Agent Diary: ‘It was fantastic to come together under one roof at The Hays Travel Retail Conference’

The event reminded us that if we seek opportunities and work together, we will triumph says Hays Travel Gateshead branch manager Colin Burns

Well, what a week that was. Hays Travel Retail Conference, you did not disappoint!

After three long and challenging years, Hays Retail branch managers, regional sales managers, senior managers, board members and our fantastic suppliers all came together under one roof. I have said several times over the last year how important it was that we stuck together as an industry as travel bounced back, and it is great to see that is now happening.

As part of the opening presentations there was a fantastic tribute to John that celebrated his legacy and how we all strive to continue it

It’s important we look back at the events of the last three years as well as forward to the future, and as part of the opening presentations there was a fantastic tribute to John that celebrated his legacy and how we all strive to continue it. While emotional, this really set the scene for what we needed to get out of the coming days.

Presentations on the first day brought us all up to date with where the business is and included key messages on where we need to get to, including some great information from Hays departments and suppliers on how, together, we can achieve these goals.

Finding opportunities

One session included a short video with the theme ‘What if the worst thing that happened, turned out to be the best?’, which demonstrated how you can find opportunities if you look for them, no matter how bleak things may appear.

The trade exhibition was a great learning experience as well as an opportunity to renew relationships with friends we had not seen for so long

In terms of working together, the trade exhibition was a great learning experience as well as an opportunity to renew relationships with friends we had not seen for so long, and have some fun! Having the opportunity to visit who I felt would be most beneficial to me was a bonus.

The learning doesn’t always have to be complicated – simple things like hints and tips on how to get the best out of a website (thank you, Kelly and Justin, from Attraction World) or an introduction to a product you don’t know anything about (thank you, David, from ChilliMix) can be just as worthwhile.

Bouncing back

Day three included more key messages around Hays Travel strategies and presentations from headline sponsors, along with an important lesson from Attraction World’s Justin Mahoney: if you’re going to run onto the stage dressed as Mufasa from The Lion King and jump around while singing I Just Can’t Wait to be King, you need to do some fitness training first!

Of course, it wasn’t all work; in true travel industry style, there were plenty of opportunities to play hard too. Fancy-dress night never disappoints, and the ‘music through the decades’ theme saw some amazing efforts from everyone.

We’ve been through an awful lot and we are not out of the woods yet, with further challenges including energy price rises and cost‑of-living crisis to face

The final night played host to a gala dinner, an evening of glamour complete with snazzy jackets and sparkly frocks. For me it was the most relaxed night of the conference as all the business sessions were done.

Now that we’re all back in our shops, it’s important we don’t let the messages of those three days fade. We’ve been through an awful lot and we are not out of the woods yet, with further challenges, including energy price rises and the cost‑of-living crisis to face, but if we all keep looking for those opportunities we can ensure that, together, we can continue to bounce back.

Oompa Loompa? No, that was me

Those who know me will know I don’t normally dance at these events, but after being coaxed onto the dance floor by Dame Irene at the gala dinner, I got a taste for it. In fact, I thought I was doing pretty well, so I continued into the night. I have just been shown some video evidence to the contrary, however, which has reminded me just why I don’t normally partake.

Picture, if you can, a scene where an Oompa Loompa is trying to do The Birdie Song dance but is really struggling with the timing. Yup, that’s me. To make it worse, I was wearing a pair of hotel fluffy slippers as my feet were killing me. What a sight!