Over 150 members of the travel trade have joined the new RepBud platform since it was launched last month.
There have been more than 450 tourism industry connections and 300 plus messages exchanged.
The RepBud platform was launched by Kusa Connect’s Graeme Watson, who represents southern and East African tourism products in the United Kingdom.
Recognising that travel trade collaboration and ease of doing business through thorough, ongoing record-keeping and saving of data is key to growth and competitiveness, Watson developed the platform to meet the unique needs of the travel trade, especially for the smaller players.
As Watson explains: “RepBud is a platform for people who sell travel to the trade — sales and marketing managers, business development managers and representatives, whether they sit in-house at an international hotel group, airline, DMC or tourism board, work for a representation company, or run their own book.”
According to Watson, it was built to fit how the job is really done – on your feet, between meetings, at trade shows, in corridors — so the record keeps up with the week rather than waiting for the weekend.
Graeme Watson
How it works
Developed by Watson’s technology business, Charnette Labs, capture by the RepBud platform takes seconds.
Users type a note, speak it, or photograph their handwritten notebook page. Then forward an email or a WhatsApp thread to the app.
“RepBud reads it, suggests who and what it was about, and waits for the user to approve before anything reaches their records.
“It answers the question that decides a meeting: what did we agree last time, and what did I promise? Meeting prep, a daily brief and a running task list are assembled from the record you have already built,” highlights Watson.
“The reports write themselves from the user’s own history — the monthly or quarterly account of the work, whether it goes to a represented property, a head office or a regional director, covering the date range you choose.”
Entrenching relationships
RepBud is more than a CRM, says Watson. Accounting, email campaigns, forms, large-file transfer, video meetings and webinars are part of the same account, under one login.
Watson adds that there is a free tier that stays free, ZAR pricing for South African members, and it is available as an app for both iPhone and Android.
“Some of it is free to anyone in the trade — the trade events directory, a visa and entry-requirements tool, an email signature generator, and free memberships for travel agents, tour operators and travel media.”
“Trade sales runs on relationships, and the people who do it well carry an extraordinary amount in their heads. RepBud’s starting point is that this knowledge is worth keeping,” Watson notes.
The customer advantage
Founder and owner of Gobble UK Reps, Mark Young, related that it is a massive advantage that RepBud has been built by Watson, who understands the industry and knows exactly what is needed.
“It’s not what some generic developer thinks we need. I often message Graeme to ask him about something I think is needed on RepBud and it turns out it is already there.”
Young says RepBud has definitely saved him time and ensures his follow-up communications are more precise.
“As reps we have hundreds – some may have thousands – of contacts we promote our clients to. Keeping track of all the conversation, e-mails, WhatsApp messages, passing comments etc is vital,” he points out.
Tessa Bott of travel marketing company, Tsessabe LTD, highlights that RepBud is tailored to what she does as a marketing rep.
“It has helped me organise my database, which is core to my business.”
Craig Drysdale, director of Inspirations Travel & Tours, describes RepBud as a “gamechanger” for the industry as it lets globe-trotting tourism professionals keep track of their work, saving both conversations and meetings as tasks that can be followed up promptly.
Connect- the free network
RepBud Connect is the platform’s network, “a community as it were” for the travel trade, highlights Watson.
“It is free to join on any plan with no card needed. It brings together reps, travel agents, tour operators, DMCs and ground handlers, travel PR, travel media, event organisers and properties seeking representation.”
Watson explains that members search for the people they sell to and buy from by name, company, the properties someone represents or the destinations they work.
They ask to connect and, once a request is accepted, message one to one or send a single note to a group of connections.
“The Who’s Nearby feature shows which members are at the same trade show or in the same city that week. RepBud Ready matches properties, DMCs and tourism boards looking for representation with reps whose markets overlap.
The same connections and messages are available on the web and in the RepBud app.”
