Visitor Centre Training Academy Program

Registrations and Welcome

Join colleagues for networking during pre-event registrations, followed by a welcome from Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall. 

Tourism AI Essentials for Visitor Centres

Facilitated by Ruth Callaghan
Chief Innovation Officer & Director
Purple

This hands-on session demystifies artificial intelligence and equips visitor centre staff with practical skills to leverage AI tools in their daily operations. Beginning with foundational knowledge about generative AI and its impact on tourism, participants will explore why the tourism sector is particularly positioned to benefit from AI applications, from Google AI search to content personalisation and visitor information services.

The workshop moves quickly from theory to practice through live demonstrations where participants follow along on their own devices using accessible tools like ChatGPT and Claude. Working with tourism-specific scenarios, attendees will learn to solve key business challenges including understanding visitor trends, enhancing engagement, and improving local information provision. The session includes ready-to-use prompt templates for ongoing reference.

The final segment addresses the critical considerations for responsible AI use, covering commercial and reputational risks, ethical guidelines, and strategies for maintaining human connection while adopting new technologies. Participants will leave with increased confidence in AI tools, practical takeaways for immediate implementation, and a comprehensive digital workbook featuring tourism-specific prompts, governance checklists, and continued learning resources.

Retail & Merchandising

Facilitated by Juliet Borschoff
Founder
Design Merchants

This practical session transforms visitor centre retail spaces into profitable revenue generators that authentically showcase regional identity while maximising limited floor space and budget constraints. Participants will master product selection strategies that balance local appeal with strong profit margins, learning to choose merchandise that reflects their region's unique character while ensuring sustainable business outcomes. The workshop covers essential store layout principles, customer flow optimization, and identifying prime locations for impulse purchases within typical visitor centre constraints.

Through hands-on activities and case study analysis, attendees will explore visual merchandising fundamentals including effective product grouping, strategic use of colour and lighting, compelling signage approaches, and storytelling through displays. The session emphasizes low-cost, high-impact solutions that work within visitor centre budgets, providing practical tools for creating attractive displays that drive sales while supporting local businesses and artisans.

The workshop concludes with inventory management essentials tailored to seasonal tourism patterns, including stock control basics, ordering cycles, and seasonal planning templates. Participants will analyse successful visitor centre retail setups, critique display strategies, and develop immediate action plans for implementing learned techniques. All attendees receive comprehensive resources including seasonal planning tools, visual merchandising guides, and practical templates for tracking inventory performance and identifying profitable product categories.

Leading & Managing Teams

This session runs concurrently with the Customer Service & Sales Skills session. Attendees will be asked to pre-select which session they will attend, with limited places available in each. 

Facilitated by Melanie Freeman
Director of Human Performance
Performance Science 

This interactive session equips visitor centre managers and team leaders with practical leadership tools and strategies for effectively managing paid staff, volunteers, and mixed teams in metro and regional tourism environments. Participants will explore best-practice leadership behaviours, learn three key management tools, and gain hands-on experience with recruitment strategies specifically tailored to visitor centres facing regional challenges.

The workshop addresses common operational challenges through small group discussions, card sorting activities, and role-play exercises focused on conflict resolution and difficult conversations. Attendees will develop skills in creating psychological safety, building trust, strengthening team cohesion, and conducting courageous conversations while learning essential HR principles for recruitment, onboarding, and performance management.

Designed for immediate application, this session provides practical tools and templates that managers can implement straight away, with all scenarios and examples reflecting real visitor centre operations and the unique dynamics of managing customer-facing tourism teams in regional Western Australia.

Customer Service & Sales Skills

This session runs concurrently with the Leading & Managing Teams session. Attendees will be asked to pre-select which session they will attend, with limited places available in each. 

Facilitated by Harriet Mellor
Sales Enablement + Lead Development Specialist
Your Sales Co.

This interactive session upskills visitor centre staff into confident sales ambassadors who can expertly convert visitor inquiries into extended stays and memorable regional experiences. Participants will master essential questioning and listening techniques to identify visitor needs, then learn practical frameworks for moving seamlessly from initial enquiries to meaningful conversations that result in recommended experiences, tours, and accommodation bookings. The workshop emphasises authentic relationship-building approaches tailored to diverse visitor types including families, couples, and international travellers.

Through hands-on role-play exercises using real Western Australian tourism scenarios, attendees will practice handling common objections around budget and time constraints while developing natural conversation techniques that build rapport and trust. The session covers proven upselling strategies that turn day visits into overnight stays and single attractions into comprehensive regional experiences, directly linking these skills to both visitor satisfaction and measurable economic impact for local communities.

Participants will leave with immediately applicable conversation scripts, service excellence checklists, and practical templates for ongoing team coaching. The workshop connects customer service fundamentals with sales impact, showing how frontline visitor centre interactions drive tangible tourism outcomes while maintaining the authentic, helpful approach that visitors expect from regional tourism ambassadors.

Networking and Welcome

Join colleagues for pre-session networking, followed by a welcome from Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall. 

Social media marketing for Visitor Centres – Facebook, Instagram & TikTok

Faciliated by Amanda Kendle
Owner
Amanda Kendle Consulting

This hands-on session empowers visitor centre staff to effectively leverage Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for regional tourism promotion. Participants will master content creation essentials including sourcing and creating compelling images and videos, using smartphone editing techniques, and storytelling strategies that showcase local businesses, natural attractions, and unique regional experiences. The workshop features practical tools like Canva for editing, real-world case studies from successful visitor centres, and guided hands-on activities where attendees create new video content using provided tips and techniques.

The session covers platform-specific marketing strategies, exploring the key differences between Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok audiences, content requirements, and engagement approaches. Participants will learn efficient repurposing techniques to maximize content across multiple platforms while minimising workload, plus practical applications of generative AI tools to enhance their social media efforts. The workshop includes guidance on appropriate tone, captions, and hashtag strategies for each platform.

By the end of the session, attendees will have developed a personalised content strategy using provided templates, gained confidence in creating engaging multimedia content with basic tools, and acquired sustainable social media practices suitable for small visitor centre operations. All participants receive comprehensive workbooks with planning templates, editing guides, and partnership strategies they can implement immediately upon returning to their centres.

Morning Tea & Networking

Join colleagues for a post-training morning tea and networking session.