Our 2019 Judges

Kimberley Goulter, Experience Strategy Leader, Tourism & Events Queensland

Kimberley Goulter Web Res

Kimberley Goulter works in Tourism and Event Queensland (TEQ)’s Strategy, Innovation and Performance team as the Experience Strategy Leader and has spent the last 11 years of her career working in tourism development and marketing. Kim has worked across a broad range of tourism and event operators, regional and local tourism organisations and local councils across Queensland. Most recently, Kim’s role within TEQ’s Global Marketing Group has enabled her to help lead the organisation’s shift towards consumer centricity and experience based marketing, which has involved the evolution and implementation of Queensland’s experience based marketing strategy and the Best of Queensland Experiences program.
Kevin Lu - GM Rezdy
Kevin Lu Profile Pic May 2019 AKevin has spent the last 10 years in the “ResTech” space working with various shakers and movers both here in Australia and overseas.
He is passionate about making life easier through technology and is also a self-confessed pocket nerd who needs to have the latest tech!

 

Hannah Statham, Director, Media Mortar

Hannah Statham Headshot

Hannah Statham might only just clear five-foot, but she could easily enter herself in a heavy-weight content marketing competition. Her signature move? Planting a target on her audience’s back and hitting them with bullseye accuracy. As the director of Media Mortar, she’s the chief digital strategist and project lead for all Media Mortar clients, a portfolio which spans the construction, tourism and lifestyle industries. Her approach to content must be working if the Media Mortar trophy cabinet is anything to go by – with a Bronze Effie (2018) for efficient content marketing for Discover Ipswich, a Retail Marketing Award (2018) for a digital campaign with Brisbane Airport and Gold Award as QLD Tourism Young Achiever (2018). When she’s not behind the desk at Media Mortar, you’ll find Hannah walking her rescue greyhound Olivia.
Sandra Etter, Trade Development Manager, Tourism New Zealand
Da1d1fa4 2f18 44c5 Bde5 Bf74e9fd3385Originally from Southern Germany, Sandra built her sales and marketing skills working for international brands including Amazon.com and Nike across Europe. In 2004 her passion for travelling first brought her to Australasia, where she fell in love with New Zealand and its welcoming people. This initial journey had a lasting impact for Sandra, who now has over thirteen years of destination marketing experience with the New Zealand Tourism Board in both the London and Sydney offices and an extensive network of industry relations across Europe, Australia and New Zealand. In her current role as Trade Development Manager for Tourism New Zealand, Sandra continues to develop and lead the trade marketing strategy for Australia.
Campbell Shepherd, Executive Director, Lassoo
Campbell ProfileSuccessfully built a tourism company worth $50M in backpacker accommodation and travel. Managed the P&L for 36 business units across 14 locations with a combined 450 FTE’s in Australia and New Zealand. Has been in the role of CEO, Company Director, Board Member and private investor and developed a broad range of skills and knowledge predominantly focused on the Tourism Hospitality and Leisure sector.

 

Mark Leopold, Business Development Manager, Journey Beyond

Marc Leopold

As Business Development Manager, Western Markets for Journey Beyond, Marc Leopold is responsible for promoting the Journey Beyond portfolio to trade partners in North America, The United Kingdom and Europe. Marc started his career in the Tourism Industry with the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC), first working with their offices in South East Asia and then managing their relationships with Inbound Tour Operators. In his role as Inbound Marketing Manager for the SATC, Marc was also responsible
 for marketing South Australia to the Youth and Adventure Tourism Sector. With over 15 years’ experience, Marc is an industry professional with a passion for developing inbound tourism.
Becs Annan, Backpacker Youth & Adventure Tourism Association
Becs AnnanRebecca (Becs) is a Commercial Manager with over 20 years sales and marketing plus commercial experience in the hospitality, sport and tourism industries. Her career has taken her to Australia and the United Kingdom for work and she currently leads New Partnerships in the Commercial team for Netball New Zealand during the day and the GM for BYATA by night, Becs also sits on the Softball NZ Board of Directors.
Prior to Netball, she worked in the Commercial team for New Zealand Cricket and New Zealand Rugby – both world leading sporting organisations, helping both Cricket and Rugby respectively to be the best it can be within New Zealand’s highly demanding sporting landscape.
Her extensive Sales and Marketing experience has been driven by her own business – Exposed Marketing of which she’s owned for the past 23 years working with brands such as Gatorade & PepsiCo, and many tourism based businesses such as Magic Memories, Unleashed Travel, Stray Travel, BASE, Oz Experience, Kaitiaki Adventures, AJ Hackett & STA Travel.
Having travelled over 75 different countries in her time, Becs is more that experienced to commit to her role as an Adventure Tourism Judge this year….
David Morgans, Strategic Projects Director, Tourism & Events Queensland

Djm 16

David Morgans is Strategic Projects Director at Tourism and Events Queensland. David is responsible for guiding the corporation’s strategic direction in tourism product and experience development, destination management and the development of key experience sectors. David has held a number of senior management positions since he joined TEQ in 1997 and his career over the last nearly 40 years has seen him specialise in tourism experience and destination management, ecotourism, Indigenous tourism, sustainable tourism, environmental and regional planning, and protected area management.

 

Sonia Shillington, Head of Marketing, Tourism Noosa
Sonia Tourism NoosaWith over 15 years’ marketing experience for global consumer brands including MTV Networks, Mercedes-Benz and Westfield, Sonia is a modern marketer who facilitates strategic innovation within organisations to better meet consumer needs. Sonia uses behavioural economics to inform marketing decisions and has undertaken several successful digital transformation and CX restructure projects for organisations.
Sonia has worked in many east coast domestic markets and is involved in many tourism and non-tourism based industry groups to make sure she’s always learning from leaders who are at the fore-front of their respective industries. Three months in at Tourism Noosa, Sonia is passionate about supporting eco-tourism initiatives in Noosa to pioneer this space and demystifying eco-travel messages to consumers, along with re-establishing the Noosa brand and its digital footprint

 

Submission Process

How to Nominate Your Business

  • Step 1 – Nominate your business.
  • Key DatesNominations close: Mon 5 Aug
    • Complete the online Adventure Tourism Awards business nomination form.
      You may enter your business, or nominate another business for the 2019 Adventure Tourism Awards.
  • Step 2 – Confirm your nomination.
  • Key DateNomination acceptances close: Mon 5 Aug
    • Nominated businesses will receive an email invite to upload company details online and provide a company / product description of no more than 100 words.
      These details will be used for announcements at the Awards Ceremony, on website listings and in promotional material and can be used at the discretion of Adventure Tourism Awards for any promotion relating to the event.
    • Upload a logo and up-to 3 images, illustrating your company to accompany your business nomination.
      These images will ensure maximum exposure at the Awards Ceremony and online.
  • Step 3 – Ask customers to vote for you
  • Key DateVoting open: Mon 19 August-Mon 30 September
    • Your voting profile will be live at midday on Monday 19 August, 2019. Excluding non-voting categories (Innovation and Cultural), consumer votes are otherwise worth 30% of your final score. Download the Adventure Tourism Awards graphic pack – available soon (which includes posters and branding elements) to help get the word out to your customers to vote for your business!! CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
  • Step 4 – Complete online Awards Submission.
  • Key DateSubmissions close: Mon 30 Sept
    • Your awards submission (online submission pack) Unless otherwise stated your submission is worth 70% of your final score and will be judged by an independent panel of judges. Your submission is due to be completed by COB 30 September, 2019 and no changes can be made past 5pm on this day.  CLICK HERE TO ACCESS SUBMISSION FORM 
      Do not exceed 1,000 words (not including supporting text on tables and graphics).
    • Upload a maximum of 5 images to support your submission.
      Images may include infographics, graphs, charts and any images used must be for the sole purpose of supporting the submission.

Reminder of Key Dates

  • Business nominations open Monday 8 July midday
  • Business nominations close Monday 5 August midday
  • Consumer voting opens Monday 19 August midday
  • Consumer voting closes Monday 30 September midday
  • Business award submissions are due by 30 September 5:00pm

Additional Nomination and Submission Information

Nomination Requirements

The information you provide in this step will be used to determine your eligibility for the category and your consumer votes will be weighted accordingly.

    • Nominees will be awarded a weighted score based on the capacity of the business in order to enable fair comparisons across all business sizes.
    • Consumer voting shall carry 30% of the weighting to the overall score. The remaining 70% shall be based on your award submission and will be judged by an independent panel of judges. 
    • Providing false information will result in withdrawal of your nomination or submission.

Award Submission Requirements

  • Award submissions are due by 5:00pm, 30 September 2019.
  • Late submissions will not be accepted.
  • Should the business cease to operate or suspend future trade, the Chair of the Adventure Tourism Awards judging panel carries the authority to remove the submission from the category.
  • All submissions must address the five submission questions outlined in the Submission Questions section.

Judging Process

  • Consumer voting shall carry 30% of the weighting to the overall score.
  • The remaining 70% shall be based on a award submission and will be judged by an independent panel of judges.
  • All nominees will be awarded a score based on capacity of the business to enable fair comparisons across all business sizes.

Eligibility – Accreditation and Certification

Entering the 2019 Adventure Tourism Awards is subject to the following terms and conditions. By submitting your nomination or submission you are thereby agreeing to the following:

  • Nominees are required to operate a business that has a substantial and/or predominant involvement in the Backpacking, Youth and Adventure Tourism Industry in the state, territory or country for which you are nominating.
  • There is an expectation that a major focus of each nominees business activity will involve the Backpacking, Youth and Adventure Tourism Industry within Australia or New Zealand.
  • The judges reserve the right to determine whether or not a nominee and its business interests satisfy the requirement of operating a business with sufficient involvement with the Backpacking, Youth and Adventure Tourism industry and should they determine that the nominee does not meet the required criteria they may, in their absolute discretion, refuse to accept or withdraw the nomination and/or the submission.
  • Providing false information will result in withdrawal of your nomination or submission.
  • Nominees are encouraged to enter the category that best reflects their core business. If you are entering more than one category a separate and complete nomination and submission must be submitted electronically for each category. Nominees may only enter one submission in each category in which their business has a substantial involvement.
  • The judges reserve the right to determine whether or not a nominee has entered the correct category that reflects their business and should they determine that the nominee does not meet the required criteria they may, in their absolute discretion, refuse to accept or withdraw the nomination and/or the submission.
  • An entry will not be moved into another category after the closing date for the lodging of submission.
  • All nominations and award submissions must relate to activities, achievements, developments, innovations and campaigns for the period from 1 July 2018 – 30 June 2019.
  • The judges decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into concerning the decisions or the manner in which they are made.
  • In no event will the judges be held responsible for any comment, or view, whether expressed or implied concerning the suitability, standard or quality of a submission and the nominee agrees that it may not bring any action claim or demand against any of the judges in relation to such matters.
  • All submissions will be independently scored by members of the judging panel. A minimum percentage score must be achieved for a winner to be announced in a category. A single entrant in a category does not guarantee the nominee as a winning entry.
  • There is no specific requirement for nominees to be members of any associations or related bodies however all nominees must comply with any and all local, state or national compliance and regulations.
  • If at any time following the submission being lodged a business goes into administration, voluntary receivership, liquidation or bankruptcy, the nominee is required to notify the Adventure Tourism Awards coordinator and accepts that the submission will be withdrawn by the judges and no longer be eligible for an award.
  • Award submissions must be completed by by 5pm, 30 September 2019. 
  • Late submissions will not be accepted.
  • All submissions must address the five [5] submission questions stated in the Awards Submission Application.
  • By entering the 2019 Adventure Tourism Awards, you hereby authorise the use and/or reproduction of any images and the copy provided for any editorial/advertising purposes in conjunction with the Adventure Tourism Awards.

PLEASE NOTE: The following categories need not nominate or enter a submission to be eligible to win the following Awards:

  • Industry Legend Award
  • Young Industry Legend Award

Disclaimer

By entering the 2019 Adventure Tourism Awards, you hereby authorise the use of any images and the copy provided for any editorial/advertising purposes in conjunction with the Adventure Tourism Awards.

Contact

For more information, please contact the Adventure Tourism Awards team on: events@adventurequeensland.com.au