One night in Hamilton, two days in the Barossa Valley, four nights on the Sunshine Coast, a weekend in Perth, and a week in Auckland. No, it’s not the itinerary of an enthusiastic holiday maker. It’s next month’s schedule of face-to-face meetings, site inspections and famils for the ever-busy PCO.
Whether it’s off to an exotic location to check out a new hotel and sip cocktails, or to a conference in the city to meet up with clients and do the rounds of an exhibition, travelling is par for the course for many people in the meetings industry. And from the outside looking in, what a great gig they have because of it! Countless Australians would list travelling as one of their favourite pastimes, and would be envious to find that meetings experts have the opportunity to jet-set about the country (and get paid for it) month in, month out as part of their regular occupations.
But is travelling for business all it’s cracked up to be? To find out how other people in the industry view travelling for business and if any of them are crying out for a desk job, read the following pages.
Out of town
The chance to embark on a few business trips a month, live out of a suitcase and miss home-cooked meals is received in different ways by different people in the industry. Some see travelling as a perk, where others just see it as a nuisance.
Like or dislike the travelling aspect of different roles, there’s no denying that being away from home for an extended period of time ultimately has some impact on your lifestyle.
When you’re out of town and travelling around the globe, life around your house carries on without you. Your grass continues to grow, your kids have birthdays, your friends have parties, your football team carries on playing on Sundays, and your partner still puts his or her feet up on the coffee table when watching one of many American good cop bad cop television shows.
According to a survey commissioned by Microsoft and conducted by research group The Leading Edge in May 2005, the average Australian business traveller spends 30 percent of their working year out of their home city due to face-to-face meetings and the travel time needed to get to those meetings.
Of the 300 Australian employees and managers questioned, 87 per cent said that business travel added to their working hours, while over half (54 per cent) said that out-of-city travelling for meetings had a negative impact on their personal lives.
The impact that business travel has on individuals will vary according to their home life, their routines and their commitments. Frequent travelling may interrupt the routine of a gym-junkie who is married with three kids and teaches macramé to a group of 20 each Saturday morning. But for a single person living alone in a studio-apartment with no pets, sporting obligations or dietary requirements, the concept of constant travel may be welcomed with open arms.
Maintaining a schedule
For event and sponsorship manager of The Full Pretzel, Julie Allen, also known as “the gypsy” to her family and friends, travelling is an unavoidable part of her job.
Based out of South Melbourne, the socialising, gym-going mother of three (plus cat) says her home life is as busy as her work life. And since entering the MICE industry over 18 years ago, Ms Allen says her motto has become “Have a passport and a bag you can pack in five minutes at the ready”.
“I always knew there would be a lot of travelling in this job, and I accepted it early on. I enjoy everything about travelling – the packing, going to the airport, sitting in the club lounge, the plane food, living out of a suitcase, going to unusual places, meeting unusual people, trying new things. I do it whenever I can.”
Before she established her own business, Ms Allen would travel for business two to three times a month. Six years into running The Full Pretzel, she says she only gets out one or two days a month now.
But being absent from home, if only for a few days, can still have impact on her life, says Ms Allen.
“Recreational pursuits often slip as a result of the stress of work, but I try to maintain a schedule.
“My partner used to be in hospitality so he tends to understand the hours I work and the amount of travel I do. The kids often don’t understand. And the animals understand even less!
“Plus when I’m away, I miss sleeping in my own bed, sharing things with my partner, like his cooking, and spending time with the family.”
But even with the delayed planes and the jet lag in mind, Ms Allen says she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Juggling travel and family
Spending about one month of the year travelling for business, managing director of I AM EVENTS, Michelle Bordignon finds herself trekking up and down the eastern seaboard to meet clients, manage conferences and inspect sites.
Ms Bordignon has been in her current role based in Spring Hill, Queensland, for five years and in the industry for 15. No stranger to the concept of frequent business travel, she says travelling is glamorous – if you’re single.
“Prior to starting I AM EVENTS, I was travelling around the world three or four times a year with my previous job. It was wonderful! And the travel requirements of the role didn’t worry me. My only concern was what to buy duty-free!” Ms Bordignon says.
However, now that she has a husband, two young daughters and her own business to look after – her time stretched thinly across all three – Ms Bordignon says the prospect of travelling is less appealing to her these days.
“Being married with children and travelling, I need to consider my family. When I travel for work, it’s all about being super organised. In fact, it can take weeks to get organised before I go away!”
When she travels for work, Ms Bordignon has a “bump in / dismantle plan” for her two children, six-year-old Isabella and two-year-old (“going on 20!”) Sofia, outlining where her kids will be staying the nights she is away. Her husband also works full time in the business, so there are times where the two of them are out of town simultaneously.
“We are lucky to have wonderfully supportive parents, who assist with caring for our children. Without their support we wouldn’t be able to do the hours we do.
“In some instances I will insist that the children travel with us so I can see them. In fact, Sofia was only three days old when she was bundled into a car to travel with me to a conference on the Gold Coast. She lived in the registration booth for three days!
“However, sometimes that doesn’t work out.”
When travelling alone, Ms Bordignon communicates with her family several times a day via email, SMS and mobile phone calls.
“When the girls are at home with their dad they will sometimes take a video of themselves and send via mobile phone to me so I can see what they are up too! Good night kisses via mobile are the best!”
Although she likes the travelling aspect of her role, especially when it leads to good night sleeps with no children, in-house movies, long baths and time to herself, Ms Bordignon does admit it places additional pressures on her home life.
“Being away from family and all the organising you have to do before you go makes it tough. That and the fact you come home exhausted!”
She also recently missed celebrating her daughter’s sixth birthday because she was away at a conference.
“It was sad, but I made up for it with spoiling her on my return.
“Friends say we’re crazy but for us it’s a lifestyle choice.
“Even though we might be away some parts of the year, we like the fact being in our own business affords us the option to drop our eldest daughter off to school together, go to sports days as a family, etc.”
Q: How much time do you spend travelling as part of your role?
A: I travel several times a month. This includes event research on behalf of Conference Works clients, client meetings with interstate committees, familiarisation tours and attending tradeshows.
Q: Which destinations do you travel to for business purposes?
A: That depends where our client’s events are heading! I often find myself in Brisbane or Sydney on a regular basis. At the moment we have clients with events planned for China, Hong Kong and Singapore – which has meant a visit to each.
Q: What were your initial impressions of the travelling you’d be required to do in your role?
A: I always thought I would love travelling for business. The whole packing cases, laptops, phone and bolting to planes thing! Fast-paced and maybe even a bit glamorous!
Q: Have you feelings of business travel since changed?
A: The reality hit home pretty quickly that it’s not really glamorous at all. I still enjoy travelling and especially meeting new people.
Q: What sort of lifestyle do you lead outside of work?
A: At this stage of my life my work seems to be all-consuming! In my spare time I work out at the gym. And living in Melbourne I often end up sitting in bars and restaurants with friends for far too many hours, which has ended up in the occasional 6am club exit walk of shame. I also enjoy escaping for the weekend in regional Victoria, with a spa visit high on the agenda.
Q: How does business travel impact your lifestyle?
A: The first thing to go is the gym. It doesn’t work for me when I travel. I do enjoy the social aspects of travelling with clients as it provides the best opportunity to get to know each other personally. I also enjoy catching up with industry colleagues. Although in some Asian destinations this can be exhausting, with acceptances to attend breakfasts, lunches, dinners and any other invitations seen as a must.
Q: Do you keep in touch with family and friends when you’re away?
A: Constantly. I always make sure I can be emailed and can send emails where ever I am. I have a blackberry which is a great help and I also tend to call regardless of the bill!
Q: What do you miss when you’re not home?
A: The dog, family and friends, and my own bed.
Q: What do you enjoy about the travelling aspect of your role?
A: Seeing new spots, meeting new people and socialising.
Q: How much time do you spend travelling as part of your role?
A: It differs from year-to-year depending on which interstate conferences are on. However I’m probably away at least once a month. From September to November, I could be away for 10 days to two weeks at a time working, with a couple of days at home/work in between.
Q: Which destinations do you travel to for business purposes?
A: Mainly Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and occasionally New Zealand. Intrastate travel in Tasmania is also time-consuming though. A two-hour meeting in Launceston can take up the whole day. One way, it’s a two and a half hour drive (200kms) – and at the end of the day it can be very tiring.
Q: What were your initial impressions of the travelling you’d be required to do in your role?
A: As the business owner I’m prepared to fly anywhere to grow my business. For the most part I enjoy the travel. Plane delays at 11.00pm at night when you’re sitting at the airport waiting to get home are pretty ordinary. That’s why I have a Qantas Club membership. The Qantas lounge is good, at least I can relax, shower, make some calls in the local area, read, and sleep.
Q: Have your feelings of business travel since changed?
A: Not really. I try to combine a number of appointments when I travel so that I optimise my time and costs as much as possible. It’s also good for my clients who often cover the charge of the travel. It reduces the cost and makes us more competitive.
Q: What sort of lifestyle do you lead outside of work?
A: I generally work six days a week for about eight months of the year which doesn’t leave a lot of time for hobbies. I fit three walks a week in with my dog Molly, and unfortunately that’s about it! I catch up with friends fairly infrequently, but when I do, I really enjoy it.
Q: How does business travel impact your lifestyle?
A: My husband is very understanding and puts up with a lot. My daughter has grown up with it, so she’s used to it. We’re all pretty independent and supportive of one another, and not particularly precious about a tidy house or washing up being left in the sink!
Q: How much time do you spend travelling as part of your role?
A: I have made a conscious decision to reduce my travelling time this year. I’ve been successful in getting it down to 18 days this calendar year. It would normally be at least double this amount.
Q: Which destinations do you travel to for business purposes?
A: East Coast of Australia (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne) and Perth. Auckland, Beijing and Singapore have been international destinations this year.
Q: What were your initial impressions of the travelling you’d be required to do in your role?
A: Everyone starts out the same way. Domestic travel is seen as glamorous until you need to do it extensively. International travel is then seen as exciting, until it too becomes a regular feature in earning a livelihood.
Q: Have your feelings of business travel since changed?
A: Travel is a means to an end, unless you are fortunate enough to visit a place for the very first time and then it becomes a little intriguing. That is if you’re not confined to airports, cabs and hotel rooms due to short deadlines.
Q: What sort of lifestyle do you lead outside of work?
A: I spend an increasing amount of time playing with my kids and working on their education. I have also started home-brewing beer. The rest of my time is spent with extended family due to illnesses and the challenges that life brings!
Q: How does business travel impact your lifestyle?
A: Travel is a challenge for maintaining any relationship. But, by comparison to many of my clients I have it relatively easy. There are some customers who literally spend 300 days a year away from home. As technology improves, nothing substitutes for the simple phone call to friends and family to stay in touch.
Q: What do you miss when you’re not home?
A: Rude early awakenings and bed-wetting incidents with the tribe.
Q: What do you enjoy about the travelling aspect of your role?
A: Time to think and to be more strategic. Seeing the occasional new place for the first time.
Q: What do you dislike about it?
A: Being away from the racket of a full household.
Q: How much time do you spend travelling as part of your role?
A: My role with Cairns & Region Convention Bureau (CRCB) involves a considerable amount of international and domestic travel as well as travel within our region with media and trade famil groups. And although my position takes me to many wonderful destinations, one of the aspects I enjoy most is travelling around our own region – I never tire of it.
Q: Which destinations do you travel to for business purposes?
A: Nationally (mostly the eastern seaboard) and internationally to our primary markets i.e. Japan, Asia, North America and UK/Europe.
Q: What were your initial impressions of the travelling you’d be required to do in your role?
A: I thought it was an exciting opportunity to visit new destinations, particularly in the Asian region where I hadn’t travelled to.
Q: Have your feelings of business travel since changed?
A: I still love travelling for my position, and over the years it’s only become more enjoyable as returning to destinations on a regular basis enables me to catch up with the many contacts I have made.
Q: What sort of lifestyle do you lead outside of work?
A: If I have no work commitments my husband and I tend to have very quiet weekends enjoying being at home with our own veggie garden, home-style cooking, long walks and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. Living in such a popular destination we do have many family and friends visiting us especially during their winter months which gets us out exploring the region.
Q: How does business travel impact your lifestyle?
A: Because I travel quite frequently I really do appreciate my time at home and the opportunity to unwind and relax in a warmer climate.
Q: Do you keep in touch with family and friends when you’re away?
A: Having lived in many places our friends are based all over the globe. Travelling definitely provides a great opportunity to catch up with family and friends and with email it is so much easier to stay in touch!
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