THIS JUST IN: Travel DAZE is less than a week away!

This is Australia’s only TEDx-style conference for travel, and you should be excited about it.

Especially because you can get half price tickets right now!

Head to this link to receive a whopping 50 per cent off your ticket to one of the best events of the year.

But here’s the catch: only the first 10 people to buy tickets will receive them at half price, so you’d better hurry.

Nabbing some last minute tickets to this event means you’ll get hear our killer speaker line-up live and in person, which means you’re bound to walk away from this day having learnt a ton.

And one of those speakers is… Barry Mayo!

Barry is a director of House of Travel Holdings Limited in New Zealand, the chairman of TravelManagers Australia and a director of CT Partners since 2010. Talk about qualified!

He has over 50 years experience in the industry – and his career has spanned across six airlines, a wholesaler business, an international tour operator and a retail travel franchise company. And you get to pick his brain at Travel DAZE!

Don’t worry, you only have to wait six days. But just in case you can’t, we asked Barry a few questions to get you pumped to see him speak.

Travel Weekly: What are you most looking forward to at Travel DAZE 2018?

Barry Mayo: Being inspired and inspiring likeminded people who have an absolute passion for the travel industry.

With such a fast moving and challenging industry, I’m always interested in hearing about industry challenges, how these are being overcome and what industry leaders define as success.

TW: The event’s theme is Kick Arse. How are you kicking arse in your current role?

BM: We are a people business and TravelManagers has evolved as Australia’s largest home-based travel network by recruiting smartly, investing and believing in our people, being financially astute and prioritising all-encompassing support for our personal travel managers.

We continually work hard to achieve this and have never taken success for granted.

TW: What’s been the most rewarding travel experience you’ve ever had and why?

BM: Working in the industry allows for such incredible travel experiences and there have been many, but for me, the most rewarding travel experiences relate to my career in that I have been very fortunate to have worked with capable and dedicated people who were professional in their approach to business and experts in their respective fields.

I’ve always been fortunate to enjoy various challenges throughout my career whether it was my time with KLM, Royal Dutch Airlines, when we launched Garuda Indonesia into the Australian market, later as Garuda’s regional director for Australia and New Zealand expanding the network and inaugurating the Garuda Orient Holidays wholesale business.

To see Bali grow and develop to be one of Australian’s favourite holiday destination and having played a role in this success, has been extremely rewarding.

TW: What message do you hope you can impart to the attendees of Travel DAZE?

BM: That the industry is constantly evolving, and that today’s norms are tomorrow’s history.

Consumers’ expectations and aspirations are constantly changing and to achieve industry success we need to constantly be looking ahead, foresee changes and be prepared, regardless of the future business environment.

I am completely confident that TravelManagers, with its business model and personal travel manager network, provides a strong foundation for continued growth and reward for its PTM partners.

TW: Who’s been your greatest inspiration in the travel industry and why?

BM: There have been many, but I would place at the forefront of these the Owner/Managers who were Harvey World Travel’s franchisees and more recently the personal travel managers who comprise TravelManagers’ individual business partners.

I admire greatly the energy, enterprise and determination of the small businesses owners and TravelManagers PTMs that typify these attributes.

Personally, there have been two inspirational leaders who have had a big impact on my career and business outlook: Wiweko Soeparno (former President Director of Garuda Indonesia) and Nick Tarsh (Trafalgar and Insight founder).

Both men were absolute professionals with incredible foresight and business acumen, complete leaders in their fields.

Travel DAZE will be held on Monday 3 September 2018 at Belvoir St Theatre. Grab yourself some tickets here.

For all other info or for a cheeky discount, contact Daisy Melwani: daisy@travelweekly.com.au.