NORTHERN BALL 2014
DSD’s Lee Burns sings the praises of Northern Ball
With just two weeks to go until the Round the World-themed Travel Weekly Northern Ball at The Point in Manchester on September 18, we asked Lee Burns about headline sponsor Do Something Different’s plans for the fun-packed agent event:
Q. This year the Northern Ball is taking us around the world. What are your team’s favourite places across the globe and why? A. I like to skinny-dip in the Lakes, Annabel loves to drink chablis in Paris, Lucy is a big kid and will always head to the rollercoasters in Orlando, and Keeley’s favourite place is anywhere where they ‘drop it like it’s hot’!
Q. Do you have your fancy dress sorted? Can you give us a sneak preview of what to expect? A. We’re going as Amish folk. We feel they are an under-represented people in America and Lancaster
“It’s a chance to invite our agency partners and thank them for their support”
County Tourism chucked us a few quid to promote them.
Q. The Northern Ball is a great opportunity to engage with agents in the north and midlands. Why is that important for you? A. We love the Northern Ball! So much so, we have been the headline sponsor for the last three years to make sure we get front-row seats for all the action! It’s our opportunity to let
our hair down, invite our travel agency partners and thank them for their continued support. This includes our great friends at Walt Disney World, SeaWorld Parks and Universal Resorts, who all join us for a fabulous night of laughter, dancing, entertainment, questionable hosting by the DSD team, and definitely some mixing of drinks!
All shook up: Lee Burns and Annabel Cove, both Do Something Different
Q. The event falls in one of the peak selling periods of the year. What are your current focuses in terms of product? A. Well, despite the name, the team here at DSD loves theme parks and it’s what we do best! Holidaymakers really can
DoSomethingDifferent.com every day. We provide our agent partners with turnstile-ready tickets at exclusive rates only available to the UK market, which ensures their customers receive the best product and service. That said, I must mention the 2,000-plus attractions and experiences shaped very much by the growing demand from our agents for genuinely authentic and fun experiences. These
sorts of experiences include hot-air ballooning at dawn over the Australian bush, recording sessions in a studio in London, learning how to dance on ice, hassle-free city passes with free transportation or VIP entry to the hottest clubs on the Las Vegas Strip.
Q. The Northern Ball is renowned as one of the biggest parties of the year. Do you have any particular memories of previous events (that are printable...)? A. Annabel and me (wearing a white, sequinned Elvis jumpsuit), dancing and singing Hound Dog on stage with a Rockaoke band. The Elvis suit totally distracted onlookers from the trip Annabel had over the bass player’s wire, just before I flung her into the air using a dodgy dance move seen once in the 1950s!
Q. What are you doing for agents at the moment? A. We’re always trying to think of fun new ways to incentivise our agents to ‘do something different’. Currently, we’re offering one lucky agent a thrillseeker’s dream holiday for two to PortAventura, including flights, four nights’ accommodation and park passes.
NEXT WEEK We talk to Tim Locke of headline sponsor Mark Warner
4 September 2014 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 35
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