TRAVEL agents are the last people you need to cajole into having a few jars, especially at the annual ABTA party, sorry, Convention.
So Preferential Insurance is asking for trouble by launching a promotion involving free booze at this year’s bash Down Under.
The company is offering free caps to the first 50 agents, or any other industry people for that matter, who contact them prior to the conference.
Now agents could be forgiven for not dancing in delight around their shops or beeping their car horns Italian style in the streets. But there is an added incentive.
It will earn them a few sherberts.
Simply by wearing the cap in Cairns, Preferential director John Buckingham has vowed to buy them a beer. Even better is that cap wearers who spot John first can collar him and claim their complimentary bevvy.
Is there a catch or something in the small print? Or will John spend the entire conference dodging everyone in a cap?
Not so, says John.
“Cap wearers will not have to come cap in hand looking for a drink but cap on head,” he joked. “And we are not limiting it to one drink per delegate. If they spot me the following night, I’m more than happy to put my hand in my pocket again.”
All very generous until we discovered the real reason behind the promotion.
“It basically means I can put in a whopping bar bill and finance director David Marshall can’t say a word,” said scheming John. “I’ll buy drinks for as long as my credit card will stand it.”
Hat’s off for a good marketing idea, we say.
Which brings us to Travel Weekly’s promotion in Oz. If we see anyone in a Travel Weekly T-shirt………
n Contact Preferential on 020-8742 3388.