Hays Travel recently enhanced its marketing department, marking the expansion with its inaugural Connect Marketing Conference at the Sunderland head office.
This strategic move is spearheaded by Lisa McAuley, group strategy director, focused on recognising the marketing team’s efforts and fostering collaboration with key partners.
Over the past six months, Hays Travel’s marketing team has seen a significant growth of 10%, highlighting the company’s commitment to strengthening its marketing capabilities.
“We are advertising for two senior-level marketeers to join the team. These are exciting new positions that we have created to focus on cruise and long haul, areas which are of strategic priority to us,” said Lisa McAuley, group strategy director.
During the conference, Lisa McAuley outlined Hays Travel’s long-term strategic priorities and emphasized the crucial role of the marketing team in achieving these objectives.
Dame Irene Hays, the owner, also underscored the significant contribution of marketing to the company’s overall success, particularly highlighting the recent summer lates campaign, which helped the company meet its targets despite earlier challenges.
Kathleen Molloy, head of Vista sales and product, and Catriona Parsons, head of the cruise team, provided further updates on ongoing marketing initiatives.
The conference featured presentations from several external agencies that collaborate with Hays Travel on various marketing projects.
Platform 195, a digital marketing agency, showcased its work for Hays Travel, including campaigns for tourist boards in the US and Australia aimed at promoting lesser-known destinations.
ITV’s collaboration was also highlighted, particularly their joint effort on Coronation Street, which features a Hays Travel branch.
Social media specialist Emplifi shared insights on demographic shifts, noting the increasing use of TikTok by younger generations for search purposes.
The Connect Marketing Conference was designed to be highly interactive, providing numerous opportunities for engagement among participants.
“Our inaugural marketing conference was a great opportunity to meet the whole marketing team in one room,” said David McNiven, head of marketing.
One of the highlights was the ‘60 seconds to sell’ proposal, which saw colleagues from Miles Morgan Travel winning vouchers for their innovative pitch.
The conference concluded with a social gathering at the local Keel Tavern, fostering further discussions and team bonding.
With strong support from supplier partners, the conference demonstrated what Hays Travel and its partners are achieving collectively.
“With our supplier partners’ support, we were able to demonstrate what we are achieving collectively, what service and insight each partner brings, and how we leverage their expertise to make the most of opportunities,” McNiven added.
The peaks planning session, which included a mix of voices, generated excellent ideas and saw great engagement from all participants.
Hays Travel’s inaugural Connect Marketing Conference successfully underscored the importance of strategic collaboration and the critical role of marketing in driving the company’s growth.
The expansion of the marketing team and the insights shared during the conference reflect Hays Travel’s commitment to maintaining its competitive edge in the travel industry.
