For the second consecutive year, and for the first time in the awards history, Randall Deer, the 36-year-old Founder and Managing Director of Ignite Travel Group has taken out the top honours as 2012’s Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Known as ‘the travel innovator’, Deer has spearheaded exceptional success and growth for his international travel and tourism marketing company since its inception in 2005. And what initially started as a $50,000 personal investment, Deer and his team have turned into an upwardly mobile international travel entity turning over in excess of $65 million plus per year.

But innovation is nothing new to Deer. At the age of 23 he was managing over 2000 strata titled dwellings for Ernst Body Corporate Management and by 25; the General Manager for Strand Resorts (Australia’s largest privately owned management rights entity at the time). Around the same time he also represented the Australian Management Rights Industry to the ATO, challenging and then securing the correct taxation treatment for serviced and strata titled apartments when the new GST system came into effect. By 27, Deer was CFO of Breakfree Resorts, successfully leading a bid to raise $60 million in IPO (debt and equity) to purchase 23 initial resorts, which became the core of what later became Stella Hospitality Group and subsidiary of MFS - a $2 billion ASX entity.

“My background is Finance & Accounting, and I have utilized these skills to fuel my interest and appetite for tourism. I am constantly seeking new ways to redefine industry best practice but also propel the travel and tourism industry to achieve a consistent competitive and innovative edge in what is an extremely demanding and changing market place,” Deer said

Ignite Travel Group comprises RewardsCorp, My Holiday Centre and its portfolio of seven ‘My’ brands, Group Buying Escapes and more recently, Grab A Getaway. The company offers unique, global marketing systems and solutions for some of the world’s most distinguished travel and tourism brands.

Deer is thrilled with the award, paying homage to the support of his team and their group philosophy to challenge convention by developing innovative marketing solutions for quality travel brands and tourism partners alike on a global platform for the consecutive win.
“Our business continues to grow significantly from where we started as a patented travel-based rewards and promotions business into a multi-awarded, multi-channeled travel marketing corporation. We work in an ever changing industry which enables us to constantly challenge our own standards and use innovation to consistently re-set travel benchmarks,” Deer said.

The award caps off a bountiful few weeks for Deer and the team at Ignite Travel Group with The Holiday Centre, now one of Australia’s leading travel companies, placing 21st overall in the esteemed 2012 BRW Fast 100 list covering all industries. Achieving the highest ranking for a travel based company in the esteemed awards, My Holiday Centre moved forward from last year ‘s success graduating from the BRW Fast Starters List to claim a BRW Fast 100 ranking.

Ignite Travel Group employs over 120 staff across four business divisions. The Broadbeach based business is rapidly evolving into a global player in the travel-marketing sphere and Deer has no plans to slow down anytime soon.