Travel IQ Launches in Australia – Meet the founder Martin Kelly

Travel IQ is a one-day event coming on October 24th in Sydney that celebrates the business of travel and features a full-day program packed with industry leaders.

Martin Kelly is a member of our Sydney chapter and is the mastermind of Travel IQ. He is a journalist and publisher of Australian-focused industry news website TravelTrends.biz. He’s also an avid surfer and when he’s not creating travel industry conferences you can find him on a surfboard.

In this Q&A, Martin share what can we expect from the event as well as some insights of the Australia’s travel scene.

Join Martin on October 24th in Sydney for Travel IQ – Australia’s travel business and investment conference. The spots are limited.

Travel IQ – Tell us what it’s about?

Travel IQ is a one-day event that features a fantastic program packed with travel industry leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators. The conference has been specifically designed for people who own, run, market or manage travel and tourism businesses.

The aim is that delegates will leave with a better understanding of where they’d take their business.

The cost is reasonable, the ROI high. Moreover, seats are strictly limited with just 135 seats, ensuring everyone who comes receives maximum value and can properly engage with fellow attendees.

Why do do you think Australia (as a tiny country) produces globally recognized travel brands?

I think there are several reasons.

Australians are obsessive travelers and have been forever – the industry is in our DNA.
Australians are more switched on and connected than many give us credit for.
Isolation breeds innovation.
To scale, Australian companies must have a global strategy – there’s no choice in the matter, because our domestic market is relatively small.

Where is the biggest threat to Australian-based travel businesses coming from?

Interesting question, very broad-based. I’d say there’s no one threat but many. That said, forward-looking travel companies (assuming they are consumer facing) should be able cope provided they have a sound business plan and a diversified customer growth strategy that is not based on using Google or the OTAs as the primary marketing/distribution channels.

Can Australian startups still thrive despite international competition? Are all the good ideas gone?

I think Travel Massive is an excellent example of an Australian startup that demonstrates the power of a good idea evolving into a global brand due in no small part to the relentless dedication and enthusiasm of its founder.

There are several other Australian startups with strong momentum and I look forward to following their progress over the next couple of years.