TravelManagers personal travel managers sample the high-value corporate experience in Auckland, New Zealand. From left to right: Julianne Gazal-Rizk, Fiona Perry, Natalie Demirgellis, Tania Garipoli, Aimee Fauntleroy, Samantha Cox, John Lengacher, John Cangia with Jeremy Ferguson in front.

Eight personal travel managers have taken advantage of the first ever dedicated TravelManagers corporate famil to New Zealand, flying the newly launched Emirates A380 Melbourne to Auckland route and experiencing the service their clients can expect in the Emirates’ lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland.

The educational flew outbound economy and return business class with the personal travel managers staying overnight at the Langham Hotel in the heart of Auckland city. Participants were able to inspect The Hilton Hotel, The Novotel Auckland Airport as well as the Langham and were hosted for dinner at the Langham’s celebrated restaurant, Eight, described as ‘an exciting culinary destination offering eight open, world kitchens taking diners on an unforgettable culinary journey’.

Personal travel manager Jeremy Ferguson from Brunswick West, Victoria, says he already has plenty of experience as a corporate travel consultant and these sorts of famils help him to provide a complete service.

“The corporate travel market is an important part of my client mix. I know what my clients’ needs are so it’s brilliant that TravelManagers adds a lot of value to that service by giving me this sort of firsthand experience. New Zealand is a very convenient corporate destination. I can see the sort of high level package my clients can expect.”

Aimée Fauntleroy is TravelManagers’ Corporate Operations Executive at the National Partnership Office in Sydney and led the group on the famil.

“TravelManagers provides full support specific to corporate travel requirements so it’s been timely to illustrate that with our first corporate educational. We have strong relationships with all key suppliers across the different travel sectors and those relationships are just as strong for corporate and business travel.”

Samantha Cox of Garfield, Victoria, says that this is the ninth exclusive TravelManagers famil trip this year. 

“The value in these trips is enormous. It’s good to get together with the other personal travel managers too when your evaluating destinations and build on each other’s expertise in the corporate market.”  

Fauntleroy says TravelManagers has been operating exclusive famils for their consultants since October 2009 and the group is pleased the next trip will be their twentieth.

“These dedicated educationals are an important part of what we do. Our consultants work hard and we’re happy to work hard for them.”

The eight personal travel managers who took part in the corporate famil to New Zealand were:

·         Fiona Perry – Nelson Bay New South Wales
·         Julianne Gazal-Rizk – Willoughby New South Wales
·         Natalie Demirgellis – Blacktown New South Wales
·         Jeremy Ferguson – Brunswick West Victoria
·         John Cangia – Mernda Victoria
·         John Lengacher – Windsor Victoria 
·         Samantha Cox – Garfield Victoria
·         Tania Garipoli – East Keilor Victoria