At DMS, our driving force is our unwavering dedication to excellence and commitment to innovation. We’re more than an agency; we’re your strategic ally – unlocking your destination’s limitless potential.
In today’s ever-evolving landscape, you need to set yourself apart from the crowd and avoid the ‘sea of sameness’. Together, we can reimagine what’s possible – supported by a team who thrive on pushing boundaries and delivering results.
With DMS at your side, you will be leading the pack. We’re the leading destination agency you’ve been waiting for.
OUR TEAM
Charlotte is a destination specialist who has been working in regional tourism for over 25 years, starting with Tourism Victoria before landing at the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service in 2010, and then establishing DMS in 2012.
Along the way, Charlotte spent time with Hello World, Ramada UK, Destination NSW and Tourism Australia where she developed the destination positioning and experience strategies for some of Australia’s most outstanding nature and cultural destinations. Charlotte was also the food and wine consultant for Tourism Australia for several years.
She has developed brand, positioning and marketing strategies for a wide range of organisations and destinations, including the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Victorian Alpine Resorts, Samoa Tourism Authority and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council. Charlotte also led the award-winning brand strategy ‘Reset Your Senses’ and the ‘Let’s Skip Town Together’ marketing campaign for Mudgee Region Tourism as well as the highly successful branding of Destination Barrington Coast and subsequent marketing campaign. A number of these projects involved the identification and/or development of products and packages to create experiences that supported the marketing campaigns. She has also delivered DMPs for both Mudgee Region Tourism and Mid-Coast Council (Destination Barrington Coast).
Charlotte was also a board member of Tourism Murray River and Riverina Regional Tourism for 10 years and worked with Mildura Rural City Council on their major waterfront development project.
Charlotte participates in the SKIFT Global Forum, gaining insights into international travel and tourism trends that have a direct impact across all aspects of the tourism sector in Australia and around the world. She is regularly asked to speak at conferences, including on global tourism trends, destination branding, marketing and experience development.
Qualifications: Bachelor of Arts and Recreation (major in Tourism Marketing), University of South Australia; Certificate in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Sydney University; Diploma in Executive Tourism and Marketing, Southern Cross University; Certificate in Design Thinking, RMIT
Carl has created and executed award-winning destination brand, marketing, digital engagement and education campaigns. He has achieved significant results in nature, cultural and regional tourism; engaging communities and delivering destination plans and strategies to sustainably grow the visitor economy.
Throughout his career, Carl has worked across the community, business and government sectors with or for organisations as diverse as the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS), Tourism Australia, Parks Australia, WWF, Destination NSW, Visit Canberra and the United Nations. He has delivered multiple projects for Destination Country & Outback NSW (DNCO), Destination Barrington Coast and Mudgee Region Tourism, among many others.
Carl was the Director of Tourism & Partnerships for NPWS and subsequently Divisional Director for Customer Experience for the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH). He served on several sub-committees of the NSW Government’s Visitor Economy Taskforce, including for Nature Tourism, Cultural Tourism, Accommodation and Investment Attraction, contributing directly to key recommendations of the Visitor Economy Industry Action Plan (VEIAP). He was also a member of Tourism Australia’s national advisory committee on Investment Attraction.
Carl has extensive experience in both destination and cause-related marketing, branding, experience development and community engagement, including stakeholder consultation on complex and politically-sensitive issues.
Qualifications: Graduate Certificate in Marketing, University of Technology Sydney; Masters of International Studies (International Relations in the Asia-Pacific), University of Sydney; Bachelor of Commerce, University of NSW
Ben has been working in the destination marketing space for almost 10 years. With a keen eye for digital trends, Ben’s focus is to complement traditional marketing activities with a stronger focus on digital channels.
Ben was a driving force behind the success of amalgamated Mid-Coast Council’s destination brand Barrington Coast, managing all their newly created digital channels, including website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, and along the way making them some of the most engaged with destination channels in NSW. He was also the first person to successfully have a regional destination’s social media channels verified by Facebook, Instagram and TikTok (a recognition from these channels that the pages had created a noteworthy and active presence on their platforms).
He also reviewed, reformed and implemented online booking and ticketing systems and e-commerce functionality to optimise distribution and streamline channel management as part of the implementation of the Barrington Coast Visitor Services Strategy.
Ben also works closely with tourism businesses, passing on his skills through capacity building workshops. From Facebook Basics to Optimising User Generated Content on TikTok, Ben can confidently explain the power of social media and how businesses can best stand out in a crowded space. He has also managed business social media accounts, developing strategies to help increase their reach and engagement with audiences.
Ben has key contacts at Destination NSW and Tourism Australia, working closely with them to best increase a destination’s presence across their digital channels, exposing them to huge online audiences.
Driven by people and places, Oly has worked across a diverse range of roles and found his passion for sustainability and innovation. He has managed teams and programs across the government, not-for-profit and private sectors and enjoys finding solutions that deliver positive social and environmental impacts.
Starting off his career at the University of Wollongong (UOW), Oly worked in the International Student space developing strategies and programs to enhance student engagement and offer transition support for international students. He later returned to UOW in the capacity of Employer Engagement Coordinator and Business Development Lead, where he forged long-term linkages with industry and honed his skills in stakeholder management and community engagement.
Oly has held roles including Operations Manager at Government House – Office of the Lieutenant Governor, BC, Canada, and Community Engagement and Programs Manager at Keep Australia Beautiful NSW. He has worked across two roles in Local Government at Eurobodalla Shire Council in Tourism and Events. With a high attention to detail and a diverse skill set, he has successfully delivered projects for several organisations whilst improving business efficiencies.
Sustainability is what gets Oly really excited. From being a Young Sustainability Ambassador in the Illawarra, to riding his push bike across South-East Asia as part of an environmental documentary called The Peloton Against Plastic. Oly loves weaving travel and adventure with any opportunity to help the environment. As Social Enterprise Manager for a small not-for-profit called Hidden Harvest, he also transitioned the organisation from being a volunteer-run organisation to a thriving social enterprise.
Qualifications: Bachelor of Commerce (Tourism Management Major, International Studies Minor), University of Wollongong; Advanced Diploma in Travel and Tourism
Mikayla brings a wealth of expertise and creativity to the DMS team as our Digital Marketing Coordinator. With a passion for travel and a keen eye for content creation, she leverages her extensive experience to craft compelling brand and marketing strategies for multiple destinations across the DMS portfolio.
Mikayla’s journey in the tourism industry began with her successful sustainable travel blog, where she honed her skills in writing, content creation, and social media management. Her blog not only attracted a loyal following but also earned her recognition for her innovative approach to sustainable travel.
She applied these skills to her role at MidCoast Council, where she executed award-winning marketing strategies for Destination Barrington Coast. Her ability to blend storytelling with data-driven insights ensured that the campaign resonated with target audiences and achieved measurable results for the destination resulting in Silver at the 2022 Australian Tourism Awards.
Mikayla’s passion for travel and its transformative power is evident in her work, guiding her creativity and strategic thinking. She also excels in assisting tourism operators in optimising their digital channels for success, having conducted numerous workshops and one-on-one training sessions on various topics, including content writing, photography, and social media best practices.
Like DMS, sustainability is a core value for Mikayla. Her dedication is evident through various initiatives, from her sustainable travel blog and eco-thrifting passion project aimed at reducing landfill to her interest in permaculture, exemplified by her Watson Farmacy chicken coop. Mikayla is excited to bring this commitment to her role at DMS, where she advocates for and implements sustainable travel initiatives for clients across their digital channels.
Qualifications: Certificate 3 in Tourism; Taronga Training Institute
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
Our Subject Matter Experts are leaders in their field. And they’re top people too; you can take our word for it. We work with them when we know their expertise will bring a point of difference to making your destination shine.
INGA HLÍN PÁLSDÓTTIR
Branding, industry engagement and crisis management
Inga is the former Director of Visit Iceland. She led brand Iceland as a place and destination, both in crisis and in times of growth. Her expertise spans stakeholder engagement, integrated marketing and regenerative sustainability.
JO MACKELLAR
Research
Jo has twenty years of experience delivering quality research and insights for tourism and event agencies, including Tourism Australia, Arts NSW and local governments in regional Australia.
We walk the talk and sometimes we take a boat too
OUR PREFERRED PARTNERS
Our partners are agencies who value-add to the work we do. They bring it to life and let it sing or soar. They know how to take a great strategy and make it work hard for your destination. The key to success? Collaboration.
OUR MEMBERSHIPS
