Queensland-based travel industry representatives, who were delighted to have been able to enjoy a social lunch just three days prior to the lockdown taking effect.
The lunch was organised by TravelManagers’ Business Partnership Managers (BPMs) for Queensland, Noree Kahika and Karen Dowling, with personal travel managers (PTMs) and partner suppliers enjoying an afternoon in Brisbane’s long-standing Pineapple Hotel at Kangaroo Point.
“Throughout Covid all of our BPMs have worked hard to stay connected with their PTMS and suppliers,” explains TravelManagers Executive General Manager, Michael Gazal. “It was a relaxing, social lunch that was designed to be a fun way for our PTMs and suppliers to stay connected after a very long and disruptive eighteen months.”
(L-R) PTMs Emma Ross, Rose Febo, James Hermiston, Adela Backhouse, Angie Kemp Globus and Kerry Cleasby were among the 39 Queensland-based travel industry reps to attend a casual catch-up lunch organised by TravelManagers.
Among the attendees were two Gold Coast-based PTMs, both of whom Gazal says have recently relocated to Queensland from Sydney.
Diane Craig is TravelManagers’ representative in Broadbeach, QLD, and says making the trip up to Brisbane was a great way to catch up with fellow PTMs and local industry representatives.
Showing off their flamboyant mask designs are (front row L-R) TravelManagers’ Karen Dowling with Miriam Musgrave (PNGTourism) and Fiona Borserini (WA Tourism), and (back row L-R) Carmelina Vitale (Finns Bali) and Janis McDonald (Outback QLD).
“In these trying times, it’s all about maintaining connections and staying positive,” Craig notes.
“It was a lovely afternoon in a great venue: I’m looking forward to many more such events in the (hopefully) not-too-distant future!”
The lunch was also attended by Dylan Hearne of Backroads Touring, who describes the afternoon as “casual, cheap and cheerful.”
Gold Coast-based Janice Lee (left) and Diane Craig (right), pictured with Graham Werner (Graham Werner Photography) were happy catch up with their fellow Queenslanders over lunch at Brisbane’s Cricketers Arms.
“Big thanks to the TravelManagers BPM team of Karen and Noree for getting their PTMs and the QLD travel sales community together for a good, old-fashioned catch-up, with no agenda apart from the important task of keeping our travel community alive and connected.”
Karen Newbury, State Manager for APT agrees.
“Thank you so much for organising. It was so good to catch up with everyone – I haven’t felt that good in a long time.”
Among partner suppliers attending the TravelManagers lunch was Zoe Gentle of Club Med (left), pictured with TravelManagers’ BPM Noree Kahika.
According to Gazal, the lunch was the latest in a series of get-togethers and state meetings held across the first half of 2022, which have brought together senior executives from the National Partnership Office (NPO) team, PTMs and BPMs in Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney as well as Brisbane.
TravelManagers’ Queensland BPMs Karen Dowling (left) and Noree Kahika were delighted that their event took place prior to the announcement of southeast Queensland’s lockdown three days later.
“We believe connections are key to ensuring the ongoing wellbeing of everyone’s mental health – our PTMS and suppliers have definitely missed the face-to-face connections we had pre-Covid.”
Edited by Peter Needham
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