Guests came from around New Zealand and Australia to attend the official supplier launch of new travel cooperative Complete this week.
“We’re eight travel agencies in 10 locations…we’re front of the plane, top of the ship,” Bon Voyage Cruises & Travel (and Complete chairman) Gerard Murphy told those at the event. “Our clients are in the top lounges and overwater bungalows. And we have quite a number who have cards that are gold, elite or now black. And we are selling very complex, multi-destinational trips…collectively we have turned over well into the nine figures,” he added.
Murphy said the founding members had been looking for something ‘small, agile, New Zealand-owned, independent, high quality and hi-tech—we wanted to be a cooperative group with full transparency for our members’.
Under the Complete model, which has 11 investors, the business is 90% owned by the agents and 10% owned by the management team.
That includes Malcolm MacLeod, Paul Smith and Alison Salmon. “The three of us have worked together for a fifth of a century, it’s quite a long time”, quipped Complete managing director Malcolm MacLeod. “So we’re here to thank the suppliers, but to also thank the members and the staff; including our newest addition, Riana Shlemun as fares and ticketing manager. So thank you to everyone who not only led the faith, but has also invested in this launch…”
. . . Just Complete
MacLeod also clarified that the new company’s name is simply Complete. “It’s just Complete…Limited, there’s no other words to go with it.”
. . . Thank You
Speaking at the launch MacLeod acknowledged the enthusiastic response the start-up has received from industry suppliers. “The over-whelming [supplier] support about the local cooperative in the New Zealand market has been very cool, so thank you very much,” he told those at the event.
MacLeod says Complete has a number of strategic supply agreements, including with GTN and Luxury Travel Collection to complement its suite of direct supply agreements.
