NORTHERN BALL 2014
The Northern Ball is nearly here…see you next week!
With just a week to go until the Round the World-themed Travel Weekly Northern Ball at The Point in Manchester, we spoke to Tim Locke, head of sales and marketing (back row, right), about headline sponsor Mark Warner’s plans for the event:
Q. This year the Northern Ball is taking us around the world? What are your team’s favourite places around the world and why? A. Luckily as a team we get to travel a lot and we all love seeing new places and experiencing new cultures. Jen ‘agency sales’ Neuschaffer is a keen diver, so she is always on the hunt for clear, warm waters teeming with wildlife. For her it’s all about the Caribbean (surprise, surprise) and in particular the Cayman Islands. Emilia ‘social media’ Berni is from good Italian stock, so Italy is the obvious answer; the scenery, the people and of course the food. I love the mountains in the sun or the winter – it’s all about the activities for me.
Q. Do you have your fancy dress sorted? Can you give us a sneak preview of what to expect? A. Think lederhosen, beer, The Sound of Music and schnitzel…
Q. The Northern Ball is a great opportunity to engage with agents in the north and the midlands. Why is that important for you? A. With the continuing popularity of our Birmingham and Manchester flights we see the north and midlands as an enduring opportunity for us. There are a countless number of strong agents in the north and midlands, and we want to continue our great relationship with them in
the future. The Northern Ball is a great place to meet new people and make interesting business contacts in a social environment all looking like idiots in fancy dress!
Q. The event falls in one of the peak selling periods of the year. What are your current focuses? A. With the summer 2014 season coming to an end we are all champing at the bit to get stuck into the ski season. We have a fabulous new hotel in Zell am See, Austria, which offers our guests luxury accommodation in beautiful surroundings and links to some fabulous skiing. We are keen to focus on beginners and get people on their first ski holiday so hopefully they can love the sport
“The Northern Ball is a great place to meet new people in a social environment all looking like idiots in fancy dress”
as much as we do. For agents, we have some great early booking discounts and remember all extras are commissionable.
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. The dance floor! Need we say more?
Q. What are you doing for agents at the moment? A. With the lovely Jen now on board she is roving around the UK meeting new agents and cementing relationships with valued agencies. We want to spread the Mark Warner word and educate agents on the value of our product and dedication to our guests. We are continuing to offer bespoke agent incentives with great results. Seeing is believing and we love taking agents to see our hotels. We have four fam trips to the slopes and the beach in the pipeline for 2015 – so watch out.
Q. What song do you hope to hear during the fantastic Northern Ball after-party? A. We love a bit of 90s dance… How about some Haddaway?
11 September 2014 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 53
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