This year has been remarkable for film, television, and touring in Australia, marked by exciting projects and notable progress for Show Group. We witnessed many captivating productions and tours making their mark Down Under. Overcoming the hurdles of recent times has strengthened our team’s agility and determination to meet client expectations in a diverse range of productions and tours.

Our return to servicing U.S. Studio productions in Australia was a significant achievement, with ongoing work on two features. We also secured the continued support of long-term Australian clients through contract renewals. Our commitment to the film and television industry remains unwavering, prioritising safe and seamless travel at the best prices and service.

Growing our team

Looking back on the previous year, we saw the revitalisation of the Show Group brand. With new life breathed into our branding, we embarked on a new era following the acquisition of Helloworld (Show Group) by Corporate Travel Management (CTM). This transformative journey continued into 2023, accompanied by the addition of experienced and passionate team members dedicated to restoring Show Group to its former glory.

Among these was the return of Nick Smith as the General Manager, bringing over 25 years of film and TV experience. His leadership has proven invaluable, marking a new chapter for Show Group characterised by innovation, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. We understand the complexities of travel, always expecting the unexpected. However, armed with determination and guided by Nick’s expertise, our team has not only navigated the unexpected – we’ve embraced it, innovating to deliver.

Secondly, we were thrilled to welcome Adam Tulich to our team. Leveraging his expertise, Adam has guided our entertainment clients through complex travel logistics and developed strategic plans to achieve their business goals. With a deep understanding of both the human side and software systems, he ensures the seamless integration of the two for swift and effective travel services. Adam’s impactful contributions have seen him move into the General Manager of Operations role. In this role, he oversees the Operations teams for both Entertainment and CTM Sport & Groups, consolidating their efforts under unified leadership.

We’re excited to introduce Nick Haines as our new Head of Client Management. Boasting over two decades of travel industry experience, Nick brings account management, sales, and project management expertise. We are confident that Nick’s extensive background, passion, and expertise will exceed our clients’ expectations and enhance the travel experience in the coming year.

With these additions, Show Group is more focused than ever on the screen industry, attuned to the intricacies of production travel.

Our industry and service approach in 2023

This year, we witnessed the impact of strikes on U.S. production travel, leading to temporary halts. Show Group empathised with the shutdowns, understanding the uncertainty of the strike’s duration. Recognising the dynamic nature of large group hotel bookings as productions anticipated a return to filming without clear timelines, Show Group leveraged our supplier relationships to maintain pricing, secure cancellation fee waivers, and ensure a seamless transition of bookings. Additionally, our team offered personal support by contacting crew and production personnel affected by the strikes.

Valuing teamwork, we embraced a collaborative approach with all productions, developing innovative solutions during the ‘opportunities-to-solutions’ process. One notable instance involved global filming across ten countries during peak tourist times in each city. Our team quickly arranged travel for more than 60 talent and crew members, while the production’s following location was uncertain until a week before take-off. Our team efficiently arranged last-minute flights, accommodations, and transportation during busy festivals and holiday periods, such as Carnival in Rio De Janeiro, Holi Festival in Jaipur, and Wadi Rum in Jordan. The client also had over one and a half tonnes of additional baggage, which could not be sent via freight. This required our team to distribute extra baggage strategically over multiple flights. 

Sustainability and innovative technology

Sustainability has remained a focal point for our clients’ travel programs throughout the year, with a spotlight on traveller wellbeing. Crafting an exceptional travel experience goes beyond merely transporting your team from point A to B seamlessly – their mental and physical wellbeing must also be cared for throughout their journey. Using CTM’s Climate+ technology and the Traveller Trips tool released this year, our clients can effectively assess their travel program’s carbon footprint and monitor travellers’ wellbeing, enabling a holistic approach to the sustainability of their travel program. CTM’s commitment to sustainability saw us take home the Sustainability Award (Business) at this year’s Australian Travel Industry Association National Travel Industry Awards (NTIAs).

The CTM Group views AI technology as an exciting avenue to enhance our service capabilities, providing self-service solutions through convenient channels that free up our staff to focus on customers’ more complex travel needs. To improve customer service access and efficiency, we have developed CTM Scout, an intuitive travel chatbot housed inside the CTM Portal. Scout fast-tracks support resolution during peak demand, addressing high-volume requests like trip cancellations or itinerary reprinting. Launched in Australia in 2023, Scout is being rolled out across all CTM regions.

“As we approach 2024, our commitment is to enhance our production-first focus, understanding and surpassing clients’ expectations through innovative solutions,” explains CEO Tom Clark. “Looking forward with excitement, we acknowledge the ever-evolving entertainment industry and our readiness to adapt to new travel challenges. Determined to improve continually, we believe in our team’s ability to innovate and overcome any hurdles that may arise.”

CTM Group wishes you a safe and happy festive season with loved ones and a prosperous, healthy New Year.