Group Events - New Zealand Tours and Australian Tours

Keith Weber - Managing Director

Keith has been organising people and events since his high school days. He is arguably the oldest Tour Operator selling New Zealand and is regarded as having an intricate knowledge of New Zealand.

He organised his first overseas group tour in 1976. An Around the World Rugby Union Tour and has organised Australian and New Zealand tours and events ever since. He is arguably the most knowledgeable New Zealand tour operator , having lived there for 45 years.

Keith is a ‘people mover', innovator, idealist and an “Excellent Event Organiser” who believes success and satisfaction starts and finishes with answering clients needs. He will not compromise quality for price, but would rather finalise the client's needs a different way to hold a budget.

He specialises in the Seniors, Education, Sport and Music markets, innovative itineraries and Event/Festival planning. Keith lives on challenges and his ability to make arrangements ... and as he says 'making arrangements is our business'.

Contact Keith on 02 9773 1133 or via email: keith@groupevents.com.au or skype: groupevents1
NZ Toll Free 0800 442 554
AU Toll Free 1800 655 661

Nolene Weber - Finance Director

Nolene like Keith owns 50% of the business. She is always accessible. An auditor remarked that “she keeps the best records she has seen in this business”. Nolene takes great pride in diligently handling our client's funds accounts in trust in New Zealand and Australia .

Under her funds management this company does not offer credit and as such has a fine record for paying its suppliers promptly. This ensures our clients are always welcome whenever and wherever they travel with us. Nolene can take credit that she has always made sure that the accounts are handled in a business like and proper manner, a feature that our clients and suppliers applaud.

Contact Nolene on 02 9773 1133 email nolene@groupevents.com.au

Mena Clark - Travel Consultant Airfares

Mena joined Group Events to allow us to offer individual travel options for passengers "splitting" from groups or to provide a custom intinerary for the serious global traveller.

Contact Mena on 02 9773 1133 or via email m.clark@groupevents.com.au
NZ Toll Free 0800 442 554
AU Toll Free 1800 655 661

Rod Bird - Operations Manager

Rod first worked with Keith since 1983 and was most recently involved with the Australian Tourism Industry in other areas, particularly Australia. He is our Australian specialist.

Rod returned to us in 2001, after having played a key role in transporting sponsers of the Sydney Olympic Games (over 100 tourist coaches). He has a great depth of knowledge in tourism, and has a wide operational view of this business. He specialises in the general touring, conference, incentive and event markets. He is also heavily involved with the logistical operations of group tour movements, parfticularly bands, orchestras etc. Rod is involved with the main logistics for Rhapsody Rotorua.

Contact Rod on 02 9773 1133 or via email rod@groupevents.com.au or skype: groupeventsrod

Charmaine Edwards - Tour Manager

Charmaine has 5 years in the industry and adds an enthusiastic fresh perspective. She has a good knowledge of Pacific Tourism and possesses good all round administrative knowledge. She is involved with client liaison, tour planning and management. Charmaine is responsible for buying product and negotiatng rates with suppliers. A mum with a teenage family, she is well versed at assisting clients with fundraising and she understands teachers needs in organising tours and also the parents ability to make things happen.

Contact Charmaine on 02 9773 1133 or via email charmaine@groupevents.com.au

Veronica Mitchell - Tour Manager

Veronica Mitchell has 20 years expereince in retail and wholesale travel as well as some years with an overland coach tour operator. She is an all-rounder in the office. Well travelled she knows New Zealand well and has a wide knowledge of the rest of the world travel.

Contact Veronica on 02 9773 1133 or via email veronica.mitchell@groupevents.com.au

Michelle Ting - Business Development Manager, Great Experiences New Zealand

Michelle has been with Group Events for 3 years; been away and has recently returned to develop and manage the New Zealand schedule coach touing division of the company. She has been part of the design team developing the brand and she also leads the sales team to promote and sell the Great Experiences 15day New Zealand Tour Series.

Contact Michelle on 02 9773 1711 or via email Michelle.ting@greatexperiencesnz.com.au

Industry Partners

It is our policy to uphold standards at all times. We avoid sacrificing quality for price.

Our accommodation standard is based on using where possible Millennium, Copthorne and Kingsgate Hotels and Resorts. They use an International star rating system and have a range of 3star / 4star deluxe properties in New Zealand that suit our market best. When unavailable, we choose comparable properties and service, preferably Qualmark Star Graded. Where budget properties are requested or used every endeavor will be made to use properties that have definite quality standards at their market level and preferably Qualmark Star Graded. On the ground and in the air, our groups travel in style.

Air New Zealand

We aim to use Air New Zealand because of their frequency, ‘the right seats for the right price’ applicable to our clients touring needs. Timing and logistics all affect budget as does need for payment. Air New Zealand is Qualmark endorsed and satisfies our client needs best.

Oceania Coachlines

Oceania Coachlines offer us the highest quality coaches. They operate 29 predominantly Volvo B12, 5 star 49 seat belted, 2 door coaches. Their luxury touring 29 seat belted coaches are very popular, and have most of the inclusions of the bigger coaches. Smaller groups can use Rosa 16 leather seat belt equipped comfortable coaches. Oceania Coachlines are Qualmark endorsed and their Coach Captain’s commentary and service compliment our touring aims and ideals.
Oceania Coachlines is the chosen coach provider used for all our tours plus our premium New Zealand coach touring programs - Great Experiences New Zealand.

GROUP EVENTS AWARDS AND AFFILIATIONS

Group Events are recommended by Tourism New Zealand

“MAKING ARRANGEMENTS IS OUR BUSINESS”

•Fully licenced Travel Agents and Licenced members of the Australian Travel Agents Compensation Fund, a fund set up to ensure clients needs, once paid, are secure and guaranteed under Government Legislation.

•Members of AFTA, the Australian Federation of Travel Agents.

•Members of ATAC, the Australian Travel Agents Cooperative.

•Our Groups “R” Us division are KEA Agents, (Kiwi Expert Agents) appointed and recommended by Tourism New Zealand

•National “KEA of the Year Award Winners” 1998/2000. A Finalist for NSW in 2001/2003.

Risk Assessment - Qualmark in New Zealand

Qualmark is New Zealand tourism's official quality assurance agency. It is owned by Tourism New Zealand and the New Zealand Automobile Association and backed by leading industry organisations.

It is a licensing system for tourism's official quality mark and signals that a tourism business is professional and trustworthy.
Qualmark operates on a not-for-profit basis and is a service to the tourism industry, assisting tourism businesses to be the best and helping visitors buy the best New Zealand has to offer.

All Qualmark® endorsed tourism operators have undergone a rigorous, independent on-site assessment by a fully trained assessor. The criteria encompasses key New Zealand compliance legislation and support ‘best practice' guidelines in all aspects of the business.

Activity operators are assessed against a number of quality standards which include:

• A written Health and Safety management plan in place to allow for:
• Significant hazards
• Safety equipment
• Staffing requirements
• Incident and accident reporting and investigation
• Accident and emergency procedures
• Key staff hold current nationally recognised First Aid Certificates
• First Aid kits are available at known locations
• All operators are checked to ensure they comply with statutory obligations, for example current legislation required by the Maritime Safety Authority, Civil Aviation Authority, the Department of Conservation and other relevant agencies.

In addition to the above standards, Adventure Activity operators are subject to a review of their health and safety plan which looks more closely at their on site practices including procedures covering:

• The customers or clients
• Pre-activity
• During Activity
• Post Activity
• A formal review of the safety systems annually

Actual processes are reviewed at each stage of the activity to ensure that staff are adequately briefing customers regarding the risk involved, different aspects of the trip and understanding competence levels, age requirements etc.

Risk Assement General

We can upon request supply a document outlining a generic risk assement for your tour. We can supply further information if required and where available from our suppliers.