Shelley W. Email & Phone Number

Brisbane, Qld, Au

Brisbane, Australia

Then there was scUber, a PR-led campaign that reset the conversation about the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef in many ways defies description. It’s the biggest structure ever built by living things and it’s the only one visible from outer space. It generates $5.7 billion a year in direct economic activity and for the two million travellers a year, it teems with unimaginable treasures. So, what do you do when global headlines rue its demise? You tackle the… Show more Then there was scUber, a PR-led campaign that reset the conversation about the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef in many ways defies description. It’s the biggest structure ever built by living things and it’s the only one visible from outer space. It generates $5.7 billion a year in direct economic activity and for the two million travellers a year, it teems with unimaginable treasures. So, what do you do when global headlines rue its demise? You tackle the conversation head on, first by creating an attention grabbing stunt, follow by first-hand experience and strategic conversation. In 2019 TEQ collaborated with Uber to develop the world’s first rideshare submarine – scUber - launching “live” from a coral cay 80km off the Queensland coast to offer an unfiltered lens to the Reef. With just 12 weeks lead time, my role was to manage the global communication’s plan by:• Staging an on-island panel session with Reef experts to educate media about its vast beauty.• Inviting media from 25 global outlets to witness the world’s-first ride• Deploying a global video news release to complement content distributed via TEQ’s owned and partner networks• Operating a 48 hour global press office • Publicising milestone moments: rider winners, marriage proposals and the world’s first On-Demand scUber traveller • Partnering with Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef (CoGBR), a not-for-profit with a genuine rally call for change• Hosting media to report on their Reef experience.The results:• Positive social sentiment grew from 21% to 62%.• 4,320 earned media placements • AUD$130M+ earned media • Over 4.5 billion media impressions globally• 40+ KOLs experience scUber, becoming Reef advocates.• 152,000 competition entries• 700,000 website views • 11,500 Junior CoGBR Show less

Brisbane, Australia

English is not a hobby for me, it’s a passion! And as a word nerd using language to create, edit and market the untold story of Queensland has been the cornerstone for my role at TEQ. In 2012, recognising an opportunity to bypass traditional media channels and talk directly to the consumer, I launched blog.queensland.com, serving as editor-in-chief, plus writing and optimising relevant and seasonal posts to help grow the audience to 100,000 uv/m within 18 months (now in excess of one million).… Show more English is not a hobby for me, it’s a passion! And as a word nerd using language to create, edit and market the untold story of Queensland has been the cornerstone for my role at TEQ. In 2012, recognising an opportunity to bypass traditional media channels and talk directly to the consumer, I launched blog.queensland.com, serving as editor-in-chief, plus writing and optimising relevant and seasonal posts to help grow the audience to 100,000 uv/m within 18 months (now in excess of one million). Eventing the Great Barrier Reef: Until 2012 few people knew about Coral Spawning, the one perfect night when sea temperatures align with tides to create impeccable conditions for the world’s biggest reproductive show; the annual birth of the Great Barrier Reef. For the past decade, I have collaborated with scientific communities to reveal new research and unearth fresh news stories, along the way conditioning news bureaus to expect colourful content and countless tourism-rich stories. This one-night stand is supported by an Always On approach to the Reef via feature stories, videos, blog posts, character profiles, press releases and e-books. Commonwealth Games PR Campaign Management: How do you put a destination on the world stage? You invite the world’s media to see its best athletes at their peak. From 2016 – 2018, I led a small team with a remit to showcase destination Queensland by leveraging the excitement for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Starting with KOLs (YouTubers, bloggers, radio DJs), we engaged talented sportspersons, and hosted dozens of global media visits to ensure Queensland had its moment in the sports headlines. Show less

During my three years at Dreamworld, I focused on unearthing quirky angles and human-interest stories to keep a familiar tourism brand top of mind. Stories included Bob the Builder – the ride engineer with the coolest job in the world, the planet's first Blue-eyed koala, a first birthday encounter between triplet bubs and three tiger cubs (born within 20km and one week of each other), and the invention of a cheeky name, “The Wedgie”, to steal media attention for a fairly regular thrill ride.… Show more During my three years at Dreamworld, I focused on unearthing quirky angles and human-interest stories to keep a familiar tourism brand top of mind. Stories included Bob the Builder – the ride engineer with the coolest job in the world, the planet's first Blue-eyed koala, a first birthday encounter between triplet bubs and three tiger cubs (born within 20km and one week of each other), and the invention of a cheeky name, “The Wedgie”, to steal media attention for a fairly regular thrill ride. At heart, I was most proud of the sustained media campaign for Dreamworld’s Sumatran Tiger Breeding program, achieving more than 300 print articles in six months and culminating in a front-page story in the Courier Mail as well as coverage in Today, Brisbane Extra, Getaway, Great Outdoors, and Kerri Ann Show. Most importantly, the three-month Tiger Cub Experience was sold out purely through PR efforts, while waiting lists for Tiger Walks increased to two months. Vital funds from these programs were channelled to supporting tigers in the wild. But this role was not always about good news. Crisis communications and issues management were a core part of my role, dealing with ride malfunctions, animal trauma, and deviant behaviour. In 2009, I was praised by veteran news teams for swift and balanced media relations responses following a devastating helicopter crash. Instead of ugly headlines, the outcome was neutral and the pilot was deemed a hero. Show less

Singapore

Based out of the Singapore corporate office, I managed the communications and publicity for more than 80 hotels spanning 23 countries and 11 time zones. I reported directly to the President and worked closely with five regional Vice Presidents of Operations. Achievements:• Repositioned Hilton in Asia Pacific as a more contemporary hotel group by focusing on a four-pronged corporate strategy (“Retire, Rejuvenate, Rebuild, Relax”). • Brand Reputation: Developed the crisis and… Show more Based out of the Singapore corporate office, I managed the communications and publicity for more than 80 hotels spanning 23 countries and 11 time zones. I reported directly to the President and worked closely with five regional Vice Presidents of Operations. Achievements:• Repositioned Hilton in Asia Pacific as a more contemporary hotel group by focusing on a four-pronged corporate strategy (“Retire, Rejuvenate, Rebuild, Relax”). • Brand Reputation: Developed the crisis and issues management procedures and supervised the communication for SARS, Avian Flu and the Asian Tsunami. A particular focus was keeping the Hilton name out of the news following the terrorist attack on Hilton Taba in October 2004 which killed 31 guests. • News Bureau: As a “laptop bandit”, I generated more than 130 press releases a year, staged monthly press conferences, organized 200 journalist visits, coordinated media interviews, wrote speeches, and attended industry tradeshows. • Managed the PR strategies for the opening of 12 hotels. • In 2005, an independent audit of the region’s most influential media named me/Hilton the most proactive PR office among the five biggest hospitality groups. • Developed workshops to motivate and educate teams on the value of publicity. • Internal Communications: Developed the region’s intranet site, foregoing expensive print medium to write and upload a quarterly team newsletter. Show less

Hong Kong, Malaysia

During my five years working in Public Relations roles at Tourism Australia, I rose through the ranks, moving from Publicity Officer Japan (based in Sydney) to Regional PR Manager, Asia based in Hong Kong and later Malaysia. Two notable projects included: Celebrate Australia Project Management: Developed partnerships with more than a dozen KL-based Australian organisations to stage a series of events under the “Celebrate Australia” umbrella. The objective was to promote lifestyle… Show more During my five years working in Public Relations roles at Tourism Australia, I rose through the ranks, moving from Publicity Officer Japan (based in Sydney) to Regional PR Manager, Asia based in Hong Kong and later Malaysia. Two notable projects included: Celebrate Australia Project Management: Developed partnerships with more than a dozen KL-based Australian organisations to stage a series of events under the “Celebrate Australia” umbrella. The objective was to promote lifestyle experiences to an audience jaded by kangaroos and koalas. In 2002, Celebrate Australia in Malaysia generated more than AUD$3 million publicity including – for the first time since the Ministry of Information’s ban on foreign destination promotion - 25 minutes of destination content on prime-time television. The concept proved so successful, it was transplanted to Singapore and then formed the basis for what is now known as G'day Australia in LA. The Bank of America Down Under Tour leveraged interest in the Sydney Olympic Games to promote destination Australia to the US market. This entailed taking a multi-sensory Australian exhibit to 44 cities across 21 USA states over six months. My role as supervisor to nine young Australians included liaising with the US media, pitching story ideas and acting as the primary spokesperson for weekly presentations to local travel agents and school groups. Show less

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Australian Resorts was the managing arm of five island resorts on the Great Barrier Reef. Employed as Guest Liaison and Public Relations Coordinator for Dunk Island Resort and later as Sales Executive in the Brisbane office:• Liaison with media, travel agents and VIP guests.• Planning, organising, promoting and supervising conferences and events (themes, meet & greet, food & beverage, activities) • Representing Australian Resorts at trade shows and road shows. • Producing sales… Show more Australian Resorts was the managing arm of five island resorts on the Great Barrier Reef. Employed as Guest Liaison and Public Relations Coordinator for Dunk Island Resort and later as Sales Executive in the Brisbane office:• Liaison with media, travel agents and VIP guests.• Planning, organising, promoting and supervising conferences and events (themes, meet & greet, food & beverage, activities) • Representing Australian Resorts at trade shows and road shows. • Producing sales support tools, collateral and in-house newsletters• Writing releases, feature stories, travel agent handbooks, marketing plans. Show less

Bachelor Of Business Communications, Public Relations, Distinction Average

Masters Of Arts And International Studies, Japanese Language

Certificate, Digital Marketing

Diploma Of Social Media Marketing, Digital Communication And Media/Multimedia