At times, even I find it hard to believe just how much work you can get done in the space of just one month. Take my recent trip to London, attending the world’s second largest travel trade show London World Travel Market, then returning home to speak at the Vienna ReiseSalon, next to hosting successful travel events and influencer meet-ups in Graz, Baden or Vienna. It does get busy, but at the same time, I have also rediscovered a wonderful way to reground myself: Taking over my brother’s apartment for while him and his girlfriend are away on a round-the-world-trip (yes, it’s them travelling further afield for a change). Leaving me to … living, and enjoying, a rather lovely antithesis to the forever exciting #LifeOfATravelBlogger, so to speak.
Exactly what I need right now, after a truly eventful year. Check this out.
(New) Home in Vienna … Love the soothing, green hills around the quiet outskirts of town …
… meaning I can take my time to enjoy events like these, such as listening to my best friend’s musical performance in Vienna …
… or just relaxing back home with her darling cat, Anouk …
… if going out, it’s for good occasions such as this one, celebrating the opening of my friend Lisa Stelzel’s new co-working space near Vienna Naschmarkt: https://coworkvienna.com will tell you more …
… or again, meeting good old friends and colleagues, such as Viktoria Urbanek (picture on the left), as well as flying to London for World Travel Market just a little later on …
… what with World Travel Market being our annual business gathering and forum for exchange that you simply cannot miss. I really enjoy it again this year, my fifth attendance since 2012, despite the frenzy of activities that are somewhat exhausting. Instead, I focus on the opportunity of hanging out with my wonderful colleagues & friends, such as Terry & Sarah of LiveShareTravel, or my colleagues within the “Creative Tourism Network”. This year, another highlight has been added to the show: My first ever short speech at the WTM Inspire Theatre. And yes, it did make me feel proud, and happy, to be sharing the stage with my talented, international friends …
“Hi Elena! Will you be at WTM to help us present the STS Think Tank report? I’m thinking of a panel discussion with a few slides to highlight the most important points. …”
Keith Jenkins, CEO of iambassador, who I’ve known especially thanks to our involvement in the “Social Travel Summit” (see #STSKitzbuehel Social Travel Summit: Being Topic Leader at this year’s Think Tank “Beyond Content” for more), has asked me to join the panel discussion together with Peter Jordan & Becki Enright, all of them internationally acclaimed consultants, strategists, and content creators. My part in the presentation has been to “go beyond content“, presenting just how influencers, and digital content creators, occupy important niches in business, such as consultancy, public speaking, organising conferences, teaching, Mystery Guest analyses, etc.
It’s been a true pleasure to share stage with you, dear Peter, dear Becki ! 😀
And naturally, the reward has to be, at least partly, in a shopping spree on London’s prestigious Oxford Street …
… followed by a walk through London’s ever so beautiful Green Park, one of my favourites …
… thank you, too, Gemma Suñer & Jaume Marin, for trusting me to speak about working together again in 2018 …
… yet one of the best memories of this year’s #WTMLDN London World Travel Market is from being together with this lot: Internationally leading consultants and digital content creators in the worldwide travel industry, but above all, I am just happy to call them friends, really.
And the journey goes on: Back to Graz and Vienna …
… where November continues to offers us some wonderful travel moments. One of them is an invitation to Graz: Casinos Austria are now in their third year of hosting us on different travel & Casino events (I particularly loved my trip to Baden as well as our ski trip to Zell am See in the previous years!). Following the re-opening of the Casino Graz, we witnessed a spectacular highlight: A chocolate show hosted by the acclaimed chocolate magician, Josef Zotter! Watch the video in order to understand more about what I mean by this (you will long for a piece of that chocolate though, I can assure you):
Besides the spectacular casino night, locals Susanne Höller & Andreas Susana hosted us on a lovely walk through the old town of Graz …
… nice to go out with you all at the #CasinoGraz !!
If you are still looking to surprise someone for Christmas, why not check out the Dinner & Casino Night Package (https://www.casino-urlaub.at) including Casino vouchers for € 20,-, a night’s stay in one of the Austrian “Casino Hotels”, a four-course dinner as well as a glass of sparkling wine upon arrival. It surely is a unique experience when visiting Austria!
Then finally, my dear friends & colleagues, Wolfgang Möller & Jessica Müller, of Reiseblitz.com, manage to win themselves a copy of my book “The Creative Traveler’s Handbook”, on the occasion of my blog being five years old now ..!
It’s wonderful to look back on all these years together: The Austrian Travel Blogger network has really come a long way. Here, we are gathering at the Vienna ReiseSalon travel trade show, as well as the Hotel Novotel at Wien Hauptbahnhof.
Again at the ReiseSalon Vienna travel trade show, I was invited to give another speech about “creative travel“, including this video which I’ve already shared back when I first launched my book, “The Creative Traveler’s Handbook” at the London World Travel Market in 2015:
[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9DMNpZZYZs” width=”800″]
And you, my dear readers? Where will I see you next? 🙂