• Travel Industry Mentor Experience launches in Auckland
  • Our first Kiwi intake to enter the program in early 2020

The Australian travel industry’s premier career accelerator has taken flight across The Ditch.

Travel Industry Mentor Experience (TIME) has activated its first international expansion by establishing a presence in New Zealand. TIME’s Kiwi program is being managed by prominent local travel industry figure, Marg Spiro.

TIME’s NZ Committee. Marg Spiro is third from the right.

At a launch event in Auckland recently, Marg introduced the renowned Australian mentoring program to the New Zealand travel industry.

“We’re thrilled to see TIME establish itself in New Zealand, and we look forward to welcoming the first intake of four participants in Auckland in November,” said Marg.

TIME NZ’s Margaret Spiro with Grant Bevin from ATPI at the launch event.

TIME committee member Andrew Bowman, a driving force behind taking the program to New Zealand, said the arrival of TIME is long-overdue.

“Perhaps we’ve been a little guilty in recent times of being profit-driven; short-term thinking,” said Andrew.

“TIME is about a longer-term approach. It’s an on-going focus on professional development. It’s a passing of the baton from one generation to the next,” he added.

Just like in Australia, the not-for-profit program relies entirely on the generous support of sponsors to deliver its tailored, structured mentoring program to ambitious travel industry professionals.

Andrew Gay, Amadeus; Gerard Murphy, Bon Voyage Travel; and Chris Jones from Discover the World at the TIME launch.

“We’re so grateful for the support of our inaugural NZ program sponsors,” said Marg.

Get to know them below.

GOLD SPONSORS

  • Air New Zealand
  • Amadeus
  • APT
  • CoverMore

GOLD PARTNERS

  • Grand Mercure Hotel
  • Tabs on Travel
  • Travelinc

SILVER SPONSORS

  • Avis
  • Francis Travel Marketing
  • United Airlines

SILVER PARTNERS

  • TA Accounting
  • Service IQ

Even though the program hasn’t even welcomed its first participant, it’s already looking beyond Auckland.

As TIME Founder, Penny Spencer, explains, “We’re incredibly proud to see the mentoring program that’s so well established in Australia, take its first international steps. We’re delighted that TIME NZ is in Marg’s capable hands as Program Manager. And once TIME is established in Auckland, we expect to quickly extend to Christchurch and beyond.”

Air New Zealand’s Leanne Geraghty with Bruce Morrison from CoverMore Insurance at TIME.

So, the call has officially gone out for New Zealand’s first ever intake of mentees.

If you know someone across The Ditch who’s ambitious and ready to take action on advancing their career through mentoring, point them to www.travelindustrymentor.co.nz or contact Marg Spiro at margaret@travelindustrymentor.co.nz

Travel-tourism-hospitality professionals are encouraged to follow TIME on Facebook and LinkedIn to keep up to date with what’s going on inside the travel industry’s premier career accelerator.