about us
A lot of companies talk about the need to be innovative and invest in Research & Development but here at Intrepid, we actually did something about it. Enter The Travel Lab, Intrepid's brand new R & D department. The Travel Lab is a think tank, a laboratory that fuels and funds travel experiments and turns ideas and far fetched visions into real life experiences. Imagine travelling with no bounds, imagine exploring with every sense, and imagine what you can't even imagine... imagine The Travel Lab.
Not only will we scour the globe and stretch our minds to identify the most obscure, and unusual travel experiences, we will also look at concepts that may hold a little more mainstream appeal but that are simply different to styles currently covered by Intrepid. We're just a little bit excited!
Did you know there are commercial missions into space and that it's already possible to travel towards the core of the earth - diving between two tectonic plates off Iceland? Ok, these are extremes, but if you have any exciting ideas you'd like to share, please email your thoughts to us and help us present you with some standout concepts in travel.
So if you've already ticked off the seven wonders of the world, consider yourself an early adopter or just fancy being first to hear about exciting new travel ideas, sign up to our newsletter, bookmark this page or come back often!
The Travel Lab is made up of these three mad folk...
Jacquie Burnside
Jacquie is a long term Intrepid employee having started out as a Tour Leader in 1994 showing travellers around Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. This 'product' background was a perfect precursor to a position back in Intrepid's head office in the Operations team.
She gained valuable sales experience as Industry Account Manager before post-graduate studies in Marketing lead to an offshore position setting up Intrepid's North American Sales and marketing office. After 5 years living and working with Los Angeles as a base, she returns to Melbourne (and good café lattes and wine bars ;-) to take up the position of Business Developer in The Travel Lab.
Jacquie has climbed Mt Kilimanjaro, walked the Great Wall, rafted Nepal's Sun Kosi River, cycled the Ring of Kerry in a blizzard, and partied up a storm in New Orleans, Cape Town, Sydney and Hanoi (to name a few favourites). Her extensive 'grass roots' travel experience in the developing destinations of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and South America along with travels in Europe, North America and Australasia, make her an asset to the team.
Tony Carne
After a near brush with becoming an accountant, Tony escaped to Europe in 2003. A three year stint working in the UK, learning the finer points of customer service and travelling around the Continent, he headed off on his homecoming trip which started with throwing a dart at a world map.
This was his first attempt at experimental travel and happily the dart hit Central America.
11 months of learning the ropes on the road, renting houses in small communities with fellow travellers, learning to juggle and making some life long friends, this was the turning point that started a career in grass roots tourism.
Tony has run a backpacker hostel, been a hammock salesman, followed the Australian Cricket team around the globe and spent a couple of years as a tour guide in Central Australia before joining Intrepid as a tour leader in the Middle East in 2003 and quickly becoming the Ground Manager for the region. His 4 years living in Cairo, helping build product and negotiating contracts in the land of the carpet salesman was a great training ground for him to take on the role of Product Developer for the Travel Lab.
Damian Perry
OK, he has been around a while. That's what makes it interesting. Experience is good, right?
No, he has not climbed Everest; but Steve Jobs never made an Apple MAC.
Previous to an Intrepid life Damian has been a keen traveller and adventurer who will reminisce about the days where climbing, rafting, walking and mountain bike adventures consumed his time.
Post-graduate studies and tourism research led him to Intrepid where he works in start-up and emerging businesses. Working from London, Paris, on the road and now permanently in Melbourne, keeps life interesting. A passion for Europe gave him the opportunity to lead f Intrepid's program development in Europe. Returning to Intrepid HQ with a remit to embrace innovation, ideas and concepts beyond our current portfolio… have led to The Travel Lab.
New ideas, start-ups and turning a whacky concept or idea into something real is what life is about. While underwater basket weaving is not out of reach for most, his radar includes anything new. Bring it on!
