PREVIOUS TRAINING PROGRAMS

See below the training programs we have held in the past. This will give you an idea of the breadth of training we offer. Bookmark this page and follow GORRT on Facebook to see upcoming opportunities. If there is something you would like to see run again, please get in contact with Jo Birley, GORRT’s Industry Development Manager.

Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism industry partners have FREE access to recordings and webinars from a selection of previous training programs.

Visit our PARTNER PORTAL to access recordings and other online training.

Understanding Accessibility and Inclusion

Designed for those working in tourism who want to better understand accessibility and how to improve the visitor experience for all, this half-day industry forum is essential.

This half day tourism industry forum, facilitated by founder of The Accessible Group, Kerry Williams, is essential for those who want to understand the importance of accessibility and inclusion, and find out why and how to cater for people with disability.

Kerry will present the business case for accessible tourism, sharing compelling data to support the need for us to cater better to this market segment as an industry.

CULTURAL CAPABILITY – AN INTRODUCTORY COURSE ON WORK WITH FIRST PEOPLES

This 3-hour workshop is designed as a safe space to learn, build, and deliver authentic Aboriginal engagement through Acknowledging Country

• The history of a Welcome and Acknowledgement
• Connecting to Country
• Being authentic and present in your language
• Curating an Acknowledgement for yourself and your business
• Cultural protocols and sensitivities for engaging with First Peoples (respect)
• Historical Information to support the conversation on respect and acknowledgement (truth telling)
• The importance of representation, not only in media but across all industries (leadership)
• How to engage with First Peoples working in Victoria’s Visitor Economy (engagement)

Presented by: Ashleigh Bartley from Visit Victoria

Ashleigh is an Bwgcolman Ewamian woman who works with Indigenous businesses towards cultural, social and economic sustainability. Her career embodies her passion for working for her people and her country through land and water rehabilitation, project management and Indigenous Business Models. Ashleigh’s recent projects include accelerators, mentoring women in business and innovating social enterprises across various industries including tourism. Ashleigh delivers cultural capability programs and continues to engage in the truth telling space. Kinaway are looking forward to connecting with you and spreading this essential component of Indigenous knowledge with your organisation.

GETTING INVOLVED WITH BUSINESS EVENTS 

Joanna Child, National Education Manager for Meetings and Events Australia will deliver an online webinar, designed to provide businesses with an introduction to the business events sector. Whether you are a venue with facilities in place or planned, or you can offer group experiences, this session will give you an understanding of the value of business events, particularly for stimulating off peak and mid-week growth for tourism businesses. Business events come in all shapes and sizes and have the potential to provide an important revenue source. This is a must for those considering getting involved in the business events sector.

The topics covered will include:

• Value of the business event sector
• Range and type of business events – from conferences to incentives and everything in between.
• Local business events and those from further afield.
• Understanding differing segments, participants and clients’ needs and motivations.
• The services and products and standards needed in business events.
• Working collaboratively to attract and service this sector.

Developing your brand story and bringing it to life

This full day masterclass, delivered in two parts, will provide you with clarity on your brand and what that means for you and your customers, plus the practical application of your brand across your digital channels.

This workshop is ideal for businesses just starting out, to develop their brand identity and a vision for what they want to represent, or for businesses looking for an opportunity to revisit their vision and develop clarity around how they want their customers to see them and what they deliver. The afternoon session will provide practical digital marketing tips that small businesses can apply immediately.

Brand Strategist Tania Farelly + digital media expert Joel Thorsen will facilitate the day to provide you with expert skills and advice.

Great Ocean Road Digital Coaching Program – phase two

20 businesses will work directly with expert coaches from Tourism Tribe in one-on-one sessions reviewing, developing, and ultimately optimising traction with your online customers.  Apply today to be part of this program.

Who should apply?

• Tourism, events and hospitality businesses in the Great Ocean Road region.
• This program is designed for those who have an active digital marketing presence

What does the Digital Coaching program involve?

• A digital health check of your business. You will be provided with a written report reviewing your online performance across a number of channels.  These will occur over summer and no engagement or requirement of your time is neccesary.
• Two 60-minute one-on-one sessions assessing and optimising your online presence. These sessions will be tailored to your specific needs and digital health check.
• A 12-month subscription to Tourism Tribe, ensuring access to ongoing support and learning opportunities

Find Your True North

Reorient your business around what matters most with Peter and Sueanne from Customer Frame.

For business owners + senior leaders who want to level up their business around the ultimate reason they exist – their customers. Find the gaps, focus your efforts + get a plan to fix the issues holding you back. Now is the time to get back on track, find your true north + prepare your business to maximise the opportunities that lie ahead.

• New perspectives on how you view your customer + how they help you find your True North
• A benchmark for where your business is today, to know where you’re starting from
• Gaps + priorities identified specific to your business, helping you to cut through the noise + gain alignment on what to do next
• A refreshed view on the region’s Customer Profiles, how they’re being used to drive the region forward + how they relate to your business
• New energy for your business, setting you up for success for the future

Workplace Wellbeing:

Building the best possible team and keeping it together

A full day workshop developed to help you build capabilities to create and maintain a positive workplace, and make sure wellbeing in your business is practised and not just a buzz word.

Finding and retaining staff is more challenging than ever right now; this workshop will provide advice on staff retention, engagement and performance maximisation. We’ve brought together two industry experts to provide practical skills development around managing the health and wellbeing of your team – and you. Designed to motivate you to make impactful changes to the way you lead and the environment you do business in, this masterclass will inspire positivity along with give you practical tools to assist with self-management, and the management of your team.

Mel Neil, an expert in the field of human flourishing and leadership, and facilitator of the award-winning Melbourne Tourism Leadership Program will coordinate tailored sessions to help ensure you are maintaining a positive environment for your team. 

Preparing for the Post-Covid Traveller – the return of international markets

A session for tourism operators who want to understand what the return of international visitation looks like and ensure they can offer what the post-covid visitor is looking for.

A full day workshop aimed at operators who want to develop their product to maximise opportunities to grow their return from international guests. Suitable for those already working with international distributors and wholesalers, those interested in moving into this space, and those who want to refine their product to appeal to returning international markets. Our expert presenters provided a wealth of insight into the international visitor and how we could best leverage opportunities for a strong recovery. Tania Jacobs from The Tourism Ninja facilitated the workshop, with special guests Paul Murray from Tourism Australia, Diana Morgan from Visit Victoria and Tim Grandfield from Great Southern Touring Route.

Social Media Workshops with Tourism Tribe

90 minute Social Media training workshops

Despina Karatzias from Tourism Tribe ran 90 minute social media skills workshops designed to suit you.

Designed for beginner and intermediate skills.

• The benefits of social media for your business
• Create and launch an effective social media marketing plan
• How to use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Google My Business

Social Media Tools for Tourism (Intermediate)

If you are already active on social media or you are starting out and want to know about tapping into the world of social media marketing like other successful businesses join us to deep dive even further into your content marketing tools and strategies.

In this training you will learn:

• The art of storytelling through content
• Managing and protecting your online reputation
• How to use your social media efforts to increase traffic to your website and convert bookings

Regional Tourism Wine Education Program – Phase 2

Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) One Day Course for Tourism Employees

After an oversubscribed program delivered in late 2021, Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism, again partnered up with the Archive Academy (formerly the Geelong Wine School) as they deliver WSET Level 1 (one day course) award. A globally recognised international standard in wine education program.

Digital Coaching Program

Apply now for the Digital Coaching Program, delivered in partnership with VTIC and Tourism Tribe.  This program will provide you with an in-depth analysis of your digital assets and with coaching sessions that will help you refine and improve them.

No matter what stage your business is at in adopting technology, you will leave this program armed with knowledge to be better able to make informed decisions about your next digital step.

RevenYou Great Ocean Road Webinar Series

Free online training designed for Accommodation Operators

These four practical 60 minute sessions will cover different aspects of your business, including how to best price your rooms, work with Online Travel Agents for better yield management, create an effective online presence and benchmarking. 

Topic 1: Value Proposition: how much should I be charging?

Topic 2: 0% Commission is just a myth: there’s no such thing as a free booking

Topic 3: Digital Marketing: how do I improve my online presence to find new markets and fill off peak?

Topic 4: Benchmark me: am I really doing okay?

Set yourself up for a strong recovery

These free short sharp up-skilling sessions are guaranteed to change the way you see your business + customers

• Learn how you can use the tools already at your fingertips to help make better business decisions for the areas that will make the biggest difference to your future, to help you focus + prioritise
• Learn some tips + tricks on how to analyze your customer reviews to highlight what you’re doing well + what you should be doing less of, to improve your business + have happier customers
• Learn some tips + tricks on how to gain more loyal customers who love what you do + tell everyone about you, to attract more customers for the long-term

Topic 1: Customer Insight

Tap into the hidden potential of your greatest asset to set you up for success.

Topic 2: Customer Experience

Find + fix the issues in your business that are holding you back

Topic 3: Customer Advocacy

Find out how your customers really feel about you, then do more of what they love!

You can register for all three free upskill sessions (recommended), or pick those you want to attend.  Each session runs for 90 minutes.

Cultural Capacity Introduction Session

90 minute online workshop with Ashleigh Bartley, Visit Victoria’s Specialist in Aboriginal Tourism

This is a session designed as a first step in engaging with Indigenous Australians. It is designed for those in the tourism industry wanting to engage, employe or partner with indigenous Australian people or i businesses. 

Topics covered include:

• Cultural protocols and sensitivities for engaging with Indigenous Australians (respect)
• Historical Information to support the conversation on respect and acknowledgment (truth-telling)
• The importance of representation, not only in media but across all industries (leadership)
• How to get involved in Victoria (engagement)

Regional Tourism Wine Education Program

Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) One Day Course for Tourism Employees 

Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism together with Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine, partnered up with Geelong Wine School as they deliver WSET Level 1 (one day course) award. A globally recognised international standard in wine education program.

Please contact Jo if you would like to be added to a waiting list for future course dates.

Product Incubator Program

Do you have a great business idea but you are not sure where to begin?

The Runway Incubator program is a supportive and practical program which uses hands on, relevant activities to assist participants to successfully grow their ideas from concept through to launch.

Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism have partnered with Runway to sponsor two new tourism business start-ups in the Great Ocean Road region to participate in the program.