What did you want to be when you grew up: A bus driver. Your first job: Packing and cleaning in a local fruit and vegetable shop on Saturdays.
Your first pay packet: $25 (cash in hand).
Your first break: Cadetship with the NRMA, which presented me with an opportunity to work in their travel and touring division, giving me the passion to continue my career in travel and tourism. Describe your current role: To deliver incremental conference and meetings business into Choice Hotels, under the Clarion, Quality Hotels and Comfort Inn Brands within the Australia and New Zealand market.
The best part of your job: That every day is different and offers new opportunities. The variety of activity in the role means that one day I’m with working with existing or prospect customers, and the next day I’m working closely with franchisees within the Choice Hotels group to grow conference and meetings business into their properties and destinations.
The worst: The challenge at times in managing the expectation of a diverse and widely spread group of properties.
Who has inspired you: My family who have offered me support throughout my career.
Your best quality: The ability to adapt to changes within an industry that has gone through a lot of new direction over the years in distribution channels and how business is conducted in general.

EMMA CIAVARELLA
SALES AND MARKETING EXECUTIVE
NOOSA SPRINGS GOLF RESORT AND SPA

Emma Ciavarella has been appointed sales and marketing executive of the Noosa Springs Golf Resort and Spa. Ms Ciavarella has been appointed to the newly created position to concentrate on the growing conference market. Emma brings a wealth of experience to the role having worked previously for Rydges Hotels and Resorts both in Melbourne and Sydney in a conference manager and business development role, with the primary focus being on the conference and events market.

DAVID ROSE
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY AND NEW MARKETS
TTNQ

David Rose has been appointed director of strategy and new markets at Tourism Tropical North Queensland. Mr Rose brings to TTNQ extensive tourism industry experience. After a successful career in newspaper and broadcast journalism he transferred his communication skills to the travel and tourism sector, taking up positions with Northwest Airlines, the Australian State Tourism Organisations of Tourism NSW and Tourism Tasmania, and also as senior manager of communications with the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade). Following this Mr Rose returned to the UK to work as the managing director of one of the country’s leading destination marketing companies. 

RICHARD CROUCH
DIRECTOR OF SALES, NEW ZEALAND
MILLENNIUM HOTELS AND RESORTS

Richard Crouch has been appointed director of sales, New Zealand for Millennium Hotels and Resorts. He joins Millennium from BTI New Zealand where he was national commercial manager, responsible for the management of the sales team based in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. He has previously worked with Flight Centre in their corporate travel management arm Corporate Traveller (now FCM), and prior to this he spent 10 years in the hotel industry in New Zealand and Australia in sales and concierge roles.

SINEAD TAYLOR
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE
FUSION MARKETING

Sinead Taylor has been appointed business development executive of Fusion Marketing. Ms Taylor’s focus will be to continue to develop relationships and drive business into the Victorian and southern states corporate market on behalf of Fusion’s portfolio of clients. She has a strong sales and account management background joining the company from an account management role with Infinity, a leading promotional products supplier, and has also worked as an account manager for corporate sales for Optus Telecommunications.

ELSA BRADBURY
MANAGER
ENERGY EVENTS CENTRE

Elsa Bradbury has been appointed to manage Rotorua’s new Energy Events Centre which opens its doors for business this month (February). For the last five years Ms Bradbury has been manager of the business development team at the Wellington Convention Centre, which encompasses the Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Town Hall and TSB Arena. She brings a wide range of experience to the new position along with excellent events industry knowledge and networks.

HEATHER GORDON
DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING
SOFITEL FIJI RESORT & SPA

Heather Gordon has been appointed the director of sales and marketing at the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa, based at the five-star resort on Denarau Island in Fiji. Ms Gordon’s impressive career in sales and marketing for hotels and resorts spans almost 20 years. Her most recent previous role was director of sales and marketing for luxury New Zealand boutique hotel, The George, located in Christchurch and a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group. At the George, her primary focus was the USA, UK and Australian leisure market.

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