In Conversation with Connections’ Managing Director, Greg Reeves

Happy New Year to our lovely Connections Community! We’re so excited to enter yet another year with a calendar of exciting events, networking opportunities and activities with our exceptional leaders.

To kick off a soon-to-be eventful year, we’re continuing our tradition from 2022 by introducing a member of the Connections team through a number of elaborate and personalised questions highlighting their talent and passion for the travel industry. And what better way to step into 2023 than hearing from Connections’ very own Managing Director, Greg Reeves!

We sat down with Greg to hear his thoughts on what’s on the horizon for Connections Luxury and travel industry and what we can expect to see and experience this year throughout our calendar of events and our growing community.

After a full relaunch of welcoming back the industry in 2022, what are you reflecting on the most?

I think all of us here at Connections are Giddy with excitement. The year has been incredible for us and for our members. We really wanted to be there for the industry and play our part in the recovery of tourism, I believe the industry is now well on its way to recovery. But equally as important, as our industry has regained it’s confidence, it now also benefits from a renewed sense of responsibility for the planet and to one another. It’s a very special time.

You’ve held the position as MD now for over a year. What’s been the best and most challenging parts of the role?

There are an awful lot of moving parts in Connections, from our community platform to virtual events, physical events to FAMS and socials, there is always a deadline. We have built the business on the relationships we share with our members, so for us, every interaction must be handled with the same importance, it’s one of our key metrics. This obviously means we need a well-oiled machine, which takes a lot of attention.

The best part has unquestionably been enabling our team and allowing them to run. We are blessed with an incredible team, a product of the demanding work we carry out. Seeing team members grow, build personal brands and conquer career defining challenges is simply the most rewarding feeling.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

The fact that we can be so much better and do so much more for our members. Every day we discover a path we can take to offer more value to our community. The team are in the market understanding pain points, which we believe to be key. I feel some businesses serving tourism are quite far removed from the needs of those they represent, or just lose sight of why we do what we do.

Being acutely aware of how we can improve the lives and businesses of those around us is exciting. Coffee also gets me out of bed in the morning.

What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve received?

I think fundamentally, ask people for help who have done what you are trying to do, or if it hasn’t been done, ask for help around the general topic. It’s obvious, but many overlook the gains of compound learning through trial and error.

Another way I like to look at what we do. Picture business like a horse race, each obstacle such as a jump is a challenge you need to overcome to continue running. There are many horses in the race and some may not have the energy or motive to make the jump, therefore on the other side you are left with less in the race. If you can dig deep to keep making the jumps you have an unfair advantage pretty quickly.

Connections has big plans this year. What can members expect in 2023?

2023 is a big year for our community, you can expect a mobile app to keep us connected, new launches in The Philippines, Bahrain, and Barcelona. The re-introduction of Connections Adventure this time hosted in Madeira. Incredible FAM trips for our agencies to every corner of the globe, the most diverse supplier pool in Connections history and much much more. We have things up our sleeves for you as always.