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Vacancy at Curtin Student Guild

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:00:00 GMT

A vacancy for the position of Member Benefits Manager at Curtin Student Guild in Perth is currently available. This role also covers the management of marketing for WA's largest campus. Details available at http://www.guild.curtin.edu.au/go/employment/about-us/member-benefits-manager . It is also available on SEEK.

Lion Nathan Annual Planning Day

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Our annual Lion Nathan planning day is scheduled for Monday, August 09. Lion Nathan have elected to proceed with this annual meeting in good faith, regardless of it being a tender year, in order to be prepared and ready to go in 2011 if they retain the contract. The meeting cannot be held after the vote, as it does not provide us an effective lead time in which to implement the important strategies that result from the discussions..

As usual, I am mixing up the TAG representation to ensure that we continue to understand the needs of our wide and varied Member base.

The agenda covers operational and promotional strategies, with the outcomes of this important meeting establishing our program for 2011

2010 Trade Fair and Conference Takes a New Name

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:00:00 GMT

In keeping with the theme of our past few events, where firstly Acuma Inc, and then AACA, joined TAG in creating a larger tertiary showcase, we have adopted a event title that best communicates what this major event is all about: Campus Link! And as the tag line says, it\'s about the information, innovation and ideas that are shared when we gather together as an idustry group representing the commercial, managerial and activities aspects of the tertiary services sector.

Campus Link 2010, our conference and trade fair will take place at the Perth Exhibition Conference Centre, from Monday 27 September to Wednesday 29 September.

At this early point 100 delegates and over 50 exhibitors have already registered, so it is shaping up to be a great event.

This year will again see the AACA Annual Conference joining the TAG Trade Fair and Conference and ACUMA Inc Conference, to create a truly broad-spectrum tertiary service providers\' event that will deliver an extensive, dynamic and valuable experience through its various sessions. ACUMA Inc, AACA and TAG special interest group sessions will run across the three days, the TAG Trade Fair will showcase industry-specific products and services, and the ACUMA Inc, TAG and AACA awards will be announced. The AACA National Campus Band Competition national final will take place at the closing ceremony of the Australian University Sports UniGames, which will also take place in Perth during the week.

Full details are attached, along with accommodation options.

Given that this event co-incides with the AUS Unigames and the Perth Royal Agricultural Show, I would urge you to register online at http://www.tertiaryaccessgroup.com.au/events/trade-fair/ quickly, and get cracking on organising airfares and accommodation.

A draft program will be available shortly, but rest assured the sessions, boith operational and professional development will be as interesting and worthwhile as ever. This year, greater scope will be given to Member forums, in which discussion can be held openly with your peers on topics that are important and relevant to your need.

The Trade Fair will once again feature a mix of our traditional exhibitors, as well as a range of exciting new products and services. Considering that this is the first time we have held the event in Perth, local interest should be high.

Contract-wise, this years\' tenders will include a number of \"big ones\": water, beer, confectionery, salty snacks and all vending contracts. Be there to cast your vote.

Awards dinner will take place on th egrounds of the stately UWA, and Wednesday will finish off with a campus tour for those of you wishing to take this rare opportunity to view campus operations in the West.

2010 Tender Goes Live

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Tenders go live this Saturday, available for download from our website for suppliers interested in vying for TAG contracts. As usual, tenders will be by invitation, and will also be advertised in the national press this weekend, to ensure that we are achieving the most competitive tenders.

If you know of a supplier that may be interested in, or that you would like to see tendering, please feel free to email the attached invitation to them.

Thanks to Members who have submitted their tender participation forms for expiring and new contracts. Participation this year is at very high levels.

The contracts are all for 80% (minimum) exclusive status, allowing us to experiment with new product as necessary, and remain relevant to our customers.

Voting will take place on Wednesday, September 29, at the TAG Trade Fair and Conference. Members will receive spreadsheets comparing tender submissions for each category a few weeks before the vote, to assist in making a qualified decision. If you are voting, please remember that considerations of brand equity, customer relevance, service and quality are often as critical as pricing in making your decision at tender time.

In 2009, Members shared almost $7M of benefits from TAG contracts. The more Members participating in these contracts, the greater our leverage. Benefits partners participating after the vote will further grow volumes. Contracts with less than ten Members participating will not proceed to tender.

It is important to note that there will again be an inclusion in this year\\\\\\\'s tender documents stating that TAG reserves the rig ht of Members to withdraw from contracts if necessary, due to implications of campus restructuring, without penalty

A copy of our standard contract is available for reference in the Members\\\\\\\' pages of our website, on the TAG Contracts page. You will note a number of KPIs that help us keep suppliers compliant. Excellent pricing, coupled with this compliance, will provide us with a strong base from which to drive our businesses. In return, we should undertake to be compliant with the contracts ourselves.

Do You Employ Australia's Best Campus Barista?

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:00:00 GMT

TAG is pleased to announce the introduction of a campus barista competition, looking to identify the best barista on an Australian campus.

Details are currently being finalised with a sponsor, but the proposed format will be that each TAG Member will be able to nominate their best barista to compete in the state heats. The winners of each heat will then compete for the title of TAG Campus Barista of the Year at the final, to be held at the Trade Fair in Perth this September.

Full details will be available shortly, so start looking carefully at your baristas, with an eye to proving that it's not the bean that counts, it's the barista!

Simpler On-Selling Proposal From CCA - Earn Without Effort

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

A number of Members benbefit from on-selling product such as CCA beverages, Red Bull, Lipton Ice-Tea, etc to tenants on their campuses.

This process, "sub-distribution", is a benefit that these companies allow only TAG Members to participate in. It provides a nil or low-cost revenue stream for Members, and a greater brand presence on campus for the suppliers.

However, it can also mean a certain amouunt of administrative burden for the Member, generating invoices and controlling deliveries, a burden that some Members would rather not bear.

To this end, and to try to drive greater ranging compliances from the tenants, CCA have developed a new proposal for sub-distribution for Members who wish to simplify the process. Details are attached, but in a nutshell, it involves CCA selling to your tenants at a TAG price +20%. All rebates and PSF accrual go to the Member, which represents revenue for no effort (at about 7% of the cost of a carton of Coke).The 20% price-weighting ensures that the Members price remains best on campus.

This new proposal does not replace the existing proposal, but is offered as an alternative to those Members seeking a simpler means of earning some extra income and promotional support. It also places the responsibility of enforcing ranging compliances in the tenants stores on the shoulders of your CCA rep.

Please contact me if you have any questions, or are interested in trying wither system.

Digital Books Strategy Forums

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

The issue of the emergence of digital books within the higher education sector was discussed at the recent TAG Management & Planning meeting in Warrnambool. Members at the meeting agreed that they would welcome the opportunity to have input into the discussion currently underway with the Federal Government.

Consequently, TAG recently facilitated a series of meetings in each state to gather members views about the introduction of digital book purchases going forward.

This is an important issue that will impact many TAG Members, and the feedback of Members will assist us to determine how best to support Members going forward.

If you would like to know more about this issue however were unable to attend the meetings, email me and you will be placed on a mailing list.

In the interim, updates regarding the progress of any action will be posted on these pages.

TAG Strategic Partner Awards Nominations Open

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Nominations are now open for the second TAG Strategic Partner Awards.

The winners will be announced and presented with their awards at the 2010 awards dinner at the University of Western Australia on Monday 27 September.

There are three awards:

TAG Award for Excellence in Service and Delivery

TAG Award for Innovation in Promotions and Marketing,

and as these two are often mutually exclusive, a major award of:

TAG Strategic Partner of the Year, that encompasses the criteria of both of the above, and more.

The nomination form is attached, with a brief outline of the criteria for each award. Please note that the awards are restricted to current TAG contract holders, and nominations cover the good work done by the nominee over the last 12 months. A list of eligible nominees is included on the nomination form.

As suppliers often perform well for some Members, but not others, this year we have also included the opportunity for you to express disatisfaction as well, which will be taken into consideration during the vote count.

Please take a few minutes to give some thought to whom you might think deserves recognition. Multiple nomination forms will be accepted from each Member organisation, but only one from each staff Member.

The winners will be judged by the TAG Board, based jointly on the number of nominations for each supplier, along with the supporting statements on the nomination forms.

Nominations close Friday 27 August 2010

The 2009 inaugural winners of the TAG Strategic Partner Awards:

TAG Award for Excellence in Service and Delivery - A&W Hollier
TAG Award for Innovation in Promotions and Marketing - Red Bull Australia
TAG Strategic Partner of the Year - Coca Cola Amatil

TAG Benefits to Members Approaches $7M in 2009

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

After a couple of months of exhaustive number crunching by Siobhan, our TAG business research analyst, I am happy to announce that in 2009, TAG returned benefits of $6.8M to Members.

This is based on the savings represented by TAG pricing against list pricing, rebates, promotional support funds and capex accruals from the various contracted suppliers.

The $6.8M is the result of an adjusted savings value that allows for the fact that most of you as tertiary organisations would have received a discount, albeit not as great a discount as you receive as part of the consolidated TAG group. Without this adjustment, the actual total benefits amount was in excess of $11M.

These figures remain conservative as they only relate to contracted suppliers. They do not account for any on-selling that you may be doing or non-contracted deals such as flashdrives, diaries, etc, nor do they include the value of TAG funding your conference registrations.

Those of you who attended the Management and Planning Meeting last week in Warrnambool have had a brief look at the figures. I will be contacting all Members over the next month or so to explain and discuss.

I'm sure that you are aware that the benefits of your TAG membership help your organisation maintain its great record of servicing students, and we look forward to delivering even greater value in 2010 to assist. Thanks for your ongoing support!

TAG Management and Planning Meeting a Great Success

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Thanks to Megan Jenner and her fantastic crew at DUSA for their kind hospitality in hosting the recent TAG Management & Planning Meeting. The Warrnambool location was wonderful, well worth the long drive out, and the weather actually quite nice!

I will also say thanks once again for the valuable input from all of you who attended. A record attendance of 55 members from 28 organisations represented almost every state and territory attended, marking us as a truly national organisation. As those of you who attended are aware, many changes in the way we operate were discussed, and I very much appreciate the support offered to the Board and myself in moving forward with these in order to grow our value to you.

These changes will help build an organisation that will better assist each of you in managing your businesses independently and effectively, supported by the buying power, shared knowledge and experience of our accumulated members.

Thanks to Peter Underwood from University of Sydney Union, Mike Gilmore from Wollongong Unicentre, Sharon Harford from Edith Cowan University and Bryan Hill from Griffith University for sharing their expertise and ideas.

Thanks also to the generosity of our sponsors: Lion Nathan, Coca Cola Amatil, Golden Circle, Smiths Snackfood Company, Clearwater Filter Systems, Juice Brewery and Notepad Manufacturers , whose support helped make the event viable.

Minutes of the meeting will be available on the website shortly. Meanwhile check out the photos at the TAG facebook page.

I look forward to seeing you all again in Perth at the TAG Trade Fair and Conference, September 27, 28 & 29.