Gold Coast, 3 May 2024 – The Travel Trend Summit (TTS) 2024, hosted by the Stephanie Myers Academy, marked another ground-breaking moment for the travel industry earlier this month. Held on the tropical Gold Coast, this innovative event brought together a dynamic group of travel professionals dedicated to propelling their businesses forward through the power of digital transformation and community collaboration.

A Travel Industry Experience Unlike Any Other

The Travel Trend Summit is designed for digitally savvy and aspiring travel business owners who are ready to create an impact for their brand, build a solid raving fan-base, cut through the white noise, and let go of the obstacles keeping them stuck. This event empowers attendees to put their travel businesses on the map and step into their best digital era yet.

After moonwalking off the runway, attendees arrived with high expectations, as the event in 2023 had some pretty big shoes to fill in way of replicating another high-energy and an extremely invaluable learning experience for new and returning delegates.

From the moment they checked in and walked through the doors, TTS2024 participants could feel the electric energy and positivity in the air. One attendee expressed, “I didn’t know anyone here, but as soon as I arrived, I felt the positive vibes. I met a couple of great people and truly enjoyed hearing about their journeys in the travel industry. This event was like nothing I’ve seen before.”

The annual summit, sponsored by Travel Agent Runway and Travel Agent Finder is definitively one-of-a-kind where agents in the travel industry community, retrospective of brand or host agencies, can share the journey and come together as a collective to build upon the already successful businesses they have while soaking in the incredible insight from the expert speakers on the day.

Inspiring Words and Industry Leaders

The summit featured powerful messages from influential speakers. Odette Barry inspired with, “It’s not gross to promote yourself,” while MC Peter Kollar emphasized, “Taking away all the stress in the office and revamping it.” Event host Stephanie Myers resonated deeply with, “Stop future faking and start honoring your promises in order to fulfill your wildest dreams.”

From PR Mentors to Certified Meta Trainers, LinkedIn Top Voices, Canva Verified Experts, Lawyers, Sales Coaches, Branding Photographers, and travel industry icons, TTS delegates were in great company.

Our expert speakers pictured below: Peter Kollar CLIA Australasia, Kate Nutt Kate Nutt Photography, Odette Barry Odette & Co, Rebecca Flint The Canva Society, Mike Rubio Michael Rubio Coaching, Heather Porter Website Love, Anna Shannon Travel Agent Finder, Adrian Tassone The Cruise & Travel Guy, Nicole O’Sullivan Birds Eye View Consulting, Riz Amin Foundd Legal, Stephanie Myers Stephanie Myers Academy.

Elements of Surprise and Magical Moments

Adding a layer of whimsy to this year’s theme of vision and dreaming, mermaids in the hotel pool at the Rydges Gold Coast Airport Hotel created a magical atmosphere. Wait, did you just say mermaids in the hotel pool? OMG, someone please pinch me! This fantastical element, combined with fairy floss-topped champagne and a circus acrobat performing during the lunch break, provided attendees with a truly otherworldly experience.

“The idea to throw a few mermaids in the pool was such a lightbulb moment for me, after being in the industry 16+ years, I’ve been to hundreds of industry events some of which can be very salesy, boring and give off too much of a stuffy corporate vibe. You could imagine how excited I was to surprise my industry pals and give them that shock value to really get them imagining more”, TTS organiser and host, Stephanie Myers says.

“My goal was to completely surpass any expectation our delegates had, whether they are new to the Travel Trend Summit experience, or had attended the previous year. Our surprise and delight moments are such fantastic opportunities for our delegates to capture content for their own visibility which is a huge focus for the day, along with how they connect and create conversations with their travel community online.”

“Not only are they learning new strategies from our top-level entreprenuers, they are unleashing their own imaginations of what is possible for them in their own businesses. After all, we can all agree we are the funnest industry in the world, now it’s time for our events to raise the bar in that regard.” Steph says.

As ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ played softly in the background, participants felt that dreams really can come true when you have the courage to break the mould and the strategies to pursue them.

The Travel Trainer, Sonja Leicester with Travel Agent Finder’s Anna Shannon & Red Grape Social founder, Wendy Addinsall lapping up the mermaid magic at this years TTS2024.

An Absolute Staple Event for Travel Professionals

The Travel Trend Summit has swiftly become a must-attend event in the yearly calendar for travel business owners. It’s not just about the sessions and speakers – it’s about the community, the shared experiences, and the collective drive to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the travel industry. Unlike other travel industry events that tend to be more corporate, TTS speakers stood in full expression, sharing their truth, passions and being their authentic selves. This candidness included a few slips of the f*bomb, free-flow interaction on and off stage, reflecting the genuine and unfiltered nature of the discussions, in between fits of laughter that filled the room throughout the day.

‘Speakers talking about topics I can actually relate to and that can impact and help my business is what I love most about TTS and what makes it so different to any other industry events,’ an inspired second-time TTS delegate has said.

Celebrations and Awards

Additionally, the inaugural Travel Agent Runway Honour Roll awards were held, where Stephanie Myers Academy students enrolled in the Travel Agent Runway program had the opportunity to self-nominate for the Student of the Year award. Jade Coulcher from Shadow Kissed Travel proudly took home this prestigious honour for striving to build a rockstar online personal brand and clearly demonstrated how to Travel Agent Runway framework has assisted her in creating an irresistible digital influence for her and her independent travel business. Another huge congratulations to Jade and the other students who entered this years awards.

Travel industry mentor & Travel Trend Summit host, Stephanie Myers, presenting Travel Agent Runway student, Jade Coulcher of Shadow Kissed Travel with the inaugural Honour Roll 2024 Student of the Year award.

Collaborations and Empowering The Next Wave of People Entering The Industry

A notable highlight of the event was the collaboration with TAFE NSW from Wollongbar Campus. Volunteers from TAFE NSW were blown away by the experience. Not only were they adding an extra layer of engagement and support for event organisers, they got to witness just how much the industry has evolved in recent years and what current travel business owners are doing to stay ahead of the game.
Special thanks to Sarah Schoupp and her student Isabeau for being a vital part of the day.

TAFE NSW Teacher of Travel, Tourism & Guiding, Sarah Schoupp and Tourism student Isabeau volunteered at the annual Travel Trend Summit at Rydges Gold Coast Airport Hotel.

Rooftop Parties Ends the Summit On a High

The day concluded with drinks at the Salty Fox rooftop bar at Rydges Gold Coast Airport Hotel, offering stunning views of the ocean and the runway at Gold Coast Airport. A flash mob was the final surprise to an incredible day, which saw event organiser, Stephanie Myers and Anna Shannon from Travel Agent Finder, along with other delegates following the routine.

The song ‘Dreamer’ by Axwell /\ Ingrosso, Jack Wins, created an unforgettable ending, with the lyrics, “when it all counts for something, with pockets full of nothing, let’s get high on believing, ’cause I can promise you, yes I am a dreamer too” encapsulating the spirit of the event, marking the start of a brand new era for all who attended.

Jamilah from Fit Fun Focus on the Gold Coast choreographed the flash mob routine for this years Travel Trend Summit, which surprised and delighted event delegates and members of the public who also enjoyed the evening entertainment. Thank you to the local Zumba community for also joining in the fun and helping us celebrate.

Looking Ahead to Travel Trend Summit 2025 (TTS2025)

As the 2024 summit wraps up, the buzz is already building for next year’s event. TTS2025 already pencilled in for Friday 23rd May 2025, promises to be even more impactful, continuing to provide travel professionals with the tools, knowledge, and network they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

The release of a brand new retreat, hosted by the Stephanie Myers Academy is also on the horizon in 2025. This marks a very exciting time for independent travel business owners to go even deeper with award winning travel industry mentor, Stephanie Myers teaming up with branding photographer and visibility coach, Kate Nutt. Stay tuned for more information, coming soon.

For more information on the Travel Trend Summit, to check out our testimonials and event photo gallery or to secure your spot for 2025, visit the Travel Trend Summit website and join our waitlist to stay updated.

About the Stephanie Myers Academy

The Stephanie Myers Academy is dedicated to empowering travel professionals through innovative education and community-building initiatives. With a focus on digital transformation and business growth, the academy provides unparalleled resources and events designed to inspire and equip travel entrepreneurs for success.

Contact:

Stephanie Myers
Founder
support@stephaniemyers.academy
stephaniemyers.com.au

Photography Credit:

Megan Archer
Photographer
Lifestyle Photography By Meg
Servicing Gold Coast, Tweed Heads & Northern NSW