Business improvement a focus for The Great Adventure

Business improvement a focus for The Great Adventure

A one-day conference next week will offer adventure and outdoor tourism operators a rare opportunity to meet up and gather information to help them run successful businesses.

“Many adventure and outdoor tourism operators work in isolated parts of the country so The Great Adventure, taking place at Rydges Wellington on 10 May 2013, is a good chance for them to meet others in their sector,” Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) Advocacy Manager Geoff Ensor says.

“In organising this event, TIA was keen to ensure there was a real focus on helping operators improve their businesses, particularly in light of changes to the sector resulting from the Adventure Tourism Safety Review.”

Three interactive breakout sessions during the event will offer a range of business improvement information. Each session will be repeated, allowing delegates to attend two of the three sessions.

Mark Smith of Christchurch team building specialist Horizons Unlimited will lead a panel of speakers focusing on strategies for building a strong, positive workplace culture. Former Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive George Hickton, Outward Bound School director Rob MacLean and Real Journeys’ Director of Operations Paul Norris will share the expertise they have gained in building strong teams and performance management.

“Teamwork and good training is particularly important in the adventure and outdoor tourism sector, when operators can literally be responsible for people’s lives. Well-trained, high-performing staff are crucial,” Mr Ensor says.

Craig Rust of Business Innovators will look at tactics for managing a business in challenging times. His presentation will focus on issues that are highly relevant to adventure and outdoor tourism operators, including how to expand your business and when to stop investing your money, pricing and succession planning.

The third breakout session will discuss how operators can perform competitively in the complex and fast moving digital space. The panelists are Lawrence Smith, Chief Cabbage of Cabbage Tree Creative which delivers online solutions for many of New Zealand’s leading tourism businesses, and Sarah Meikle of Positively Wellington Tourism which aims to be an Australasian leader in digital destination marketing.

“We are really excited about these strong and relevant breakout sessions. There is something for everyone and I’m sure every adventure and outdoor tourism operator will take away valuable tips for their business,” Mr Ensor says.

To register and for more details about the event, go to www.tianz.org.nz/main/The_Great_Adventure

The Great Adventure is being sponsored by ACC, the Department of Conservation, Ngai Tahu Tourism and Real Journeys.

ENDS

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