Brand USA kicks off inaugural MegaFam

The inaugural Brand USA and Hawaiian Airlines MegaFam departed yesterday, with a mammoth group taking the US by storm.

A total of 57 lucky agents – 39 from Australia and 18 from New Zealand – are flying with Hawaiian Airlines to the US via Honolulu, with the agents split into groups to explore one of five mainland destinations.

Five hectic days will see Team New York head to The Rockefeller Center and a dinner cruise, Team Las Vegas and Nevada explore Death Valley and Boulder City, and Team Sacramento and San Fran cycling over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Meanwhile, Team LA and San Diego will gallop around the Hollywood sign on horseback, and Team Portland and Seattle will taste craft beer on their own tour of USA.

The experiences are set to give agents and tour operators a better feel for how to sell US destinations, as well as informing them on what’s hot in each region.

The teams will be accompanied by representatives from Brand USA, Hawaiian Airlines, and the hosting destination tourism boards.

The entire group will then meet in Honolulu for the final two nights, to share their MegaFam stories and experiences and attend a Grand Finale event hosted by Brand USA, Hawaiian Airlines, Hawaii Tourism Oceania, Mastercard and The Modern Hotel, Honolulu.

All agents will fly back home on March 24, no doubt with some serious post-holiday blues.

“We’re excited to showcase the breadth and diversity of the U.S. to these agents, as well as highlight Hawaii as an ideal stopover to pair with a mainland U.S. trip,” Brand USA’s director for Australia and New Zealand Ollie Philpot said.

During the MegaFam, each team will have the chance to try their hand at filmmaking, making a short movie to showcase their U.S. adventures.

These films will premiere at the Grand Finale event and be judged by an expert panel, with each member of the winning team receiving a $100 shopping voucher courtesy of Mastercard’s cash passport program.

Participants were selected based on the volume of Hawaiian Airline sales booked to the USA, between December 1 2014 and February 15 2015.

During this time period, agents booked over 600 flights to the USA on Hawaiian Airlines, as well as completing the regional expert module of Brand USA’s Discover America online training program.

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