• Melbourne’s TIME network catches up on the rooftop at The Travel Corporation.
  • Presentations, refreshments and networking under a Melbourne summer evening sky.

The lively gathering of ambitious travel, tourism and hospitality professionals were treated to an evening of inspired presentations, tasty victuals and refreshing libations with industry folk with a common passion for mentoring and career development.

“We had such a great turn-out”, said TIME’s Melbourne convener, Intrepid’s Brett Harvey.

“TIME brings people together from all over the travel, tourism, hospitality and aviation industries. Our event was proof of that once again with tour operators, visa service providers, retail and mobile travel consultants and more joining us on The Travel Corporation’s fabulous rooftop”, added Brett.

Under a perfect evening summer sky with spectacular views over Albert Park lake, leadership & management consultant Sandy Colombo emceed the event. Sandy introduced TIME’s renowned mentoring program to the first-timers, before handing over to the night’s guest presenters, Graeme Riches and Peter Topping.

Riches, The Travel Corporation’s People & Culture Leader, detailed his vast experience in HR across numerous industries, and the importance of mentoring.

Peter Topping is a TIME program Mentor with a 30-year career that has taken him to all parts of the industry from retail travel, tele-sales, technology and teaching.

“In 1998, I moved to Melbourne and into a job with Sabre working on a projects ranging from preparing for Y2K, a new system called Tramada, something called the Traveland Project, deploying systems, and a test project that delivered GDS via the web. However, that was shut down as the powers-that-be could not see how the internet might work in travel”, said Topping.

“I loved that job”, he added.

Despite whimsically describing a flurry of technology roles from which he was ‘let go’ for one reason or another, Topping’s career continued apace finding himself at one point in a Travel Wholesale software company based in Melbourne, with a boss in London, a development centre in Mumbai and accounts in Saudi Arabia.

“What could go wrong?”, he quipped.

A career like that brims with insights and experience ready to be shared in a mentoring environment.

“It’s little wonder Peter is one of our most admired Mentors”, says TIME program founder, Penny Spencer.

“All of our Mentors have a unique experience ready to be shared with Mentees who enter the program seeking specific outcomes. A huge amount of energy and insight goes into matching Mentees with the right TIME Mentor. That process is TIME’s secret sauce”, adds Penny.

TIME’s 34th program intake starts its six-month mentoring journey on 10 April 2019, with expressions of interest due on 10 March 2019.

Leading Australian travel insurance provider, Cover-More, has generously committed to fully-fund a placement in the 34th intake.

Interested individuals are encouraged to download a scholarship application HERE.

Travel-tourism-hospitality professionals are encouraged to follow TIME on Facebook and LinkedIn to keep up to date with what’s going on inside the industry’s premier career accelerator.

For more information contact TIME Program Manager, Marie Allom at time@travelindustrymentor.com.au

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