Singer, songwriter, producer, Superstar TV Coach and multiple ARIA award winner, Guy Sebastian, will take to the stage in front of the 420-plus delegates attending an aptly named ‘Roaring 20’s’ Gala Dinner taking place at Warner Bros. Movie World. Sebastian will also make time to sit down with MTA Advisers on day two of the event as part of an informal ‘one-on-400’ Q&A session.

Officially announcing the 2020 conference, MTA -co-managing directors Karen and Roy Merricks said the ‘People Purpose Passion’ theme was incredibly apt for the company’s 20-year anniversary. “This conference represents the culmination of 20 years of creating meaningful connections, empowering experienced advisors to do travel ‘their way’ but above all, having fun along the way,” they said. “So we’ll be celebrating our journey, from pioneering a little idea to becoming a thriving, well-respected brand which is reflected in the quality of our people – our most valued asset.”

The award is for top Virtuoso cruise sales in the Asia-Pacific region so it’s an outstanding achievement.

MTA Advisors, Kelly Ayers and Kate Narracott have also been named finalists in ‘Best Mobile Travel Advisor’ category.

MTA – Mobile Travel Agents congratulates all the finalists and wishes everyone the best of luck!

PANDA supports women, men and families across Australia affected by anxiety and depression during pregnacy and in the first year of parenthood.

The two Advisors, Sarah Fenton (pictured with MTA CEO, Don Beattie) and Julia Campbell, took just five months to complete the program which, launched in late October, has been designed to help further educate and support MTA Advisors in their day to day business and, overall, enhance their standing as travel industry professionals.

Developed by MTA in-house training manager, Kirsty Tate, ‘MTA Professional Plus’ comprises nine core pathways and two optional pathways.

These focus on social media, corporate, cruise, air, land product, luxury, marketing, business and professional development.

“Having completed ‘MTA Professional Plus’ both Sarah and Julia can now take great pride in marketing themselves as MTA Certified Travel Professionals, secure in the knowledge they will be regarded and respected as some of the best travel professionals in the industry.

Wendy was flown from Brisbane to attend the event where she was presented with Tiffany jewellery and, along with other guests, treated to a private showing of ‘The Masters of Modern Art’ from the Hermitage in St Petersburg currently on display at the gallery.

The evening rounded off with a Matt Moran-inspired dining experience.

Wendy is pictured second from right with her MTA colleagues attending the event, from left Mandy Patterson; MTA business development manager, NSW/ACT Jackie Pennock; Sally Curtis, Anne Coombes and Robin Stevens.

An absolute must for die-hard Formula 1® fans, F1 Experiences provides a host of unique access programs only available via the organisation’s official ticket packages.

These include driver meet-and-greets, F1® Paddock, pit lane and track tours, podium access, bespoke trackside hospitality inside the Champions Club and a host of other unparalleled benefits.

Wendy has just returned from F1 Experiences’ USA head office in Charlotte where she completed intensive training on the products now available at 19 of the 21 F1® races worldwide scheduled to take place in 2019.

She will also attend the F1 Experiences’ Global Sales Agent conference in London later this month.

Developed by MTA in-house training manager, Kirsty Tate, ‘MTA Professional Plus’ has been designed to help further educate and support MTA Advisors in their day to day business and, overall, enhance their standing as travel industry professionals.

A self-paced program allowing Advisors to gain accreditation within a time frame that suits their own lifestyles, ‘MTA Professional Plus’ comprises nine core pathways and two optional pathways.

These focus on social media, corporate, cruise, air, land product, luxury, marketing, business and professional development.

Officially launching ‘Professional Plus’ in Sydney, MTA CEO, Don Beattie said the new program set yet another industry benchmark by MTA in its capacity as the industry leader.

“At the same time, ‘MTA Professional Plus’ establishes a new level of professionalism which the entire Australian travel industry stands to benefit from,” Mr Beattie said.

“The various pathways are intended to help Advisors further their expertise in the capability of all MTA technology, gain master-class product knowledge, learn about small business compliance and management while providing the requisite skills needed to assist them in building client relationships and growing their business.

“Each learning pathway is divided into three levels, with content accessible from any device, even offline, with Advisors knowledge and understanding of the various components assessed along the way.

”The assessment process is quite rigorous containing both theoretical and practical demonstration of understanding with annual maintenance modules required to maintain accreditation.

Mr Beattie said that additional core elements would allow Advisors to expand this knowledge beyond the product and business development factor to gain a greater knowledge of customer care, handling client interactions and enhancing their social media skills.

“Completing ‘MTA Professional Plus’ will enable our Advisors to market themselves as MTA Certified Travel Professionals, secure in the knowledge they will be regarded and respected as some of the best travel professionals in the industry,” he said.

The launch of ‘MTA Professional Plus’ has already drawn industry comment with Australian Federation of Travel Agents chief executive, Jayson Westbury congratulating MTA on its initiative.

“MTA has once again demonstrated how its market leading initiatives support its people and align with the values of AFTA by elevating its already very high standards across the entire MTA network,” Mr Westbury said.

“Congratulations and well done.”

Read more: www.mtatravel.com.au/professionalplus

What’s not to like? Five-star cruising offers all the bells and whistles expected from any luxury provider from stylish accommodation and elegant facilities to an open bar, lavish spa and even a butler service.

Days are spent cruising in and out of the world’s most glamorous destinations such as Monte Carlo, Barcelona, New York and Sydney.

Some days are more action-packed with shore excursions taking travellers to pristine national parks, the world’s leading galleries and museums and local wineries and restaurants for a taste of the local cuisine.

Whilst evenings offer a chance to unwind over a meal prepared by a world-renowned chef, take in a show or a lecture or make some new friends at the bar, without worrying who is picking up the tab.

No longer do high-end travellers from Australia and New Zealand have to travel to Europe or the Americas to join a luxury vessel, they are stepping onboard in their homeport, with as much luggage as they like, and heading off on the trip of a lifetime.

For those wanting to explore further afield, luxury lines offer cruises on every continent. Is there a better way to see Alaska than gliding by glaciers with a champagne or hot chocolate in hand? Or how about being dwarfed by the grandeur of Norway’s fjords while snacking on some caviar on deck?

Many luxury liners are also small ships meaning they can go where the big ships can’t, offering an up-close-and-personal experience with nature and the chance to explore off-the-beaten-track ports.

Because luxury means so much more than the finest linens and foie gras, luxury lines are increasingly offering their guests the chance to truly immerse in a destination with exclusive, money-can’t-buy experiences.

Whether it’s a private behind-the-scenes tour of a world heritage-listed site, visiting a local market with a celebrity chef or being regaled with tales at sea from idols and icons, luxury cruises are pulling out all the stops to ensure their guests have it all.

It’s these special touches that are helping the luxury cruise industry power ahead at a rate of knots.

Amber is very familiar with the home-based agency model having spent the last eight years heading up MTA’s head office-based assistance team.

Her industry experience prior to joining MTA includes stints with several retail travel agencies and a Bali resort specialist.

Announcing the appointment, MTA CEO, Don Beattie said Amber’s key focus will be to assist consultants and agents looking to take that first step into the home-based model and of course, existing MTA Members by supporting them to achieve their individual business objectives.

“Given her vast experience and already being known to most of the MTA Members, Amber is well suited to the role.” Mr Beattie said.

“Our MTA Members have enjoyed strong business growth for many years now and in particular the last 12 months. We are excited about Amber’s appointment and that we were able to provide this career progression to one of our wonderful head office support staff.”