This session, led by Virgin Australia’s chief marketing officer, is set to tackle everything from market mix modelling and managing cross-functional relationships, to even giving delegates a peek behind the curtain on the brands latest Bring on Wonderful campaign. Want leading brand insights on how to stand out in an otherwise considered homogeneous category, like airline travel? You’ll have to join this session to find out.

For Intrepid, the age-old debate of brand versus performance marketing ended with the pandemic. As global travel halted, so too did performance marketing, and the brand was forced to confront who they were fundamentally as a company. Intrepid leant into its values and mission, leading to a stronger sense of purpose and the value that the brand wanted to create. 

In his final keynote in Australia before relocating to the USA to take up the role of President of the Americas, Leigh Barnes will share how Intrepid emerged from the pandemic a rebranded company and why he’s leaving performance marketing firmly in the past. He will leave the audience with an understanding of how doubling down on brand marketing has laid the foundation to Intrepid’s continued growth trajectory. 

During this session travel marketers will learn: 

• How leaning into values and purpose helps create greater value for customers and even the industry at large 

• How Intrepid achieved 41% growth in online revenue, a 34% increase in brand demand search and its biggest day of direct sales ever, just two years after complete shutdown 

• How Intrepid transformed its business from a performance-led marketing function to a brand-led one 

Whether it’s the K-Pop craze or the coolness of Tokyo, Asia is hot amongst Gen Z Aussies who are flocking to all corners of the diverse continent. Contiki is seeing a 64% year-on-year increase in the region, leading the charge compared to just 38% globally. Google Trends supports this, showing that Southeast Asia is the most searched region globally amongst Australians.  

It’s for this reason Contiki are tailoring its products to meet the demands of the new generation, last year launching trips to South Korea, and in January 2024 launching two itineraries to the Philippines, which to date has been the fastest selling newly launched product in the past five years.  

To address the challenge of Contiki's strong association with multi-country European trips, a comprehensive marketing strategy has been implemented to ensure the brand is capturing the attention of Gen Z travellers. From extensive brand research into Gen Z’s interests and behaviours, to leveraging social media influencers, creating engaging content inspired by trends (importantly, from the channels where Gen Z are showing up 👏), and offering regional sales like the Big Asia Sale, Contiki are shaking up the way they communicate these new products and attract a new generation of travellers eager to explore the East. 

Join this session for first-class insights on: 

• How to effectively capture the attention of Gen Z 

• How to adapt your offerings to suit the travel wants from modern youth 

• Why Asia is so in demand for young Aussies