Wanderlust Travel Experts held its first conference on Fri, the same day it welcomed its 61st member.
“We always thought when we got started, we would evolve to our own network events, and that’s happened much quicker than we thought it would,” director Cath McLeod told those attending. The company has grown from 12 to 61 members in a year—far exceeding initial growth expectations. Wanderlust continues to focus on supporting its existing members in 2026 while managing its growth by looking to expand its support office and progressing its conference to a three-day event in the Hunter Valley, in 2026. The brand will share its 2026 business plan with its members in the new year, including plans for 2026 and 2027 conferences.
. . . Line-up
The Auckland conference included an Anderson Accountancy workshop, discussions on AI developments, and members’ top tips and there was a broker panel session. “It was the first time a lot of people had met. It was amazing to bring them all together and to bring them that beneficial business content,” says McLeod, who adds that feedback on the event was positive. The event was supported by Platinum Sponsors Air New Zealand, GO Holidays and Expedia TAAP. The conference ended with a celebratory dinner at McLeod’s house. “People could see that culture we’ve built, having it at home really captured that family environment.”
. . . Marketing Award
The Wanderlust Marketing Award was awarded to KC Travel’s Kristy Cockerill. Talk Travel’s Megan Bishop won the group’s Marketing Rising Star title. Pictured: GO Holidays’ Sarah Hunter and Flavio Stadnik with Jo Inglis from Air New Zealand and Wanderlust’s Cath McLeod.
