Niche wins for Magellan: MacFarlane

Magellan Travel Group has kicked off its largest annual AGM in Melbourne today on the back of one heck of a stellar year.

Some 290 travel agent Magellan agents and preferred suppliers will celebrate members’ achievements at a masquerade themed-gala awards at the Sofitel tomorrow night.

With a force of just 122 members, Magellan in August posted a record profit result of $8.8 million for FY14, with a TTV of $850 million and annual turnover of $10 million. The results come a month after it won the coveted Best Non-Branded Agency Group at this year’s NTIA’s.

CEO Andrew MacFarlane kicked off formal proceedings today attributing the industry award and positive results to the strength of the group being “niche” with minimum turnover requirements and experienced agents “who know what they’re doing” and selling high-end product.

“The NTIA award recognised the quality of the group,” he said.

“We are not both a branded and independent group … our agents are not cross-subsidising a brand.”

“Our members also own the group, and only when a group is member owned can it focus on profits for members,” Macfarlane added.

According to Macfarlane, in just 7 years Magellan has “catalysed” change for the industry at large.

“The founders believed that independent agents across the industry deserved a better deal,” he told members and suppliers.

Red Balloon founder Naomi Simson, also known as the ‘red shark’ on Channel 10’s Shark Tank, opened the conference as Keynote Speaker. Simson shared stories of how she founded experience and rewards company Red Balloon in 2001 and her passion for entrepreneurship, for innovation, and her belief that happy workplaces are fundamental to business success.

“The theme of the first day at Conference for Magellan is very much inspiration and information” Macfarlane said.

Delegates have also participated in workshops run by external subject matter experts on Financial Benchmarking, Employment Law and Social & Digital Marketing.