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"Why Attending Events is Important as a Travel Business Owner"

Roslyn Ranse: Hey there, travel agent achievers, it’s Ros here. And so good to talk to you today. I feel like this year has absolutely flown. And if you’re anything like me in my travel business, it’s been a roller coaster. I was reflecting on this recently, and I feel like I’ve been doing it all year as well, thinking about 2023, and how busy it was, and gearing up for the year ahead, and all of these amazing plans and goals, not only for our travel business, but also Travel Agent Achievers.

And then we’re now in October, like, where has this year gone? When I think about the podcast, I’m reflecting on what’s actually stopped me this year, and I have to say it’s time. It’s time, and also knowing what you want. As our listeners here, it’s one of those things that can be not necessarily a two-way street having a conversation with a podcast, but that is not going to stop me, because I’ve been getting a lot of emails and messages recently from a number of listeners saying, "Hey Ros, what’s happened to the podcast? Where have you been? What’s going on? When’s another episode coming out?" So today, my friend, is your lucky day, because I know that you are busy, but I also know that there are things that we love to listen to and we love to share, and for me, it’s about sharing what’s been going on. So I’m going to just share one thing today about attending events.

Because the last 12 months for me, I feel as though I have been travelling a lot. Now, if you talk to any of my family and friends, they will say, "Ros, how was your last holiday?" What people don’t get, and I know that you can relate to me on this one, is that when we travel as travel professionals, we are not necessarily travelling for a holiday. We are travelling for work. We’re travelling to meet up with people, to network, to see what’s new, to really get a sense of what we can deliver and extra value and opportunities for our clients. And so one thing that I’d love to be able to say is that I need a holiday, and I’m really looking forward to Christmas this year, because I will be having Christmas with my family and a bunch of friends in New York and the USA. Hopefully, we get a little bit of a white Christmas, but I doubt that. You never know.

And then we’re going to Mexico and having an intrepid family experience, which we did last year in India. And it was fantastic. It was such a great way to connect with locals, connect with the people, and also connect with family. So this year, something a little bit different on the other side of the world, but a great way for us to be able to all catch up.

Now, talking today about attending events and travelling the last 12 months, as I said, I feel like I’ve done so much. And when I think about attending events and experiences, and probably even why I’ve prioritised them over the last probably 18 months, I’d say now, it’s because of a number of different things. The reason why I was really prioritising events, experiences, and networking opportunities was A) for business, B) to travel, and C) to train. So really good education opportunities, and then to network.

So working from home, if you’re a home-based Travel Advisor like myself, it can often get lonely. And when I say lonely, I’m not crying in the corner or anything like that, but what I mean is to be able to meet with suppliers and connect with them and catch up and hear what’s going on and what’s new. I find it really important to do, but often we may get overlooked or it just doesn’t become a priority. And so if there’s anything that I’ve learned throughout the pandemic and then coming through that as well, it’s that we really need connection. We really need that opportunity to meet other people and catch up with them, one-on-one, or go to events.

Thinking about where I’ve been, really looking at the last 18 months... In August 2023, I attended my very first Virtuoso Travel Week. I recently did a podcast with Charlie Trevena from Destination Webinars, where I lifted the lid and gave you some insights into what it’s like at Virtuoso Travel Week. We’ll put a link to that in the show notes for you if you want to have a listen. It’s a really quick episode, and for any of my friends in the northern hemisphere, as an Australian, we do talk fast. But in that one, I’m talking really fast because there’s so much that I want to share.

So from Virtuoso Travel Week in 2023, it absolutely blew me away. It was like nothing that I had been to before, and the opportunities that really came from that, I think, have spurred me on this year. So 2023, coming off that in August, I then attended ILTM in Cannes. I felt like attending Cannes, which was the first time I’d done that as well... I’ve been to the Singapore one this year, and I’ve previously done that as well, but attending ILTM Cannes felt like a catch-up with friends. So it was a catch-up of friends in a new destination. We’re expanding on the community, but a number of the people that were there I’d only met a few months previously in Las Vegas.

The reason why I thought it was so good to be in Cannes was for that reintroduction and connection. It was the establishment of relationships that were made in Las Vegas at Virtuoso Travel Week, but then to reconnect with people in a different destination. I don’t know whether you’re like me, but a lot of my friends are in this industry, as well as suppliers and wholesalers, other advisors... It’s just something that I think we naturally gravitate towards, people who are like us. And so attending ILTM Cannes was really important to see something different.

On the other side of the world, it was very European-focused and gearing up for 2024, when I know a lot of Australians were heading to Europe. It was really important to make those one-on-one connections with hoteliers, which has paid off tremendously this year. So that’s really important from a business perspective.

This year, though, in 2024, I then attended ILTM Singapore, so that was in May. I went back to Virtuoso Travel Week in August, which was just incredible once again. And being able to take a couple of days there as well, just to stop for a moment, was exactly what I needed at that time. It had been tumultuous... I think the first six months of the year for me, but then looking at it now, coming into... So that was August, and then looking at things now, October, there are a lot of industry conferences and events that are coming up now, and it’s really about prioritising where to spend your time, and what are the opportunities? Who are the people that I need to see? What do I want for business moving forward?

So thinking about why I actually prioritised the events and experiences last year was definitely for the business and the training and the networking, and also the travel, because there were different places that I was able to see where I hadn’t necessarily done things or stopped, really... I feel as though the travel that I’ve done over the last few years has been for business, where I’m travelling with groups or I’m going to scout a hotel or a destination. So it’s not necessarily been to test something out for myself, which is why it’s so important to do it.

The other reasons why I’ve found it really important to prioritise this for my business is, as I’m saying, looking at business moving forward as well. So last year, 2023, I knew what I wanted out of 2024 for my business, I knew the groups that I was looking at. I was projecting what I wanted for 2025. I knew the Olympics was happening, Europe was still going to be hot, but what were the destinations that I could see on the horizon, that I could get ahead of the game, and I could see what my clients would potentially be booking, and how could I promote that? Who were the people that I needed to get in front of? What were the opportunities and the connections that I could build, real friendships and relationships, not just superficial, "Hey, hey, going, send an email," but for me, it is about that relationship.

And I know a lot of you already know this, and I talk about it inside the Achievers, I have a no dickhead policy. I feel as though we are in this time now that we can be selective with who we work with, whether it is a client or a supplier and wholesaler or a hotel or whoever it might be. Who is it in your life? Because life is so short, and I don’t want to spend my time with people that bring me down. I don’t want to spend time with people that suck the energy out of me. I want life, and I want happiness, and I want joy, and I want the opportunity to really make beautiful connections with people and see how we can come together to curate experiences for our clients. Because to be able to explore the planet is something that I am incredibly proud of, and I know is a huge privilege to be able to do.

But when I get that opportunity to speak to my clients when they return from a trip, I think that I am probably one of the only people that likes to sit down with them and see all their photos and share the joy and hear the stories. I mean, let’s be real. When you get home from a trip, who is it that wants to sit down and look at your photos? Who is it that wants to see all the great things that you’ve done?

I remember going to my grandparents as a child and watching their VHS videos of their Fair Star cruise, or where they’d been in Asia or something. And yes, for me, I loved that. But I remember as a child going, "Oh, we’ve got to sit here and watch another video. We’ve got to hear about all the stories." And I think that that’s how we are now as humans, that life is so fast. Talking about it’s October now, right? So life is so fast. We are moving at such a rapid pace that it’s like we’re on to the next thing before the last thing is even finished.

So to be able to have these relationships with our partners is incredibly important to me, because I want to be on the journey with them as much as they’re on the journey with me as well. It’s about that connection. It’s about the networks. I know that even when I’ve been at any of these events and attending business functions as well... From a supplier perspective, being at Virtuoso Travel Week or an ILTM or another supplier event, I can make those connections and build those relationships. But I am always thinking of my colleagues. I am always thinking of other people and remembering conversations that I’ve had with them, where they have recommended somebody to me, and now I can do the same to them. The same goes when I’m now at business functions.

One of the beautiful things about Travel Agent Achievers is the collaboration. I’ve always believed in collaboration over competition. I think that there is plenty of business out there for everyone and for every type of person. You know, somebody will relate directly to me, but they may not relate to somebody else, or they won’t relate to me. They have different expectations to what I can give, but there is another advisor that perfectly matches what they’re looking for.

And so when I’m looking at events from a business perspective as well, I know that I’ve been at... I mean, off the top of my head, I know there are three specifically where I’ve had potential clients come up to me and ask me to book travel for them, or to book a group for them, or to book an experience for them, and I’ve said to them straight out, "Look, this isn’t really my area of expertise, but I know someone that can definitely help you out." To be able to connect an advisor with a potential client also brings me joy, because I know that’s a relationship that can work, whereas it may not work with me.

So it’s important to be attending these sorts of events, also for experience, getting to network. The podcast episode that we did... I think it was last year now, with Jaimie Abbott on introverts and extroverts. I’m an introvert, she’s an extrovert, and when we go to events, I am quite happy to stand behind her, but then I know that I am also okay to leave because I need to top up my energy. But it gives me the experience. It opens my eyes to different things as well.

Now, any of these sorts of things, any of these events, anything that you do specifically for your business or for yourself, is an investment. It’s an investment in yourself, whether it’s for personal or professional growth. One of the things that I love to do is be able to learn about myself, whether it’s listening to an audiobook or reading something. It’s about personal growth and talking to people as well. And we have Claire Cope, our resident corporate psychologist that comes into the Achievers. She also joins me at the international retreat experience as well for Travel Agent Achievers, because she can get to the bottom of something very quickly. And as a psychologist, they know things, and they can say things that cut through very quickly, but with a lot of love.

So it’s about that investment in yourself. And for me, yeah, I do definitely invest. I think about it, because personal growth, for me, it always has been personal and professional growth, and business development, I think, are so important to always learn. And it’s also an investment in my business, because the better that I can be also helps me and my team. My clients and suppliers, my networks help me with so many different things.

So if I’m attending a business conference or event, I am making that investment, both in time and also financial as well, because I think about what is the return that could come from this. There may be events that I go to where there is no financial return, and that’s okay, but there are personal growth opportunities in that. And I think about some of the tech that I’ve implemented in my business that saved me time. I think of systems that I’ve implemented that have saved myself and my team time, looking at different ways to communicate and opening up my eyes to things that are done differently outside the travel industry because we are quite insular, and we do things the way they’ve always been done.

And so I like being able to break down those boundaries and see what I can do to specifically invest in my business and also in my future as well, where I’m looking at investing in myself, looking at investing in my business, looking at investing in my family, and looking at those around me as well. Because what I can potentially learn, I can pass on to somebody else. And I am somebody who likes to give and be there to support other people, and this is an opportunity in attending any of these sorts of events... business, professional, personal... it all helps in the long run.

Now, it doesn’t always have to be, as I said, specifically related to travel or suppliers, and sometimes we just need it for ourselves and our personal circumstances. Even if, and I’ve had conversations with advisors, and also, you know, friends, they don’t necessarily want, or maybe they do, and maybe it’s just me thinking that. But the way I see it is there is always an opportunity to grow and learn. You know, like kids, I love seeing the innocence in kids. And Jackson recently turned 10, and if I think about him, he is always learning, and his eyes are open to new things. That just builds the wonderment, not just in travel, but in life itself.

And I was thinking about it... I’ll just digress for a moment. Him walking across the road the other day, and he went across the road to get some sushi with a friend, and he came back and he said, "Oh mum, so-and-so almost got hit by a car." And I was like, "What? What are you talking about?" He’s like, "Yeah, but it’s alright because I stopped and looked, and I pulled them back off the road." And I thought about it, and I thought about the opportunities that I have given him.

So whenever he crosses the road at a pedestrian crossing, I always make him say thank you. So he is to look the driver in the eye as they’re coming up to the pedestrian crossing and make sure they’re stopping. That’s the first thing, right? And then, as they’re walking out, he raises his hand and he says thank you. Then he goes into the middle of the road. He does the same thing with the other side, and this has taught him awareness, right? It’s very simple, but looking at things through a child’s eyes also helps me, as an adult and also a business owner, to say, well, what are the things that I can continue to learn?

Because just because I’m an adult doesn’t mean I know everything. And so attending events and experiences and putting myself out of my comfort zone at times, and learning from people who are smarter than me and who are doing things differently, whether I agree with it or not, there is always an opportunity to learn. From a personal perspective, there will be things that don’t resonate, but there is always a way to grow. Whether we stay with the status quo or not, and we do things differently, that’s okay. There is no right or wrong, but just remember, we’ve only got this one life. And so for me, I want to make the most of it, and I want to build those connections.

Sometimes I feel like I need to slow down in order to speed up, and slow down to really reflect, and slow down to think about the next thing. And by attending conferences, by attending events, it can give me that opportunity to slow down and breathe. I’m away from my comfort zone. I’m away from my normal day-to-day office. I’m away from the house, I’m away from the distractions, I’m away from the family, as much as I love them. But I’m away, and it is that time for me. It is that time for me to spend on me, on my business, on the people that I’m with, so that I can grow.

That raises things like self-awareness, self-improvement, wellness, mindset changes, business growth, and I can really learn to prioritise what I want moving forward.

So my question for you today is, what are you doing to invest in yourself, and what events or experiences are you attending to get you out of your comfort zone, or to help you reflect on where you’re at at the moment and what you need and what you want moving forward? Because we’re in October now, and before we know it, it will be 2025. Then it’ll be 2026. I’m not going to get ahead of myself, because I have a lot of things planned for 2025, but I want you to think about what it is that you’re looking forward to, and what are you going to be doing to invest in yourself, invest in your business, and help you move forward?

I am really looking forward to a few weeks' time at the end of October, where we have a bunch of travel professionals—advisors and some suppliers as well—who are coming with me, and Travel Agent Achievers members to Bali, and we are going to reflect on the year that we’ve had. We’re going to reevaluate where we’re at, and then we’re really going to be looking at 2025, and how we can elevate ourselves and our business.

I’ve got Owen and Clare Cope coming, so from a psychologist’s point of view, business strategist point of view, of course, I’m going to be bringing the fun and really helping the travel professionals who come to work on their business, but also reflect on themselves as well and look at all the things that they want to do moving forward, and how can they achieve it.

So that’s just Bali this year. That’s just one event. The other thing that I am so excited to tell you about, and I would have had a very special guest here with me on this episode, or to do something a little bit different, but she’s taking a break for herself, which I absolutely love. When we were set to record it, I was not well.

So I want you to check out travelagentachievers.com/cruise. Travelagentachievers.com/cruise because you are the first to hear... February 2024, sorry, February the 24th in 2025, so next year, myself and Anna Shannon from Travel Agent Finder are going to be hosting a group of travel professionals on the Quantum of the Seas, departing Brisbane for a four-night cruise to help you work on your business and give you the opportunity to step away from it for a couple of days.

Now, this experience, and it’s something that I’ve been talking to Anna about for quite a while now, is because she and I both work in the same space of helping travel professionals. And both of us sometimes see the struggle with advisors who know they need to focus on business but don’t know where to start and how to put together a marketing plan, how to put together a business plan, and then how to execute it. So Anna and I both have backgrounds in sales and marketing, and both of us are here to help you.

So I want you to check out travelagentachievers.com/cruise, because this is your opportunity to join Anna and I on the Quantum of the Seas. We do have only a few spaces available for a VIP experience, where you get one-on-one time to sit down with us to strategise your specific business, and also have a very special dinner with us. But this is going to be the event of the year to help you plan out 2025, look at all your marketing activities, look at the sales strategies that you have specifically for your business, and to be able to start working on it over these four days. Of course, you’re on the cruise ship, you can get internet, you can do some work if you want, but it’s also about connection. It’s about collaboration. It’s about investing in yourself. It’s about investing in your business, and also taking that time as the year begins to really make sure that 2025, and beyond, is going to be your best year yet.

It’s about, what are the struggles? Where are the challenges? How can you overcome them? What are the strategies that you need? What are the activities that you might need to do in order to make your business the best it can be? If you need staff, or you want to outsource, or you’re looking at getting different help in certain areas because you know you can’t do everything, let’s sit down and have a look at it. This is what I love doing. I love being able to work with you, specifically on your business and also building those relationships and connections.

It’s coming together to collaborate. It’s coming together to really form those friendships. And it’s coming together to say, "You know what? I’m not going to sit on the sidelines anymore. I’m actually going to make a difference here, and I am going to make sure that I curate the best possible experiences for the clients that I love in an opportunity and an environment that you are going to have fun with."

So it is a four-day cruise. You buy your own cabin. We do have some group allocations, though they will sell out very, very quickly, but this is your opportunity for you. So make sure you check out travelagentachievers.com/cruise. Join Anna Shannon and myself. For anybody who is an Achievers member or a Travel Agent Finder member, you’ll hear about it as well. But this is the year for you. I want you to be thinking beyond 2025. What are your future plans? How are you going to grow? What do you need to do to look after yourself? And why are you going to be prioritising events and activities to work on your business next year, and not always in it, working those 12 and 15-hour days?

I’m done with that, guys, and I hope you are too. So I look forward to seeing you. I look forward to you joining me. I look forward to you, if you’re not joining me in Bali, hearing all about it and having the FOMO, because I can guarantee you will, and then looking forward to what we’re doing next year.

Alright, everyone, thank you for joining me today. I look forward to continuing to catch up with you. I look forward to meeting you at any event, and I know for everybody who has come and seen me at an event this year so far and over the last 18 months, thank you for telling me that you listened to the podcast and sharing your feedback. I look forward to more of it, and I’ll speak to you soon. Bye for now.