Two years since joining the CTM Group, Show Group has evolved into an innovative, tech-forward travel partner determined to exceed its customers’ expectations.

Leading the charge is the newly appointed General Manager, Adam Tulich. Adam brings operational experience from his time as operations manager and a thirst for cutting-edge solutions that leverage the in-house tech development the CTM Group is renowned for.

Speaking of the value Adam will bring to the role, CTM’s CEO, Greg McCarthy, said:

“Having successfully nurtured the Show Group business back into a position of growth and being an employer of choice for travel experts across the country, I am confident that Adam will continue to deliver great results for customers, staff and our valued supplier network.”

With the support of Nick Haines, now in the expanded role of both Head of Sales and Client Management, Adam believes this next chapter for Show Group will see an evolution from traditional travel management into a more modern, personalised approach.

We sat down with Adam to understand what this new landscape will look like for customers, staff and the industry. 

Q: How has the industry changed over the past few years, and how is Show Group adapting to new customer demands?

A. While I’m glad to see the days of COVID well and truly behind us, it’s had a lasting effect on the dynamic of customer expectations. I tend to use the phrase “we are all customers to someone else’s business” to reflect on how our own expectations have changed since the pandemic. I think the most successful outcomes are built on shared values rather than customer demands, and we’re experiencing a much more genuine partnership with our customers. They’re telling us they want solutions that offer a personal touch to complement the advancements in travel technology, and we’ve adapted our offerings to deliver on that. For us, our focus is two-fold. One is leveraging the in-house development team at Show Group’s parent company, Corporate Travel Management (CTM), to develop solutions built for the entertainment industry. Secondly, investing heavily in Show’s People & Culture program to attract and retain top talent and incentivise our people through coaching & mentoring, employee benefits and career development rather than commission-based remuneration, which translates to a more genuine customer experience.

Q: What are the biggest challenges the entertainment travel industry faces, and how is Show Group navigating these?

A. I’ve navigated many challenges over my 30-year career in travel, from the launch of e-tickets and .com websites to airline collapses, wars and health crises. Today, we’re navigating the introduction of New Distribution Capability (NDC) in the airline space and the increasing move to dynamic pricing for accommodation. 

NDC technology targets travellers with personalised, bundled fares curated from their past travel behaviours (i.e. seat preference, meal options and so on). While this suits business travellers who make frequent trips to a consistent set of destinations, production travel requires large amounts of preliminary planning with multiple quotes, travellers and project variation changes often during filming and at short notice. Without the ability to see airfares independently of a “bundled offer”, I can foresee frustration from productions whose travel behaviours differ from those of a mainstream business traveller. 

Similarly, the accommodation sector is embracing sophisticated AI-driven technology that is intuitive to shopping behaviour, forecasts demand and reacts immediately by changing rates to incentivise a sale. This means markets like entertainment travel, which have traditionally worked on a model of more cost certainty during the pre-production phase, need to build contingencies into budgets to factor in rate changes from pre-production to production.

Thankfully, Show Group has the experience to articulate these changes clearly and the close supplier relationships to stand up for the nuances of film travel. Critically, we have CTM’s support who are also navigating these changes for their customers. Together, we can leverage the right technology to present these changes practically and still ensure a comparison price is available without adding any cost for that development to our customers. “Unity is strength” is never a truer saying for navigating change!

Q: Are there any new and exciting developments in the pipeline?

A. You bet there is! For starters, we’re investing further in our Entertainment Reconciliation team, who have the skills to reconcile complex production invoicing, chargebacks, vehicle rental agreements, and more. This ensures a seamless application of the Producer, Location, and PDV offsets as well as any Location incentives. Film financing is a critical component of travel, and having the peace of mind that Show Group has this covered and offers a friendly voice to talk through this process is priceless (pun intended).

The next exciting development is the “Show Group Twilight” project, which is still in its trial phase but is progressing well. I’ve heard feedback from production and travel coordinators that they often come off-set in the late afternoon and night and need to talk to our travel experts after business hours. The “Twilight” team will offer that friendly expert support from 6pm – 9pm AEST without having to redirect calls to a traditional emergency after-hours team. When it’s fully launched later this year, “Show Group Twilight” will benefit all Film/TV production companies holding a Show Group trading account.

Q: What makes Show Group stand out from the rest, and how will you continue to invest in this USP for customers?

A. Without a doubt, there are no other entertainment travel management companies as well placed as Show Group to take advantage of the industry’s leap into the “stratosphere of travel tech”. Show Group has a seat at the table to represent the entertainment industry in developing CTM’s technology, which is wholly owned and developed in Australia. For example, here are some stand-out innovations already in motion for the entertainment travel industry:

• Lightning’s Group Booking Tool – just launched, this tool enables coordinators to book large group air movements online. 
• Excess Baggage – This functionality will soon be incorporated into the Lightning online booking process. 
• AI Assistant – CTM Scout is available 24/7 to assist with simple travel requests such as booking support, invoices, visa requirements, etc. 
• CTM Mobile – for booking and managing travel in the palm of your hand!