Institute Of Excellence

08/04/2026

Episode 084 of the Tourism Hub Podcast is out now. Search 'Tourism Hub' on where you get your podcasts or click below 👇

🎙️https://www.instituteofexcellence.com/podcast/084-bringing-the-gap-tourism-agriculture-and-community/

This week's episode is a conversation captured at the Australian Regional Tourism Ltd (ART) convention in Adelaide Hills where I sat down on location with Yvette Myhill from Destination Riverina Murray, an incredible tourism leader and region that spans across two states and 22 local governments.

We covered the agritourism opportunity for farms navigating drought. We talked about the gap that still exists between the tourism and ag industries, and who is doing the connective work. And Yvette shared what a 10,000-kilometre road trip with her six-year-old revealed about the visitor experience that no amount of strategy work will teach you until you have stepped into the visitor's shoes.

Here's a clip capturing a memorable moment from Yvette's travels, serving as a reminder to all that experience design can be as simple as seizing an opportunity.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2iQ7VwFDZPsNoQJFZ4gBDA

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/084-bridging-the-gap-tourism-agriculture-and-community/id1147008835?i=1000759912513

Institute Of Excellence is a proud Education and Social Media Partner of the Convention. For more information on joining us in October in Busselton, WA, visit: https://regionaltourism.com.au/convention/

06/04/2026

Back to it. 👊

The long weekend clears your head, and then Tuesday arrives and you realise the financial year doesn't care that you had a few days off.

Q4 is the quarter where the gap between busy and productive becomes impossible to ignore. The cycle in this carousel is one of the simplest frameworks you can use to close that gap:

Plan what you actually want to achieve
Execute with focus
Review with honesty
Improve what's creating friction.

The hardest part? Stopping long enough to plan before you execute.

Swipe through, save this post, and use it as your reset for the quarter ahead. 🔁

👉 Visit https://www.instituteofexcellence.com/ for practical frameworks that help small and medium business operators work with more clarity and less noise.

13/03/2026

Friday digital tip for your business.

Many businesses use Linktree to organise their social media bio links.

It works well.

But there is another option.

You can create your own link hub directly on your website and keep every click inside your own digital ecosystem.

Why this matters:

• strengthens your website SEO
• keeps visitors on your own platform
• gives you full control over branding and messaging
• reduces reliance on third-party tools

Your link in bio is your digital front door so it’s up to us to make sure it leads people somewhere you own.

At the Institute of Excellence we work with tourism and small businesses to strengthen their digital and AI capability, and often the biggest improvements start with small strategic decisions like this.

We’re running a free Digital & AI Readiness training on 26 March.
Simply click the link in bio below 👇 to find out more and register:

https://lnkd.in/gwyBTiWQ

hashtag hashtag hashtag

09/03/2026

Labour Day in Victoria is a reminder that strong industries are built through the work of people who show up every day and keep building.

In tourism and small business, progress rarely happens in big moments. It happens through consistent effort, leadership and the courage to keep improving.

Tourism and hospitality is powered largely by small business experience makers. In Australia, around 95% of tourism businesses are small businesses, the operators, hospitality teams and event professionals who bring our destinations to life.

While many people enjoy the long weekend, these businesses are often working their hardest, creating the experiences that make getaways memorable.

So if you’re out and about this weekend, or planning your next long weekend, remember that where you choose to go and spend has a real impact on small businesses and the communities behind them.

If you’re looking for a simple way to so something great for yourself and support experience makers and regional communities:

Visit somewhere new.
Book the experience direct.
Stay a little longer.

What has been your standout tourism, hospitality or small business experience this long weekend?

07/03/2026

The theme for International Women’s Day 2026 is Give to Gain.

Data from the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman validates the story that for most women in business, that is not a theme. it has always been the operating model.

And that’s the level up that’s get us ignited - happy Sunday and happy International Women’s Day 💪💃

05/03/2026

Formula 1 is at Albert Park this weekend, the event Melbourne has owned since it took it from Adelaide back in 1996. Last month, two hours down the road, Phillip Island lost the Australian MotoGP after 29 years to, you guessed it, Adelaide.

The pattern is worth paying attention to.

Episode 083 of The Tourism Hub Podcast unpacks what that means for tourism businesses and decodes the newly launched Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) THRIVE 2030 Action Plan.

Search 'Tourism Hub Podcast' on your favourite platform or visit: https://www.instituteofexcellence.com/podcast/83/

Other important updates:

⭐️ Join us on 26 March for a free live session, Digital & AI Readiness 2026. More information and registration here: https://www.instituteofexcellence.com/events/digital-ai-readiness-2026/

In this episode of The Tourism Hub Podcast, Despina Karatzias explores what Australia’s THRIVE 2030 tourism strategy and the relocation of the Australian MotoGP from Phillip Island to Adelaide reveal about ownership in tourism businesses.

12/02/2026

Sustainable digital leadership is not about reacting faster. It’s about thinking more clearly.

Grateful to the Australian Camps Association for the opportunity to deliver this training. This is the first of several exciting collaborations and projects ahead.

If you are a camp or outdoor adventure activity and this is the year you stop chasing and start leading your digital presence with intention, consider this your reminder and your invitation to join is on Tuesday 24 February via the link below 🙏

https://auscamps.asn.au/events/calendar/aca-online-event-ctrl-alt-delete-reset-your-mindset-reclaim-your-message-and-rise-online-even-when-youre-under-resourced

📅 UPCOMING EVENT - Register Today!

ACA Online Event: CTRL+ALT+DELETE: Reset Your Mindset, Reclaim Your Message, and Rise Online (Even When You're Under-Resourced)

In a world demanding constant content, how do camps and outdoor providers stay visible without burning out? In this high-impact and actionable presentation, small business digital educator and tourism mentor Despina Karatzias unpacks the attention economy and the marketing pressure it places on already stretched camp and outdoor operators.

Through CTRL+ALT+DELETE, Despina invites participants to hit reset, unpacking the digital conundrum, challenging conventional ideas of online success, and offering practical, sustainable marketing strategies that work even with limited time, tech, or team.

Register today - https://auscamps.asn.au/events/calendar/aca-online-event-ctrl-alt-delete-reset-your-mindset-reclaim-your-message-and-rise-online-even-when-youre-under-resourced

05/01/2026

The IOE word of the year has landed: Brave.

04/01/2026

If you’re returning to work tomorrow or reopening for the year ahead, let your environment support the version of you you’re stepping into.

03/01/2026

Fatigue in business isn’t failure, it’s information.

In peak periods, strong leaders don’t quit.

They rest, reset and return with intention.

A quiet reminder for business owners, leaders, and teams carrying the load during the Christmas/New Year period to look after you.

- Despina 🙏