Leave it to Diva Hornbags from Fountain Gate at the Great Harvey Barbie at Taronga Zoo

Gala dinner setting

David Rivers HWT MD and Warren Brown MC at the Great Harvey Barbie

Marcia Hines

It’s Saigon for 2012

Where it all began, opening show

The PM presents to Maxeine McKeon the DriveAway Holidays Award

Special guests Scott Harvey and Paul Fleming

Harvey World Travel celebrated their 60th anniversary at their annual business symposium which took place at the Sydney Convention Centre over the weekend.  More than 480 delegates from HWT’s network of Franchisees in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa congregated in Sydney for the special event.

Managing Director of Harvey World Travel, David Rivers, says having the celebration in Sydney this year was a great opportunity to showcase the origin of the business.  

“It is with great pleasure that we celebrate this important milestone with our network of franchisees, staff members, partners and suppliers, in the city where it all began in 1951,” says David.

“We have come a long way over the six decades to become one of Australia’s most successful travel networks. We have established a very clear position and enviable reputation as the Travel Professionals, we’re here to stay”
The Symposium on Friday started with a theatrical performance by ‘Leave it to Diva’, where delegates were taken on a journey starting from the very beginnings of Harvey World Travel in 1951, right up to the galactic years of the 21st century beyond 2050.

David Rivers then welcomed onstage Scott Harvey, son of the Founder, John Harvey and Paul Fleming, both of whom were instrumental in setting strong foundations for Harvey World Travel. 

Thereafter, Peter Lacaze, Group CEO showed strong financial confidence in the travel industry and for Harvey World Travel for 2012.

Over the weekend, franchise owners and managers had the chance to hear from key business partners including Cover-More, AFTA, Travelport, APT, The Travel Corporation, Qantas, Airways, Travel Indochina, Globus Family of Brands, Sunlover and Harvey’s Choice Holidays, to learn how they can work with each other to improve their business and achieve further successes moving forwards.

“The interactive sessions with franchisees enabled owners to share their knowledge and provide business insights and feedback to senior management and to each other,” says David.

Franchise owners were updated on the company’s wholesale strategy, technology, and in marketing, a new HWT consumer website was unveiled. In closed workshops, the latest round of mystery shopping results was shared, showing an overall improvement, the result of a focused training programme that ran in conjunction with the surveys throughout the year.  

The presentations and workshops were complemented by Peter Switzer’s forecast of the Australian economy and insight to creating business edge. Switzer is a leading business and financial commentator.

The major highlight of the Symposium was the Gala Awards Presentation and Dinner, where awards were presented for Sales Growth, Million Dollar Agencies for new locations, Agency of the Year and Manager of the Year, as well as 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 Year Service Awards. Awards were also presented to HWT high achievers – suppliers and agents. They include:
Partner Awards:
Brochure of the Year – Harvey’s Choice Holidays
Airline of the Year – Singapore Airlines
Travel Partner of the Year – Harvey’s Choice Holidays

Manager of the Year: Clare Robertson from HWT Morley

Sales Growth of the Year Award: Harvey World Travel Garden City

Million Dollar Offices: Harvey World Travel Chatswood, Mt Ommaney and Subiaco.

PHOENIX Agency of the Year: Harvey World Travel Subiaco

Winners of the Agency of the Year Awards:
Agency of the Year NSW Regional/ACT Country: Harvey World Travel Belmont Central
Agency of the Year NSW Metro: Harvey World Travel Winston Hills
Agency of the Year QLD: Harvey World Travel Toowoomba
Agency of the Year SA/TAS/NT: Harvey World Travel Mount Gambier
Agency of the Year VIC: Harvey World Travel Eltham
Agency of the Year WA: Harvey World Travel Mandurah

John Harvey Award – Mark Jenkins & Sean Johns of Resurg
Spirit Award – Cindy Lee from Harvey World Travel Blacktown, Seven Hills and Lithgow

The party continued with the crowd dancing the night away to music legend Marcia Hines.

Rivers announced that the 2012 Harvey World Symposium will be held in Saigon, Vietnam from 26-29 October. 

Peter Lacaze Group CEO shows a healthy future for bricks and mortar travel agents	David Rivers HWT MD with an emotional Cindy Lee, winner of the HWT Spirit Award	Sue Ball & David Sorpassa HWT QLD Business Managers, Bernie Freyling (winner) with Leah Fuller, Manager HWT The Ridge, Anton Loeb, Head of Sales Cover-More
Alastair Lyon & John Davidson (winners) HWT Subiaco with Chris Thistlethwaite HWT National Franchise Manger, centre.	Chris Thistlethwaite HWT National Franchise Manger, Head of Industry and Corporate Sales, Qantas, Karen Tsolakis, Clare Robertson (winner)HWT Morley, CEO for APT, Chris Hall	Anton Loeb, Head of Sales Cover-More, Cath Bisaro HWT Regional Business Manager, Kimberly Day (winner) HWT Belmont Central, Hamish McCracken
Cath Bisaro HWT Regional Business Manager, Cathy Tees & Melanie Stedman (winners) with team from HWT Winston Hills, Anton Loeb, Head of Sales Cover-More	Kelley Matson HWT Regional Business Manager, Grant Horrigan (winner) HWT Mt Gambier, Simon Clark & James Kotsiros HWT VIC Business Managers, Anton Loeb, Head of Sales Cover-More	Kelley Matson HWT Regional & James Kotsiros HWT VIC Business Managers, Melissa Hadaway (winner) and team from HWT Eltham