WHAT’S INSIDE+ Welcome

+ Introducing the Product Development Team

+ What’s been happening at SeaLink

+ SeaLink attends the Australian Tourism Exchange

+ ‘Let Yourself Go’ Campaign

+ Coming Soon

+ Come Visit Us

+ Masterchef Masterclass

PARTNERLINKINDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM NEWSLETTER + ADELAIDE

+ KANGAROO ISLAND + MURRAY RIVER

Welcome

Welcome to the first edition of PARTNER-LINK, a new look newsletter designed specifically for our Industry Partners. My name is Donna Gauci and I am the recently appointed General Manager for our group of businesses in South Australia as well as our retail holiday centres in Adelaide and Sydney.

We value our partnership with you and look forward to updating you on a regular basis. We will share with you what is new in our business, what we are doing to promote Kangaroo Island and South Australia, introduce you to our team and highlight opportunities on how we can work together.

We will be improving our communication with you and strengthening our relationships. We hope you enjoy this newsletter and look forward to working with you. Donna Gauci, General Manager, South Australia

L to R: Bronwyn Willmott, Kathryn Crisp, Jeannine Winchester, Kerri Mitchell, Dean Bagley, Jennifer Routley, Jo King and Sean Martlew

WINTER 2012

Introducing the Product Development Team

The Product Development Team is a newly formed group within SeaLink and is responsible for the product planning and execution of all SeaLink, South Australian tourism products/brands.The core business of the Product Development Team is to work with the South Australian tourism industry to contract rates for accommodation, attractions and services for the development of SeaLink’s core group of products, campaigns and retail offers.

In addition to the above, the Product Development Team ensures that details of all contracted product are made available to other groups within SeaLink, all rates are loaded in the QuickTravel reservations system and product loaded on the SeaLink website – www.sealink.com.au

A key function of the Product Development Team is to build and maintain relationships with vendors (operators) and businesses on Kangaroo Island and the Mainland. The team will continue to offer and maintain partnership programs such as the Industry Partnership Program and the Premium Partnership Program, which are designed to formalise agreements with vendors/operators at various levels, depending on the needs of the individual businesses.

Heading up the team is Dean Bagley, our Product Development Manager. Dean has been involved in the tourism industry for nearly 30 years and has worked for a number of coach touring companies such as Briscoes, Bus Australia and Dysons Bus Services as well as the South Australian Tourism Commission, Tourism Australia and recently as General Manager of The Manna of Hahndorf, a four star motel in the main street of Hahndorf. Dean started with SeaLink back in February and he has been over to Kangaroo Island to meet many of you, something that he will do on a regular basis.

Joining Dean in the team are some familiar people that you may know from their previous roles with SeaLink:

• Sean Martlew – Product Development Team Leader

• Jeannine Winchester – Product Development Coordinator

• Kathryn Crisp – Product Development Coordinator

• Jennifer Routley – QuickTravel Support Analyst

• Bronwyn Willmott – Product Development Support

• Kerri Mitchell – QuickTravel Liaison Coordinator

• Jo King – Packaging/Projects Dean Bagley, Product Development Manager

What’s been happening at SeaLink?

SeaLink is part of the SeaLink Travel Group, which is fast becoming one of Australia’s most dynamic tourism and transport companies bringing the nations’ best tourism experiences to the world.With more than 600 staff across the country, and more than two million customers annually, SeaLink has undergone a remarkable period of growth, emerging as one of the most significant players on the national tourism scene.

Today, the SeaLink Travel Group is an Australian success story with operations extending across New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia and includes much-loved brands that are highly regarded for their consistent delivery of top quality tourism experiences.

Our portfolio of brands includes:

SeaLink attends the Australian Tourism Exchange

The entire International Business Development and Sales Team from Captain Cook Cruises, SeaLink SA and SeaLink QLD travelled to Perth to attend the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE), Australia’s premier tourism industry trade event and the largest annual tourism trade show of its kind in the southern hemisphere.ATE provides a forum for Australian tourism businesses to showcase their products and establish important business links with the people and organisations that take Australian tourism to the international market place.

ATE delegates participate in business-to-business appointments and networking opportunities across the seven day event, with pre and post-famil opportunities also forming part of the program for the international buyers and media.

ATE is divided into two consecutive modules. The Eastern Module allows sellers (us) to target tourism buyers from Japan, North Asia, South and South East Asia, the Gulf Countries and India. The Western Module allows sellers to target representatives from the UK, Europe, the Americas, the UAE, South Africa, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Our SeaLink/Captain Cook team were armed with our stunning new 28-page international trade brochure & rates, which featured product here in South Australia from our SeaLink Kangaroo Island, Kangaroo Island Odysseys, Kangaroo Island Adventure Tours and Adelaide Sightseeing programs.

They had over 500 one-one-one appointments with international wholesalers and agents over the week – that sure was a lot of talking, shaking of hands and bowing!

Cruises | Tours | TransporT | aCCommodaTion | paCkages

2012 – 14

Discover Australiawith SeaLink and Captain Cook Cruises

‘Let Yourself Go’ Kangaroo Island Campaign

SeaLink recently invested in the marketing of Kangaroo Island in the interstate and intrastate markets during April, May and June. This marketing activity was designed to maximise sales opportunities generated by the extensive exposure of the destination campaign for Kangaroo Island, recently developed by the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) – Let Yourself Go.Here in the South Australian market, SeaLink advertised self-drive holiday packages and in the Sydney and Melbourne markets, we advertised a selection of packages including self-drive and touring options.

The great-value self-drive holiday packages are valid for travel all year round but to ensure we maximised all sales opportunities, we promoted ‘low-season’ rates for travel from June to the end of August 2012, in what are traditionally quieter months of the year. We contacted all Industry Partners with the option to participate in this campaign and we were delighted with the response.

Low season rates were offered as a percentage discount off contracted rates or as a bonus night offer e.g. pay for 2 and receive the 3rd night free.

SeaLink also developed a Discount Voucher Booklet with many special on-island offers which are being handed to all self-drive package customers who travel during the campaign period.

FeedbackIf you have any feedback on the campaign, we would love to hear from you. Please forward your feedback to Sean and the team at productdepartment@sealink.com.au

Let yourself go to Kangaroo Island

Self-Contained Accommodation4 days / 3 nights from $238pp*

Includes return ferry with a standard size vehicle and self-contained accommodation.

Hotel/Motel Accommodation2 days / 1 night from $217pp*

Includes return ferry with a standard size vehicle and hotel accommodation with continental breakfast.

HOLIDAY DEALS 15 May to 31 August 2012

*Conditions apply

DISCOUNT VOUCHERBOOKLET WITH EVERY SELF-DRIVE HOLIDAY BOOKED

FREE

Call 13 13 01, visit sealink.com.au or your local travel agent.

Scores of holiday ideas from $238pp*

Includes return ferry travel with your car,3 nights self-contained accommodationand a FREE discount voucher booklet.

Snuggle up with a best seller.

*Package based on twin share, per person, valid for travel from 15 May to 31 August, 2012 and includes return ferry travel for passengers and a standard size car (up to 5 metres in length).

ABN 69 007 122 367 Lic No, 64062

KANGAROO ISLAND. Let yourself go.

Kangaroo IslandDiscount Voucher BookletOffers valid to 31st December 2012

More to explore!

Come Visit Us

SeaLink is based at 440 King William Street, Adelaide which is home to our Product Development, Business Development, Marketing, Groups and Sales Centre teams. When visiting Adelaide, we welcome you to visit us at any time.Premium and Product Partners - don’t forget we can organise a ‘Meet and Greet’ with our Sales Centre team to talk about your product, which is a great way to update the product knowledge of our staff. Contact our Product Development Team for further details.

Coming Soon

• In July we will be sending you a Prospectus, which will provide information about our Industry Partnership Program for 2013/14. This detailed prospectus will outline the partnership options for your business and will ask you to send back a form confirming your interest in this program.

• In August/September, we will be confirming your partnership with SeaLink and requesting your rates for the 2013/14 year, which starts on the 1st April 2013. This is a really important part of the process of getting our Kangaroo Island Holidays brochure out early in 2013.

INTRODUCING... KERRI MITCHELL QuickTravel Liason Coordinator

Career History I have worked at SeaLink for nearly 10 years (commenced December 2002) in various roles. I began my career as a Sales Consultant in the Penneshaw Office, have worked as a Team Leader on both the island and mainland and my current role is as the QuickTravel Liaison Coordinator in the Adelaide Head Office. I work within the Product Development Department providing testing of our reservations system ‘QuickTravel’, on-training of staff, assisting with general matters and maintaining helpdesk.

Greatest Achievements: Receiving an award from the SA Ambulance for my assistance with the 2007 KI Bushfires and winning a trophy at an Angling Club for the biggest fish in junior competitions when I was a child!

Favourite Pastimes: Spending time with my family, camping and AFL Football...go the Power!

Favourite South Australian Holiday Destination:

Why Kangaroo Island of course!

Most interesting place you have visited:

Interlaken, Switzerland

Masterchef Masterclass

On Friday night 29th June, the Masterchef Masterclass episode will feature Kangaroo Island. Tonight’s Masterchef Masterclass episode was filmed on Kangaroo Island back in April. The cast and crew stayed on Kangaroo Island for around 3 days to film and travelled to many different locations around the island.

SeaLink ferries carried all of the competitors, film crew and most of the judges. It was quite a logistics exercise and thanks to Rowena Hodder from our Groups Dept who looked after the whole booking for the production company Shine Productions.

Rowena arranged coaches to pick them all up from the airport and transfer them to the ferry and also have use of our coaches on Kangaroo Island.

The main filming was done at Lifetime Private Retreats’ Sky House and Shearing Shed at Snellings Beach, with other filming at Clifford’s Honey Farm, Island Pure Sheep Dairy and Dudley Wines. Let’s hope they all feature on the show tonight!

SeaLink has taken the opportunity to place a TV commercial within tonight’s’ episode and also on Monday’s show, 2nd July.

In addition to the TV ads, we will also be advertising on the Masterchef website with ads hyperlinked to our SeaLink website. Our online ads will only be viewed by SA and Victorian online viewers and will appear from the 29th June to 5th July.

So tune in to Channel 10 tonight and watch the Masterchef Masterclass episode. If you don’t get the chance, then record it, or go online and view it later!