Graeme Haycraft & Jeremy Wilshire on Mental Health Support, Keeping Community Spirit High & Access to Recovery Resources

Mental Health Support, Keeping Community Spirit High & Access to Recovery Resources

This week on the podcast, we present episode three of the Southern NSW, Visitor Economy Bushfire Recovery Summit – Podcast Series. The episode begins with a chat I have with Graeme Haycraft.  Graeme was instrumental in leading the tourism recovery efforts on behalf of the Murrindindi and Mitchell Shire Councils, after the Black Saturday Fires of 2009. Graeme shares some …

Richard Beere on Target Markets and Best Fit Products, Building Resilience Through Diversity & The Holistic Circle Driving Consumerism

Target Markets and Best Fit Products, Building Resilience Through Diversity & The Holistic Circle Driving Consumerism

Richard Beere is the Managing Director of Fastrak Asian Solutions and the Chair of Destination Southern New South Wales. With over 40 years’ experience working in the Tourism Industry, Richard possess a wealth of knowledge. His insights are even more valuable at this period in time, as we navigate through uncharted waters, not only within the Tourism Industry, but throughout every …

Communication is Key, Recovery Tips for Operators & Consistent Messaging - Visitor Economy Bushfire Recovery Summit

Communication is Key, Recovery Tips for Operators & Consistent Messaging – Visitor Economy Bushfire Recovery Summit

This week on the ‘That Bad Review’ we present the second episode in the Southern NSW, Visitor Economy Bushfire Recovery Summit podcast series. Episode two begins with a conversation between Shannan Perry-Hall and I. Shannon is the Recovery Action Team Lead – Economic & Tourism, and the Acting Tourism Manager at Shoalhaven City Council.  We have a great chat around …

100th Episode - Frankie J Holden on: Falling in Love with the Caravan and Camping Industry, Connecting with Nature & The Future of Holiday Parks

100th Episode: Falling in Love with the Caravan and Camping Industry, Connecting with Nature & The Future of Holiday Parks

To celebrate the 100th episode of ‘That Bad Review’ podcast series, I chat with Australian actor, musician, long-standing TV host and more recently holiday park owner, Frankie J Holden. Frankie shares how he and his wife, Australian actress, Michelle Pettigrove, fell in love with the Caravan and Camping Industry. We discuss how the industry provides an opportunity for people to …

Locally-Led Recovery, Reactivating Local Economies & Building Better Futures

Locally-Led Recovery, Reactivating Local Economies & Building Better Futures

In February 2020, a Visitor Economy Bushfire Recovery Summit, was held on the South Coast of NSW, in the wake of a prolonged and devastating bushfire period. The event was hosted by Destination Southern NSW (DSNSW) and Destination Sydney Surrounds South (DSSS), with a focus on sharing strategies to support communities through a locally-led recovery process. The event also provided …

Neil James on Advantages of Workplace Learning, Industry Shaping Events & the Pitfalls of Responding to Reviews

Advantages of Workplace Learning, Industry Shaping Events & the Pitfalls of Responding to Reviews

Neil James is the Vice President of Global Customer Success at ReviewPro. ReviewPro offers accommodation providers with integrated tools and processes to increase guest satisfaction and revenue. Listeners may be surprised to hear, given my love of reviews; that Neil and I discuss issues around responding to online reviews. We chat about the unpredictability of industry altering events, and how …

Gavin Mckay on Freedom offered by Relief Management, Planning for the Big Lap & the Impact of Tourism on Regional Australia

Freedom offered by Relief Management, Planning for the Big Lap & the Impact of Tourism on Regional Australia

Gavin McKay and his wife Steph are relief managers, traveling Australia. It’s not something they fell into, it was a meticulously planned life decision, an idea hatched over thirty years ago. However, despite a well-planned itinerary, Gavin and Steph’s journey has switched directions multiple times. Their Big-Lap became more about discovery and adventure, rather than ticking off the towns on …

Justin Sheppard on Big Picture Education, the Advantages of Exploring Passions Early On & Building the Right Foundations

Big Picture Education, the Advantages of Exploring Passions Early On & Building the Right Foundations

Justin Sheppard is a Big Picture Advisor in association with Big Picture Education Australia, offering innovative programs that are revolutionising the education system.  Designed to support passionate high-school students through identifying and exploring what excites them, the program is producing incredible results. I met Justin early on in my career, snapping him and his wife up to work in one of …

Bart Easdown on Working with Family, Social Media Diluting the Human Connection & Understanding Employees

Working with Family, Social Media Diluting the Human Connection & Understanding Employees

This week on the show, I have the pleasure of chatting with a very special guest, Bartholomew Easdown. Bart is the Operations Manager for all four of the holiday parks my wife Casey & I manage, and the youngest of my brothers. A musician at heart, Bart has always felt an underlying pull towards hospitality and tourism-based roles. He has …

Karen Baldwin on Challenges within the Accommodation Industry, Guest Perspective and Prioritising Staff Needs

Challenges within the Accommodation Industry, Guest Perspective and Prioritising Staff Needs

Karen Baldwin is the owner-operator of Best Western Kennedy Drive Airport Motel, in Tweed Heads, NSW. We met at the Best Western Australasia conference, where Karen and her husband Steve won a ‘Quality and Service’ Award. The couple also proudly hold a number one in customer service award. In addition to these impressive accolades, they also boast the third cleanest …