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Brad Rowe is an experienced tourism strategist and workshop facilitator, having worked with some of New Zealand’s largest tourism operators and across many Regional Tourism Organisations.

Drawing from his own entrepreneurial journey and unique examples from around the world, Brad shares practical, real-world insights that inspire action.

He practices what he teaches, weaving in elements of surprise, delight and a relentless focus on exceeding expectations, helping tourism businesses design exceptional visitor experiences and achieve lasting success.

"Brad Rowe was a standout at Tourism Summit Aotearoa. He shared practical strategies to identify memorable moments, build emotional connections and use innovative thinking to enhance visitor satisfaction."

Teearn Falconer - Member Events Manager

  • "I've done a lot of training and workshops in my 30+ years in the Corporate and IT world, but that workshop was possibly the most relevant, valuable and enjoyable I've ever participated in."

  • Thank you! A fun and interactive workshop. It was great to see different people take so many different things away!

  • "Awesome workshop and thanks to the organisers and funders. I really enjoyed this particular workshop - lot's to learn and very inspirational"

  • "As someone with a Masters in Marketing, compared to previous marketing workshops, this was surprisingly great and full of insights. It reenergised me to focus on the marketing side again this year."

  • "While on a limited time, we managed to get quite in depth on some topic rather than stay pretty basic like some other workshops do."

  • "I enjoyed the interactive aspect of the course, getting to hear others ideas and also the clarity and directness of the topics. I think everything was covered well in a short period of time."

  • Focus

    • Fundamentals of visitor experience design

    • From product to experience: explore what it means to develop a product into a memorable experience

    Learning Outcomes

    • How to design, build and improve existing visitor experiences on a budget

    • Strategies for repeat visitation, improved referrals and managing demand

    • Leveraging the power of moments, emotions and unreasonable thinking in your experience

  • Learn the fundamentals of how to design and grow a thriving tourism business.

    The session focuses on using innovative design principles to create high-value experiences, optimise operations, and drive sustainable growth.

    Whether you’re starting out or looking to scale, this workshop will provide actionable insights to help you strategically build a resilient tourism business that stands out in today’s competitive market.

  • Focus

    • Know what markets you are delivering your visitor experience for

    • Understand the source of these markets and how they book

    • Use this information to systematically attract more of the right visitors (and less of the wrong ones)

    Learning Outcomes

    • Understand your sales channels and how to optimise them

    • How to create an appealing offer for your target market/s

    • Ideas for increasing business yield

  • A full day dedicated to Sales, Data and Growth By Design. Presented with Dave Hockly from Data Story.

Workshop Topics

  • Tim Wells: Head of Guest Experience, Real NZ

    “Brad’s workshop was incredibly valuable for our tourism leadership team. It helped us sharpen our focus on how we can elevate every part of the guest experience and find new ways to create moments of surprise and delight. The session left the team feeling energised and full of ideas.”

  • Molly Hope: Destination Lead, Lake Wanaka Tourism

    "Drawing from his tourism industry background, he provided practical approaches to target market understanding and sales channel optimization, while bringing fresh perspectives on improving visitor experiences. His engaging, easy-to-follow sessions gave operators immediate tools for implementation. The content aligned with our destination management objectives, and his personalized follow-up support proved invaluable for businesses at all stages. Would happily work with Brad again."

  • James Svetec: Co-author of Airbnb for Dummies

    “Thanks again for the awesome presentation — super well done! That was definitely the most actionable talk I’ve personally ever been to on this topic.”

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Keynote Topics

  • The dynamics of the global tourism industry change continuously; visitor expectations are rising, sales channels evolve and travel tech is moving at a pace that’s impossible to keep up with.

    Meanwhile, the world is hungry for excitement and ‘can-only-do-it-here’ kind of travel experiences. This means that if we don’t take a lead with product innovation, we risk staying in survival mode.

  • How smart experiences drive tourism.

    In a world where destinations compete not just on scenery but on story, design and emotion, how do you create experiences visitors can’t stop talking about (or paying for)?

    This talk unpacks how the best operators are blending insight, creativity and commercial acumen to craft unforgettable moments that also grow the bottom line.

    In this keynote, your audience will learn why mediocrity is your real competitor, how to design for emotion and how every touchpoint can be a revenue generating memory.

  • Bigger isn’t always better and more visitors don’t always mean more value.

    This talk challenges traditional growth thinking and reveals why the smartest destinations and operators are focusing on good growth: growth that’s more profitable, more sustainable and more memorable for guests.

    Drawing on real-world examples and breakthrough ideas, Brad shares how to unlock higher value per visitor, reduce reliance on the wrong channels and design high impact growth strategies that work for your business, your destination and your customers.

    By the end of the talk, the audience will understand that you can (and should) grow smarter and bigger at the same time.