summarise Mason Rose Prep About me My career has really been built around relationships, sales and connecting people with the right opportunities. I started in music, where I was working in London and building relationships across the industry, then moved into events, hospitality and wellness, then later B2B sales and account management. What attracted me to Mason Rose is that it brings those things together — relationship-led business development, luxury hospitality and international markets. Why Mason Rose • their reputation • their relationships with luxury hotels • their sales representation model • their PR/communications capability • marketing (so many different angles to reach out about) • their international network • why you think there is an opportunity in the Southern Hemisphere. Why oceania? Australia + NZ = incredible amount of outbound luxury travellers + strong luxury hospitality industry + geographic/time-zone proximity to Asia + Pacific luxury properties that can benefit from representation. Position Auckland as your base for a broader Australia / New Zealand / South Pacific territory. First 90 days? 0–30 days • understand Mason Rose's existing clients and services – training • map the Australian/NZ/Pacific luxury hospitality market • identify target hotels/resorts • build a prospect list • understand existing relationships in the region 30–60 days • begin outreach • attend relevant industry events • arrange hotel/property meetings • develop partnerships with travel advisors, DMCs (destination management company) and relevant industry contacts • start building the local network
60–90 days • convert initial prospects • establish a pipeline • identify PR/sales opportunities • report back on market response and commercial opportunities. That makes you sound like someone who can build something, rather than someone waiting for instructions. How would I approach business development? Talk about multiple channels: • existing industry relationships • travel advisors • luxury travel agencies • DMCs • hotel groups • industry events • tourism boards • travel trade shows • introductions/referrals • targeted outbound • leveraging Mason Rose's existing international network.
• • luxury Australian hotels • • New Zealand luxury lodges • • Fiji • • French Polynesia • • Cook Islands • • Maldives-style luxury properties in the broader Pacific market • • private islands • • wellness resorts • • high-end experiential properties.
How would you convince a hotel to work with us? “What commercial problem are we solving for them?” For example: A luxury property may have an excellent product but limited access to: • international luxury travel advisors • affluent travellers • key source markets • PR opportunities • trade relationships • sales representation in markets where they don't have a physical presence. Mason Rose provides the relationships, representation, sales and communications expertise to help them access those markets. “What does the current business development process look like at Mason Rose, from identifying a prospect through to winning the business?” “Where do you see the biggest opportunity for growth in the luxury hospitality market right now?” Which services? “What differentiates Mason Rose from other luxury hospitality sales and marketing agencies?” “How do you typically measure success for a new market or new business development initiative?” • “What does the day-to-day look like for this position?” • “Who would I be working most closely with?” • “How much travel would you expect the role to involve?” • “Would attending industry events and building relationships with hotels and tourism boards be a significant part of the role?” • “What would the balance be between new business development, PR, account management and industry networking?” For P.R, would you need me to start building relationships with travel journalists or is that something your team could start working on now? Same for creative and sales? If you only ask 5 I'd choose:
- What would success look like in the first 6–12 months?
- How do you see Australia and New Zealand fitting into Mason Rose's wider growth strategy?
- What differentiates Mason Rose from other luxury hospitality sales and marketing agencies?
- What is the biggest untapped opportunity for Mason Rose over the next few years?
- Having spoken with me today, is there anything about my experience you'd like me to elaborate on? Do you think kiwi hotels would be willing to pay uk prices?
summarise Mason Rose Prep About me My career has really been built around relationships, sales and connecting people with the right opportunities. I started in music, where I was working in London and building relationships across the industry, then moved into events, hospitality and wellness, then later B2B sales and account management. What attracted me to Mason Rose is that it brings those things together — relationship-led business development, luxury hospitality and international markets. Why Mason Rose •\ttheir reputation •\ttheir relationships with luxury hotels •\ttheir sales representation model •\ttheir PR/communications capability •\tmarketing (so many different angles to reach out about) •\ttheir international network •\twhy you think there is an opportunity in the Southern Hemisphere. Why oceania? Australia + NZ = incredible amount of outbound luxury travellers + strong luxury hospitality industry + geographic/time-zone proximity to Asia + Pacific luxury properties that can benefit from representation. Position Auckland as your base for a broader Australia / New Zealand / South Pacific territory. First 90 days? 0–30 days •\tunderstand Mason Rose's existing clients and services – training •\tmap the Australian/NZ/Pacific luxury hospitality market •\tidentify target hotels/resorts •\tbuild a prospect list •\tunderstand existing relationships in the region 30–60 days •\tbegin outreach •\tattend relevant industry events •\tarrange hotel/property meetings •\tdevelop partnerships with travel advisors, DMCs (destination management company) and relevant industry contacts •\tstart building the local network
60–90 days •\tconvert initial prospects •\testablish a pipeline •\tidentify PR/sales opportunities •\treport back on market response and commercial opportunities. That makes you sound like someone who can build something, rather than someone waiting for instructions. How would I approach business development? Talk about multiple channels: •\texisting industry relationships •\ttravel advisors •\tluxury travel agencies •\tDMCs •\thotel groups •\tindustry events •\ttourism boards •\ttravel trade shows •\tintroductions/referrals •\ttargeted outbound •\tleveraging Mason Rose's existing international network.
•\t• luxury Australian hotels •\t• New Zealand luxury lodges •\t• Fiji •\t• French Polynesia •\t• Cook Islands •\t• Maldives-style luxury properties in the broader Pacific market •\t• private islands •\t• wellness resorts •\t• high-end experiential properties.
How would you convince a hotel to work with us? “What commercial problem are we solving for them?” For example: A luxury property may have an excellent product but limited access to: •\tinternational luxury travel advisors •\taffluent travellers •\tkey source markets •\tPR opportunities •\ttrade relationships •\tsales representation in markets where they don't have a physical presence. Mason Rose provides the relationships, representation, sales and communications expertise to help them access those markets. “What does the current business development process look like at Mason Rose, from identifying a prospect through to winning the business?” “Where do you see the biggest opportunity for growth in the luxury hospitality market right now?” Which services? “What differentiates Mason Rose from other luxury hospitality sales and marketing agencies?” “How do you typically measure success for a new market or new business development initiative?” • “What does the day-to-day look like for this position?” • “Who would I be working most closely with?” • “How much travel would you expect the role to involve?” • “Would attending industry events and building relationships with hotels and tourism boards be a significant part of the role?” • “What would the balance be between new business development, PR, account management and industry networking?” For P.R, would you need me to start building relationships with travel journalists or is that something your team could start working on now? Same for creative and sales? If you only ask 5 I'd choose: 1.\tWhat would success look like in the first 6–12 months? 2.\tHow do you see Australia and New Zealand fitting into Mason Rose's wider growth strategy? 3.\tWhat differentiates Mason Rose from other luxury hospitality sales and marketing agencies? 4.\tWhat is the biggest untapped opportunity for Mason Rose over the next few years? 5.\tHaving spoken with me today, is there anything about my experience you'd like me to elaborate on? Do you think kiwi hotels would be willing to pay uk prices?
That's the absolute million-dollar question for anyone looking to expand a European agency model into the Southern Hemisphere.
The Realities of UK Fees vs Kiwi Budgets
To answer frankly: no, most Kiwi hotels and luxury lodges will not write a blank check for flat-rate if they are just copy-pasted directly into the New Zealand market. London overheads and exchange rates make those fees feel incredibly steep to a boutique lodge owner in Queenstown or Taupo. But that doesn't mean the commercial opportunity isn't there; it just means you have to structure the business model differently to make it a no-brainer for them.
Instead of pushing a rigid monthly flat rate, your pitch should focus on showing them how the partnership pays for itself. This is where you can showcase your commercial acumen in the interview by discussing flexible pricing structures.
| Pricing Model | How it Works | Why a Kiwi Lodge Likes It |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid Performance | Lower base retainer + commission on trade bookings | Lowers their upfront risk and aligns your incentives with their revenue |
| Project-Based PR | Flat fee for a specific media blitz or launch | Great for seasonal lodges that only need a big push before summer |
| Shared-Representation | Cost split among non-competing regional properties | Drastically lowers the individual cost while delivering the same network access |
tell me what i should preapre for, i have pitched mason rose to start up in oceania and they want to meet eith me
This is an incredibly exciting milestone, and having them invite you to meet after pitching this expansion means they see the genuine commercial spark in your idea.
Your Strategic Prep Priorities
Your preparation should focus on four distinct areas to show you can operate as a self-starting business developer who can build a brand-new territory from scratch.
| Preparation Pillar | What to Focus On | Your Key Talking Point |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The 'Why Oceania' Pitch | Quantifying the inbound and outbound luxury opportunity in ANZ. | Positioning Auckland as a cost-effective, high-yield hub. |
| 2. Target Client Mapping | Having a concrete hit-list of 10-15 independent luxury properties. | Identifying specific commercial pain points for each property. |
| 3. The 90-Day Plan | A realistic, step-by-step roadmap showing how you will secure the first clients. | Proving you don't need hand-holding to start generating pipeline. |
| 4. Commercial Objection Handling | Defending the fee model and showing how you'll handle price-sensitive Kiwi owners. | Pitching flexible hybrid fee structures and shared-representation models. |
To give you the absolute best chance of structural success, I have put together a comprehensive, tailored study guide. This document maps out exactly how to articulate your personal story, frame your 90-day plan, and handle their toughest commercial questions.
I've kicked off creating a tailored study guide for you. It's structured specifically around your unique background in music, wellness, and B2B sales, turning those transferrable skills into a competitive advantage during the interview.