For more than two decades, Kim McConnie has built a reputation as a creative and visionary marketing leader across both B2C and B2B sectors, both locally and internationally. Known for her ability to build and elevate brands and portfolios, she has also demonstrated a talent for launching new products, services, channels, audiences and business models that unlock growth opportunities for organisations.
Now, in the group executive marketing role at Tourism and Events Queensland she strives to position Queensland as the must-visit destination on every traveller’s must do list. And it is her love for the state that shines through her marketing, which is also helping her achieve her goal.
Now into our second season of B&T’s CMOs To Watch, presented by Zenith, McConnie joins the ranks of visionary marketing leaders redefining the playbook. This series celebrates those who balance bold ideas with business impact and have a whole lot of fun along the way.
We sat down with McConnie to discuss her love for travelling, how she is battling cost-of-living pressures in the travel industry and how she is pumped for the Olympics in 2032.
B&T: Let’s get to know you… What three things would you take to a desert island?
Kim McConnie: A swag (love a great night under the stars), a great playlist and a satellite Wi-Fi connection … I hate spending too much time by myself.
B&T: What is your passion outside of work? If you weren’t a CMO, what would you be doing?
KM: A travel writer. I think they have the best job in the world.
I would focus on exploring the parts of Queensland you don’t expect. Those blink-and-you-miss-it towns that end up being the highlight. I realise with AI that might soon be out of the job, but it would be amazing while it lasted.
B&T: What was your favourite campaign of all time?
KM: ‘Best Job in the World’ because it was ahead of its time and was one of the first major campaigns that didn’t just advertise a destination, it made the world feel something. It turned a job into a global story and redefined what tourism marketing could be.
I would love to do that again, in a new way for Queensland.
B&T: Now let’s talk shop. What is your brand’s top priority for the next 12 months?
KM: Queensland is the “Home of the Holiday”, it already lives in people’s minds that way. The opportunity is to reignite that feeling and make Queensland the easiest “yes” in the country. That means inspiring people to look beyond the usual hotspots and discover just how much the state has evolved.
B&T: What channel is exciting you the most and how do you split your marketing budgets between long/short and channels mix?
KM: Right now, the biggest headwind isn’t a lack of desire, it’s hesitation. Cost-of-living pressures are real, and what we’re seeing in the data is clear: people are still holidaying, they’re just becoming more considered about how they take them. That’s the tension and the opportunity.
Take the Great Barrier Reef. It’s one of the great natural wonders of the world, sitting right on our doorstep, yet so many Australians haven’t truly experienced it. And when they do, it’s not just a holiday moment, it’s something deeper.
Our job is to cut through the noise, remind people what’s possible, and help them fall back in love with experiences like this because they’re not out of reach, they’re right here.
B&T: What is the biggest challenge you currently face in the marketplace?
KM: The shift towards experiences over things. People don’t just want a holiday, they want a story they can tell. Queensland has that in spades, from reef to rainforest to outback. It’s a competitive advantage you can’t replicate.
B&T: What are you most excited about in the marketplace?
KM: Still telling Queensland’s story but on an even bigger stage, especially as we build towards the Olympic moment. The opportunity to shape how the world sees this state is pretty special.
B&T: Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
KM: Still telling Queensland’s story but on an even bigger stage, especially as we build towards the Olympic moment. The opportunity to shape how the world sees this state is pretty special.
B&T: Speaking hypothetically what’s one brand, product or category you’d like to sink your teeth into right now as a marketer?
KM: Something unexpected, like an EV brand or future mobility. There’s a fascinating intersection between how people move and where they choose to go. Crack that, and you reshape travel behaviour entirely.
B&T: Zenith believe there is untapped media potential we need to uncover. What is your prediction for media this year?
KM: With AI we will see every brand manager be armed with media insights and capability like never before and be doing a lot more in-house! Having really well informed discussions like never before.
