Meet David, Chapter Leader of Gold Coast

This week in our Leader of the Pack series, we meet with David Callan, chapter leader and founding committee member of Gold Coast Travel Massive. David has been involved in the travel industry for more than 20 years now. In addition to the Gold Coast, David has lived in Brisbane, Canberra, Angers (France), Hilton Head Island (South Carolina), Sydney, Auckland & Cairns. Currently, he is working at a travel agency for Ignite Travel on the beautiful Gold Coast.

How did you first get involved with Travel Massive?  

About 3 years ago I started attending the Brisbane Travel Massive events when I was working at Wotif. I enjoyed meeting like-minded people that share my passion for our great industry, and I continued coming back. 

What makes your city a great place for Travel Massive meet-ups?

Great hotels, great bars and great restaurants. The Gold Coast has a real plethora of cool venues to choose from and they’re always keen to host! 

Who attends your events?

We’ve only been going for 4 months, and our third event is on in a weeks’ time!  So for now we have a real mix of hoteliers, industry people and travel agents. We also have a variety of bloggers and travel representatives. With that being said, be sure to check out our chapter on Travel Massive and claim your spot in the Gold Coast’s next event.  

How has Travel Massive helped you professionally?  

Travel Massive adds to my profile. I am definitely a ‘front of house,’  ‘face of the company’ type person so the Travel Massive medium really resonates with me in my role professionally. It is wonderful to meet and socialize with people I deal with professionally and to meet newcomers for more opportunity.  It helps me build rapport and makes doing business a lot easier.

Do you have any awesome ideas for future events?  

I have always been inspired by the ‘Christmas in July’ events held at The Emporium. The hotel really knows how to look after their guests and they’re sure always a crowd favourite. I hope to create something similar with our Travel Massive Gold Coast meet ups. If you’ve got any new ideas, send them my way!  

What is your best advice to a newcomer who wants to attend a Travel Massive event for the first time?  

Be yourself and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself around and make new connections!

Leader of the Pack is a monthly series that profiles the organizers and leaders of Travel Massive chapters around the world. You can get to know more about David on Travel Massive.