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AACB and Destinations International Partnership hailed a success
The Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB) is pleased to confirm that its expanded partnership with the Destinations International Foundation has been hailed a success after it welcomed its first reciprocal scholarship winner to the AACB Annual Conference in Hobart last month.
Building on an existing partnership allowing an AACB member to attend the Destinations International Annual Convention, the AACB extended a scholarship opportunity to the Destinations International’s 30 Under 30 class for 2017.
Andrea Gardi, Senior Project Manager, Ontario Canada’s Regional Tourism Organization 4 Inc. (RTO4) won the scholarship after submitting an essay detailing what she found most enlightening at the Destinations International Annual Convention and how she could utilise the knowledge gained to further support her respective destination organisation.
Don Welsh, President and CEO expressed the commitment of Destinations International to its relationship with the AACB.
“We are committed to our relationship with the AACB. We’re thrilled to have established a scholarship prize for one of our member destination organisations and to have another opportunity to provide our next generation of industry leaders with new and exciting educational opportunities.”
“I’d like to thank the AACB and Destinations International for this opportunity, and the unbelievable hospitality while I was in your beautiful and unique country,” said Andrea Gardi. “I left inspired by the speakers, as well as the conversations I had with all of the attendees. RTO4 is committed to an incubator approach to destination development and my time at the conference allowed me to learn from others taking a similar innovative path.”
“I congratulate Andrea on winning the reciprocal AACB/Destinations International Scholarship,” said Andrew Hiebl, CEO of the AACB. “It was a delight to have Andrea in our midst where she had the unique opportunity to network with convention bureau staff from across Australia and also share her international experience with her Australian counterparts.”
The AACB Annual Conference took place from 6 – 8 September 2017 in Hobart, Tasmania.