Ensemble makes Australian play

Ensemble Travel, one of North America’s major travel agency consortia, has turned its attention to the Australia/nz market, with former American Express executive Trish Shepherd spearheading the group’s Down Under push. Ensemble currently has around 850 members in the USA and Canada, and is understood to be already approaching local agents with a view of signing some up with a start date as early as 1 January 2015. Shepherd said she believes there’s a significant opportunity for a new force in the market, which is “still in an upheaval from a partnership perspective” with the consolidation of the former Jetset, Harvey World Travel, Travelworld and Travelscene brands into Helloworld. “Within six months we hope to make a considerable impact… over the past months we’ve been preparing for this launch so that our new members can start to benefit from their relationship with us from day one,” Shepherd said. “We will gain momentum early and expect that will bring on enough new members to gain buying power in a short time.” The requirements seem simple – a website at www.joinensemble.com.au simply stipulates that prospective members have been in business for at least two years and are accredited by AFTA, IATA or CLIA. There are no multi-year commitments or particular technology requirements, with the site saying “your success is your own brand name”. Benefits touted include preferential commissions and overrides backed by an extensive portfolio of supplier partnerships including airlines, cruise companies, hotels