Wings Abroad was named Supplier of the Year,for the second successive year, at Travel Centres’ annual conference, held at the Killeshin Hotel in Naas last weekend. The runner-up was BookaBed.
It was largest ever conference for the Travel Centers group, headed up by Dominic and Bernie Burke, the group now has 74 members.
With morning sessions closed and lunch sponsored by United Airlines the afternoon kicked off with a presentation by Niall Strickland with a Health Check on SME businesses and how to translate a winning formula to success in the management of small businesses.
Niall then interviewed Ciara Mooney of Freedom Travel and looked forward to her hopes to 2016 back to the present and to where Ciara saw her business and personal life developing in the next 3 years – a very interesting exercise with Ciara’s ambition for €100,000profit, a new house and very smart car all in the future plans.
Niall was followed by Michael Collins of Travel Mediawho explored Social Media’s place in the fast developing Facebook and Twitter media in the modern world.
The afternoon was completed by Dr. Mark Rowe a family physician based in Waterford. Mark gave the audience a prescription for happiness that was both interesting and relevant to the hectic world we all live and compete in:
Prescription for happiness
. Express gratitude regularly
. Set and work towards goals
. Cultivate optimism
. Be more kind
. Become more self aware
. Savour more
. Create more flow experience
. Nurture your relationships
. “Exercise” the greatest pill of all – daily
. Value your time
. Live in the moment
. Laughter – take daily
. Choose happiness
Take these regularly and repeat for life enhancing vitality.
Wines for the Friday night dinner were sponsored by Hertz.
There was a real buzz around the Saturday workshop and the format of 15 minute speed dating sessions with each supplier worked really well- some sore heads and lots of talk around the room. Lunch with a Mexican theme was sponsored by Royal Caribbean.
Sponsors for the Saturday night Gala dinner included MSC Cruises 1STS, Silversea Cruises and TravelCube.
