Club Med kicks off industry first home based agent conference in sunny Bali

Club Med kicks off industry first home based agent conference in sunny Bali
By Zach Havard


Club Med is hosting its inaugural home-based agent conference (HBA) at its stunning Bali resort this week with more than 60 agents from across Australia.

HBA is a purpose-built conference crafted by Club Med exclusively for home-based advisors aiming to strengthen relationships with home-based agents by addressing their unique needs and ambitions.

Taking place over three days at Club Med Bali, HBA 2024 features keynote speakers and industry experts, covering topics such as brand-building, AI applications, influencer collaboration and business growth.

Through hands-on workshops on social media photography and niche marketing, delegates will gain practical skills to amplify their personal brand and expand their market presence, aligning with Club Med’s evolving strategy for future success.

Richard Taylor, ATIA 

Richard Taylor took to the lectern first up to give agents an update on what exactly the Australian Travel Industry Association does to help agents and what the benefits of being an individual member of ATIA are.

“What can we do as a collective to make that really valuable for you?” he asked.

Taylor then delved into ATIA’s slew of new initiatives it unveiled at the Beyond Borders conference just under a fortnight ago.

ATIA unveils slew of new initiatives set to reshape Australian travel sector

He left agents with four key messages:

  1. You are part of a strong industry
  2. Get involved
  3. The Government is continuing to learn why travel matters
  4. We (ATIA) are here to support this event, ‘I think it’s a great opportunity to meet and mingle with people from all across the industry this week.’

Kristina Karlsson – Dream Life 

Kristina Karlsson, Dreamlife.

Kristina Karlsson is a Swedish entrepreneur who founded Swedish stationary brand ‘kikki.K’ after moving to Australia and not knowing where to go with her career. After convincing her husband to sell his house in order to open her first store, kikki.K went from strength to strength securing private investments and opening 120 stores across five countries and online sales to over 150 countries.

After facing the toughest of times during the COVID pandemic, Kristina parted ways with kikki.K which, although heartbreaking, opened new doors.

Now working alongside a small creative team, Karlsson is on a mission to inspire and empower people the world over to discover and chase their dreams.

Her message was clear – growth comes from all the mistakes and all the failures.’

“What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” she asked, “so many of us are so scared of failing that we don’t actually make our dreams happen.”

Karlsson also revealed her top three learnings for a strong business:

  1. Dream big: Do something you love and set a crystal clear vision.
  2. Build a great time: inspire them with you vision and purpose. Create a great culture.
  3. Mindset is everything: treat yourself well!

Guests were then treated to an engaging self-coaching session, part of Karlsson’s new DreamLife business.

101 Dreams Workshop by Kristina Karlsson.

Evie Farrell – Building a community and a personal brand online 

Evie Farrell is a travel journalist, author and influencer navigating the world as a solo mum while sharing authentic content about travel, parenting, family, and lifestyle. Through her blog and social profile, she documents adventures with her daughter both at home and abroad, fostering genuine engagement with an online audience recommending best services and experiences.

Evie began her own business, Mumpack Travel, as a way to use her travel expertise to help solo mothers and women experience the world and has since built a community of 131,000 followers on Instagram (as well as other social media platforms) and is frequently asked to appear on TV with Sunrise or ABC Radio to share her knowledge.

Zooming in from Club Med Kani in the Maldives where she is hosting a trip with 38 women, Farrell spoke to delegates about the importance of building an online community.

“One of the key things about building your community is that you are seen as a trusted advisor and an expert in your field,” she said.

Her key tips for delegates in the audience wanting to build their online profile was to; know their audience, commit to building a personal brand and focus on creating a community.

Discovering digital marketing

Club Med’s trade marketing manager, Chiara Burdo wrapped up the day with a hands-on Digital Marketing Workshop for agents, offering tools and strategies designed to empower them in the digital landscape.

It came as no surprise to see agents typing at light-speed to note every last bit of social media marketing information in this session!

Agent’s soaking up the digital marketing workshop information.

The session focused on providing agents with an overview of the opportunities presented by online photo editing suite, Canva.

With step-by-step guidance on developing their first (very own) digital marketing asset, agents given the opportunity to bounce ideas and challenges off the Club Med team who were floating around the room to provide support. 

And that’s a wrap on day one!

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