inCONVERSATION with Richard Joslin
We caught up with inVOYAGE Co-Founder, Richard Joslin to reflect on 2021 and find out more about what’s in store for the year ahead. Here’s what he said…
If you could describe 2021 in three words, what would they be?
Frustrating – not being able to know from one week to the next whether we would be able to run our events. We have to balance so many elements to bring our events together seamlessly, so new variants and government responses made this very hard.
Uplifting – finally getting to see 150 of our wonderful and resilient inVOYAGERS coming together at our poolside opening welcome reception at inVOYAGE in Mykonos. It was also really uplifting to have been able to build out our community digitally and support key clients by creating content partnerships and takeovers.
History – i.e. last year is history and we’re looking forward to 2022 with hope, optimism and excitement. inVOYAGE in Lucerne is already fully booked and we have pre-registrations coming in for Cape Town in June as well our Q4 event already which is incredibly positive news.
What was your biggest hurdle to overcome?
After delays, regulation changes and many late nights filled with worry, we managed to overcome our greatest hurdle in 2021 by finally running inVOYAGE in Mykonos and being able to do so with an amazing guest list, in a COVID-safe and super-stylish environment, and with wonderful partners.
Most unexpected positive in 2021?
Without a doubt, it was the uplifting effect of seeing the faces of 150 inVOYAGERS at the Myconian Collection Avaton poolside for our Welcome Reception. This felt like a great moment with our industry back doing what it does best! The sheer number of briefs that followed this, being discussed at inVOYAGE in Mykonos, makes it feel like 2022 is going to be an amazing year for our partners and members.
WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST LEARNINGS YOU ARE TAKING FROM 2021?
Cliches exist for good reason: resilience, decision making, positive action and teamwork makes the dream work. We’re so thankful for our amazing team, industry partners and wider community who all come together to make these events possible.
Richard Joslin, inVOYAGE Co-Founder
How do YOU plan to support your business community in 2022?
Our philosophy has always been to provide our community with more value than just the live events we run. Through the inSPIRE EDIT newsletter and social media channels we can promote our community and inspire a global audience of over 10,000 events professionals with luxury hotel news and inspiration and destination showcases. In 2022, we plan to expand this even further.
Finally, what's your outlook for the year ahead?
We’re optimistic about seeing our industry rewarded for its resilience with corporations having gained a renewed appreciation around the importance of their people and rewarding them
through the experience economy and incentive travel, as well as bringing their customers and stakeholders together through live event activations. At inVOYAGE we’re excited to be in a prime position to support our resurgent industry with more luxury events throughout the year.
