Bush & Beach 2024
Kastanj Collection, a luxury travel representation agency from Stockholm, held their first Bush & Beach event last year with no intention of repeating it. By the powers that be, we're glad they changed their mind! Luxury travel advisors from Sweden, Denmark, and Finland came to enjoy a day of networking with high-end suppliers, garnished with live music and summer vibes at Ellery Beach House earlier this month. LuxuryWise was there to mix and mingle – here are our favorite memories!
by LuxuryWise Editor-in-Chief Iris M. Köpke
Bush & Beach 2024
Kastanj Collection, a luxury travel representation agency from Stockholm, held their first Bush & Beach event last year with no intention of repeating it. By the powers that be, we're glad they changed their mind! Luxury travel advisors from Sweden, Denmark, and Finland came to enjoy a day of networking with high-end suppliers, garnished with live music and summer vibes at Ellery Beach House earlier this month. LuxuryWise was there to mix and mingle – here are our favorite memories!
by LuxuryWise Editor-in-Chief Iris M. Köpke
Ahoy! Travel advisors arrive by boat in style – with champagne and onboard entertainment! Captain Johan Berndtsson (aka Business Director and Co-Owner of Kastanj Collection) makes sure everyone safely disembarks. Who was supposed to bring the ladder?!
Finally – here they come! More than 30 luxury travel specialists from the Nordics attended the carefully curated event. LuxuryWise meets advisors from Sweden, Denmark, and Finland – each and everyone is in a great mood and ready to network with suppliers from around the globe.
Big hug! Roberto Viviani, Head of Sales EMEA and Asia Pacific at Wilderness, is waiting at the jetty together with all the other suppliers to welcome the buyers. Meeting old industry friends and making new ones – isn't this what the travel family is all about?
He might be wearing the uniform, but she's the one leading the way: Kastanj Founder and CEO Jeanette Bolin directs her guest towards the hotel.
Show host CJ Larsson (left) welcomes his audience. He speaks with every supplier on stage casually and informatively. It's a perfect format to soak up all the news!
He's got rhythm! Wilderness's Roberto Viviani dances up to the stage to Miriam Makeba's song "Pata Pata." Every supplier has their own intro music!
Zeina El Sayegh (DMC Elevate) has some interesting news: Ras Al-Khaimah is becoming a luxury destination. A casino and high-end hotels are underway!
Time for a break! Participants meet on the beautiful terrace with a view of the sea. The bright yellow cocktail is far from mainstream, however. It's a creation tailor made for Kastanj!
Say cheese! (From left) Malik Fernando from Resplendent Ceylon, Kastanj CEO Jeanette Bolin, and haute couture designer Lars Wallin are enjoying the networking.
Travel expert chat: Tinna Berg and Moris Logongo Vodoti of Bäckman & Berg (foreground) exchange news with Henrik Johansson (Rate Hawk) and host CJ Larsson.
Team Denmark is having a great time: Bo Frilund (Abundance Travel) and Merete Thaysen (The Collection Travel Agency).
Fredrik Hermelin, GM of the Swedish Business Travel Association, chats with Carmen Javier from Emirates.
Thank you all for listening! Introducing our international magazine LuxuryWise on stage has been a great experience!
Yes, we deserve a drink – and some really good food! The evening ends with a splendid dinner and live music.
News + + + News + + + News
Emirates
Carmen Javier,
Senior Sales Executive
Emirates will soon have an AI tool for group bookings that will confirm everything within 72 hours (as long as all necessary information is provided). Also, Emirates will join IATA's Turbulence Aware platform to minimize the risk of injuries caused by turbulence for crew and passengers.
Hello Scotland
Bill Thomson, Founder & Sales Ambassador
Hello Scotland used to offer only MICE services, now the DMC also specializes in bespoke leisure travel. Founder Bill Thomson and his team just signed a contract with the brand new five-star hotel W Edinburgh – and they fully understand that clients expect memorable moments. Hello Scotland calls this "Emotional Luxury" – nicely coined!
Hummingbird Travel
Olivia King, Sales & Marketing Executive
The DMC Hummingbird Travel expanded last year and added the Caribbean to their portfolio, which already has contracts with 122 hotels on 22 islands on top of their home turf of the Indian Ocean. Pro-tip: check out the Hum Club – it provides additional services for key partners like 24-hour WhatsApp support.
A Statement from Kastanj Collection
"The event went very well! When you hear the warm sounds of people chatting and laughing, you know that everything is okay. We decided to host this event for a second time because of the overwhelmingly positive feedback last year, and what a success! We have learned over all these years what clicks and what doesn’t in the travel industry, so Bush & Beach has a very distinct concept. This year's positive feedback has been even better. We always listen carefully to various perspectives and work to incorporate them. For example, many of the 'Thank you!' emails that we've received say, 'See you next year – and please make it a little longer!' That's how we know we've found the right balance of entertainment, education, information, and networking in a fun and emotional way. It's a perfect recipe that goes straight to the hearts of suppliers and guests alike. So, Beach & Bush 2.0 will be back May 28th, 2025! Kastanj, by the way, means 'Chestnut.' It's a nursing tree that keeps its visitors replete and safe. That helps everyone grow, and makes the chestnut tree itself grow even stronger. This is what Kastanj Collection is all about – without you we are nothing, with you we are everything."
Thank you, Kastanj Collection!
Jeanette Bolin · Founder, Owner & CEO Johan Berndtsson, Business Director & Owner