Welcome to the latest edition of the BGTW members’ newsletter, In:House. In this newsletter you will find:
- Introduction from the Board – Focusing on the positive
- The new board
- Things we’re doing and planning:
- Dates for the diary
- Denmark Press Trips 2024
- Event: My Family and other Enemies
- Isle of Man Memories
- BGTW on social media
Focusing on the positive
We are not quite there yet, but we’re putting together a strong Board of dynamic people to take you through the year ahead.
The foundations are in place to make this a vibrant and professional Guild which is there to support its members and each other.
The first task has been to sweep away all the hangovers from the past. Much of this is now complete so we can start to look towards the coming months with a series of events which bring everyone face to face in an environment where we can all develop new friendships and rekindle old ones, as well as networking with our industry colleagues.
The first events for your calendar are below and, as more are confirmed, they will be added to this calendar. By the time you receive the next couple of newsletters this should be filling up for the year ahead and you can plan to join them well in advance. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.
BGTW Board
The new board
Sarah Rodrigues – Membership Director
Introducing myself as the new Membership Director, hoping to even partially fill the big shoes left by my predecessor, the wonderful Kirsten Henton.
Although I’m a relatively new member of the Guild, I have high hopes of helping to overcome some of the challenges it currently faces by combining professionalism and warmth with enthusiasm and new ideas.
We sadly lost some members last year and, over the coming weeks, I’m hoping to make contact with them to discuss our fresh start and encourage them back into the Guild.
We’ve also received some brand new applications, as well as recently welcoming two new members, Cora Harrison and Suzy Pope. It’s a great start to a new year and one that I’m confident we can build on over the course of 2024.
Mary Anne – Events Director
With Valery Collins taking on a new regional role, I have taken over as Events Director and am getting started organising events for this year. Many thanks to Valery for the ones she has organised in London so far.
I have ideas for some educational events but would like your input on what you would find useful. Photography? Making videos? Website advice? And of course, a must is a debate soon on sustainable travel.
But don’t worry; as many of you know, I like a good party so there will be social get togethers as well.
I could do with any help you can give me on venues. These are now more difficult to find than the time when I was last organising events for the Guild. I know many of you, but am looking forward to meeting newer members and hearing new ideas and viewpoints.
Valery Collins – Regional & National Liaison Director
I am delighted to be taking on this new role with a regional focus and a new initiative for the Guild. I have already started talking to destinations and I’m hoping to secure at least three trips over the coming months visiting interesting destinations and including some networking opportunities. We hope that these regional initiatives will be supported by our London-based members, too.
All events will be open to all members and, with that in mind, I am working on opportunities for overnight stays – in return for reviews and social media posts. As events are finalised they’ll be announced in this newsletter, on the Guild website and our social media.
Renate Ruge – Sponsorship and Partnerships Director
As we review the Annual Gala Awards Dinner (AGAD) 2023 feedback questionnaires, the input from you and our valued sponsors will help to shape our AGAD and other events/initiatives going forward. I will coordinate positive ideas from fellow Guild members to promote profit and growth and attract prospective business partners.
Last year was a sell out on all our awards but with tightened budgets post-covid and the changing travel media landscape, it proved a none-too-easy sell.
However, we had a financially successful year and we’re looking to repeat that this year. And on that note, I would love to hear your ideas and would appreciate any leads you may have when speaking to potential sponsorship partners on your travels. On and up!
Richard Villar – Board Secretary
Here I am, the new Board Secretary and I am delighted to help our Guild develop further. For myself, I have long been immersed in books and blogging, activities that become busier by the moment, yet there is still time to undertake Board Secretary duties, and I am much looking forward to the opportunity.
We have gallons of potential, with ideas flooding in fast. This is all down to the membership – you. I will do my level best to support the talents that have gone before as well as those
that form today’s Board. The current world is one where travel journalism is under threat and challenge. Our Guild’s time is now, and I am more than happy to play my part in that.
Chris Coe – Chair
As a long term member I’ve observed the Guild’s strengths and weaknesses over many years. With experience of running limited companies, plus managing teams and budgets, I’ve stepped up to help the Guild through a difficult period and to rebuild a strong and supportive community for our members.
Although I write, I’m primarily a photographer and founder of the prestigious international Travel Photographer of the Year awards 21 years ago. I also produce an online creative photography, adventure and travel magazine – Eye for the Light – originally started with two other Guild members, Simon Willmore and Diana Jarvis, which features some Guild members as contributors.
My objectives, with the support of a very impressive team, are to be open and accountable to you, to streamline the Guild’s activities, get rid of the internal politics, rebuild the community, bring people together and to make being a Guild member rewarding, supportive and fun.
Board contact details:
- Chris COE: chris.coe@bgtw.org
- Valery COLLINS: valery.collins@bgtw.org
- Mary Anne EVANS: maryanne.evans@bgtw.org
- Sarah RODRIGUES: sarah.rodrigues@bgtw.org
- Renate RUGE: renate.ruge@bgtw.org
- Richard VILLAR: richard.villar@bgtw.org
Things we’re doing and planning …
It’s early days still but we’ve started working on a number of projects so we’d like to tell you about them:
Events & Networking
This year there will be lots more face-to-face events, both inside and outside London. Mary Anne and Valery have started working on securing venues and we’re putting together a calendar for the year so that you can plan which ones you want to attend well in advance. Come to all of them!
Next AGM
Initial discussions with our first potential destination have not come to fruition due to financial constraints. But we are currently exploring several other opportunities and will keep you posted as soon as these discussions get to a place where we can confidently say that they’ll go ahead. In the meantime, we remain on the look out for any potential interest so if you hear of any please feed this information through to Mary Anne or Valery.
Website
Simon Willmore is updating content and, after discussions with Charlotte, is making an assessment as to how we run the membership area much more efficiently by integrating all the different elements of membership from communications to payment of membership fees and member profiles.
The website also looks extremely tired and outdated so we’re looking at cost-effective ways to make it much more contemporary and engaging.
A thank you, first, to Kirsten (Twitter/X), Shebs Alom (Instagram) and Sarah Lee who are all carrying on with making these platforms work for you.
Alex Green is going to join the team to look at social media strategy and how we can make more use of professionally-orientated platforms like LinkedIn to keep our travel industry colleagues informed about what we’re up to.
Partnerships & Sponsorship
With so much planning going on, Renate is sounding out potential sponsors and partners for our big events, like the Awards. She is also asking them about their attitudes towards partnering with or sponsoring organisations like the Guild this year. This is a really important role and so we’d like to find someone who is willing to support her this year in an off-board capacity.
She would also appreciate any leads so, if you are speaking to travel partners that may be interested in working with us whether by partnering with events or awards or donating charity raffle prizes please send the details to renateruge@bgtw.org
Awards
A four-person review panel will be looking at the awards – both members’ and industry – and their structure, judging and exposure. The panel is made up of Lynn Houghton, Tim Bird, Shebs Alom, and Rudolf Abraham. They will start this review in March and will then make recommendations to the Board. If you have any recommendations or comments which you’d like to be considered then please feed them into the Board or any of these members as soon as possible.
Once this is done we can start preparing to launch this year’s Awards but we need a couple of people to step up and get involved with setting up and running them, again in an off-Board capacity.
PR & Comms
Talks with PRs to get their thoughts on the Guild and to strengthen or build good relations between us have begun.
However, we need someone to step up and take this Directorship on. We’re very surprised that no-one has considered taking up this role as it will give a hotline to the industry PRs we all work with. Mark Bibby Jackson will be continuing in his current role with responsibility for the newsletters and Guilded News, but off-board, and will work closely with the new PR & Comms Director, when appointed.
With Mark continuing to do these but off-board we are reviewing these roles. The newsletter content is good so our focus will now be to find a more visually and engaging design.
Sustainability
Dan James Clarke has taken over the Sustainability Lead role. He has lots of good ideas and will be canvasing the membership’s opinions in due course. Four members will be supporting Dan in this role, so thanks to Kassondra Cloos, Alex Green, Caroline Mills and Gillian Thomas.
Modernisation and Branding
We are in the process of setting up a review panel to look at the image of the Guild in the travel industry and beyond, with a view to assessing how our membership can be best represented and supported within this industry. Dan James Clarke has already volunteered but three more people are needed so please step up to help with this very important review.
Membership
Sarah and Kirsten Henton are continuing the process of assessing new memberships, with several new members already joining this month.
The loss of 62 members last October was a big blow to the Guild, so Sarah and Chris will be reaching out to those who left. We’ll tell them about this year’s plans then encourage them to rejoin, starting with those who ‘paused’ their membership.
Associate Members
In recent years, Associate Members have felt side-lined so, after discussions with the Associates group, we will be making every effort to include them this year. They have been asked for recommendations on how this can happen and the types of events which Associates would find engaging or useful.
Budget has been allocated to do a pilot podcast and Jon Holmes is now making plans for this. Martin Hesp and Alex Green have stepped forward to help with these plans and ideas.
Dates for the diary
EVENTS
Next networking event – save the date – 25th March (tbc)
Discussions are ongoing regarding events in the South West, Yorkshire and Durham County
Summer Party – 1st July – Fredericks Restaurant at Angel, London
Gala Dinner – Monday 4th November (tbc)
Denmark Press Trips 2024
Kyslandet Group Press Trip 22 – 26 April 2024
This group will enjoy island hopping the Danish way – a true, authentic and down-to-earth experience. We will visit the charming island of Endelave with its old-half-timbered houses, beautiful beaches and a large population of rabbits. A walking trail around this island, the Kanino, is named from the Danish word for rabbit, kanin. A visit to this island will also include a seaweed safari and a horseback tour. We will also be visiting two other islands, Tunø & Hjarnø and spend some time in Horsens where its fabulous Art Museum is celebrating its fortieth anniversary.
Please note the change of date. All itineraries may be subject to change and participation is subject to suitable confirmed commissions.
The Triangle Region (Trekantområdet) Group Press Trip 27 – 30 May 2024
The Triangle Region is centred in the heart of Jutland and is a hub for cultural experiences, history, and nature. We will visit four of the towns within this destination as they all have something unique to offer. Kolding is a centre for design and culture as well as great nature with some lovely beaches near the town. Here, you can explore its unique history, UNESCO heritage, world-class design exhibitions and Koldinghus, Jutland’s last royal castle. Christiansfeld is a small town in the municipality of Kolding. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and famous for its yellow stone houses and cobbled streets. Vejle is the city to explore for great architecture, world-class gastronomy (two Michelin restaurants), and the best cycling routes. Fredericia is also famous for its excellent gastronomy and somewhere to enjoy beautiful nature and captivating history as well as the unique Bridgewalking experience.
Please note: all itineraries may be subject to change and participation is subject to suitable confirmed commissions.
If you are interested in joining one or both these trips please contact me at valery.collins@yahoo.co.uk by 12 March 2024
Event: My Family and other Enemies
BGTW Member Mary Novakovich invites all Guildies to a Q&A about her Croatia travelogue ‘My Family and Other Enemies’ at the Serbian Embassy, 28 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8QB. The event is on 29 February from 7pm. Free to enter, please RSVP by emailing info@serbiancouncil.org.
Isle of Man Memories
Those Guild members who made it to the Isle of Man for the AGM will all agree what a fabulous time it was, and how wonderful was the support provided by our hosts Visit Isle of Man. Would you please make sure that when you post anything on social media channels about your trip you include @bgtw #travwriters as well as #bgtwiom #iomstory #loveiom and #isleofman. Also, just like with the Malta AGM, we are collecting together your memories of the trip. So, please could you send your favourite images to Charlotte Copeman.
BGTW on social media
We’re always up for sharing your work, events, news, projects etc.
Social media is managed by a small team. If you’re not being followed by the BGTW, email us.
Twitter: Tag @travwriters in your tweet/photo if you want us to see/share. You can also follow fellow members on this BGTW members list.
Instagram posts: Select ‘Tag people’ then tag @travwriters.
You can use the #bgtw hashtag or tag@ us in post copy/comments, but they’re harder to track. Tagging IN the pic guarantees we see it.
Stories/Reels: Use the ‘@mention’ function to tag us.
Facebook: We can promote your work/news on our public Facebook page. Send links via FB Messenger to that account.
LinkedIn: You can ‘@’ British Guild of Travel Writers in posts and we’ll like/share/comment when possible/appropriate.
