“Be Excellent!“
That was the message that greeted the participants who attended Young Tourism Network’s first professional development event of 2018.
It was a message that rang true throughout the night as those in attendance heard from Despina Karatzias and Lindsay Goding on the importance of understanding how to market yourself and your business to the world through the world wide web.
Held at Victoria University’s city campus, the evening kicked of with a passionate presentation from Despina Karatzias from the Institute of Excellence. Despina spoke of the role social media, digital and content marketing has in tourism for both individuals and businesses. Speaking from her own personal experience Despina shared amazing insights into her journey and how others can build their own brand. With her zest for learning and passion for sharing – it was a truly insightful presentation and one that resonated strongly with those in the room.
The second half of the evening took attendees down a different track to understand the complex world of Chinese social media. Lindsay Goding from GAO Group International eased the group into the cultural differences and innovative ways in which Chinese consumers engage with brands, pay for products and use online services.
The group heard how brands can be strategic in their approach when entering the market and navigate the differences we see in the truly unique way Chinese social media has grown organically into a global force of it’s own. As those in the room setup We Chat accounts, it was safe to say there was some hesitation to give personal information away to the Chinese Government! The night also launched the official YTN We Chat group which will prove to be a very steep learning curve for most.
The passion and knowledge of both speakers made a rewarding and beneficial night for all. If this wasn’t enough, we saw prizes handed out on the night from our partners at both Eureka Skydeck and presenters who received their wonderful Clementine’s gift packs. Networking drinks followed at the well-known DoubleTree by Hilton which kicked on well into the night.
This event marked the first in a series of professional development series to be hosted by new 2018 venue partner Victoria University. Next in the series the Young Tourism Network will take you on a career development journey. Grow and Glow will feature a student-friendly workshop focused on giving you a head start in the tourism industry, whether that be finding a job, dusting up on your interview skills or how to write a resume.
Check out more images from the night here