Felis vivamus eu, potenti inceptos justo proin, ultricies sociosqu iaculis semper integer! Faucibus fringilla diam elit lobortis, venenatis id sapien porta nisl. Suspendisse maecenas iaculis, neque lobortis porta diam erat turpis vivamus. Facilisis velit metus tortor tempor odio proin nisl cubilia id. Venenatis nec sed tincidunt ad bibendum quis.

Cubilia amet orci, et vehicula feugiat, dolor ultricies justo. Platea leo non curae nibh sodales lorem nam proin platea dictumst eu ipsum mollis ultrices curae nisi eu ante. Eget vivamus scelerisque, curae neque blandit condimentum elit eros bibendum pulvinar ornare dictum lacus cras! Semper ultrices sodales tortor potenti dictum tincidunt, ultrices quam porta dui nec fringilla. Enim nisl massa tempor proin suspendisse nostra justo morbi lobortis! Eleifend malesuada imperdiet lorem lacinia sollicitudin.

Volutpat sed in amet, ante metus sagittis, congue praesent eu sit ligula congue. Massa faucibus adipiscing fames lacinia hendrerit sit dictum elementum habitant gravida aenean.

Euismod rutrum hac vestibulum eget dui metus praesent eu tincidunt sodales vulputate libero purus vel. Semper nullam posuere, purus et dolor sem nisl arcu pulvinar. Diam mauris pharetra risus pellentesque felis eu sit dui sagittis. Etiam nulla phasellus risus morbi mollis, fames placerat aptent enim suscipit eget ad neque accumsan ligula.

Colin offers our clients:

Colin is experienced in corporate and strategic planning roles in the national and international arenas, bringing to Balfour Consulting extensive expertise, particularly in the fields of tourism, retail and services marketing.

As Director of Marketing at Sheraton Townsville Hotel & Casino and at Wrest Point Hotel & Casino, Colin oversaw a restructuring of marketing operations and realigning strategic directions. This included working closely with external stakeholders and key partner organisations to gain the support and quality services needed to ensure successful outcomes were achieved. During Colin’s time as Director of Sales & Marketing this Wrest Point, the property won the National Tourism Award – Marketing.

Colin’s career has involved business development and the development and implementation of tourism marketing campaigns in Europe, SE Asia, Australia and New Zealand. He was Corporate Planner & Manager Planning for the WA Tourism Commission and facilitated the introduction of the WA Government’s corporate planning requirements to that organisation. He has worked in partnership with, or consulted to, a wide range of organisations from major national and multinational corporations through to government bodies and small business operators.

His recent consulting experience includes strategic and business planning, marketing planning, risk management, community consultation and market and social research.

Among a range of projects in 2009, Colin undertook a feasibility study and business plan for the Carpentaria Shire Council to establish a major tourist attraction and interpretive centre at Normanton. The study included a detailed analysis of the drive tourism industry in north-west Queensland, analysis of other major tourist attractions in the region and a three-year business planning outlook for the project.

In 2010, Colin completed a feasibility study and business plan for a Farmers Market in North Queensland on behalf of five NQ regional councils. The plan should see a Farmers Market established in Townsville to service the producers and consumers of the North Queensland region. He also followed up on his ground-breaking research into the use of non-commercial accommodation by RV travellers in the North Queensland region with a second study used by the Campervan & Motorhome Club of Australia to lobby government all levels across Australia and as the basis of their submission to a Queensland Parliamentary committee investigating the RV travel market.

In late 2010, he led a team undertaking research and consultation on behalf of James Cook University (JCU) into University pathway programs, offering alternative admissions pathways to potential low income and indigenous students across northern Queensland, and from this provided a range of recommendations to the University on pathway structures and market evaluation. This included follow-up research in 2011, facilitating focus groups with TAFE students in Townsville and Cairns and indigenous students across two regional indigenous colleges.

From 2014 to 2016, he worked with CMCA as an "in-house consultant" assisting the Club with initial development of the RV Park Project, to establish a Australia-wide network of member only, low cost camping grounds for self-contained recreational vehicles.

Colin offers high-level strategic planning skills underpinned by strong research and analysis abilities. With over 30 years’ experience in the tourism industry, Colin has extended his knowledge through a wide variety of consulting projects from ground-breaking research into the economic impact of campervan and motorhome travellers using free rest areas to developing the corporate planning process for the Museum of Tropical Queensland with his template adopted across all Queensland Museum campuses.

Colin has been involved in the Federal Government’s Enterprise Mentoring program, working with CEOs and management teams in small to medium businesses and the Mentoring for Growth program run by the State Government through the Department of Education, Economic Development and Industry.

Colin undertook a BA at Canterbury University (NZ), with additional studies in Communications at Murdoch University, WA, and has also undertaken tutoring at James Cook University’s School of Business.

He has been involved in the Townsville community with six years as President of the Townsville & JCU Rowing Club, Vice-President and Secretary of the Townsville Maritime Museum, Committee member of the Townsville Sailing Club, Committee member of the Southside Junior Rugby Union Club and a Rowing and Rugby Union coach.

Qualifications

Mary Balfour has management and corporate experience, as well as acknowledged expertise in strategic communications. She was managing director of a national Australian public relations consultancy from 1988 to 1990 and managed her own strategic planning consultancy in Melbourne and Sydney from 1990 to 2001, before moving to Townsville to join her brother in Balfour Consulting.

Mary has worked for over 20 years in strategic planning and public relations in Australia and New Zealand. She has a strong management background and specialises in issues management, media relations and communications strategic planning. Mary has worked particularly with government, unions and business in the community engagement area.

Mary has also developed and implemented strategic communication programs for a wide range of organisations, from BHP Steel and Telstra through to specialist companies such as Moldflow, a Victorian software company. She established and managed a community organisation in support of the National Forest Industries Campaign of Australia (FICA) for five years. Tracking research over those five years showed a complete turnaround from 20% of the public being supportive to 78% being supportive of forest industries. The campaign won national and international awards.

Mary has successfully conducted community engagement programs for projects that include road construction, major building projects, traffic management, sewerage upgrades, dredging and land acquisition by the government. During this time, she has worked with a range of major contractors including Thiess, Watpac, Abigroup, AECOM, BMD and Seymour White.

Mary has also undertaken a number of major communications projects for a range of clients in the North Queensland region, including the Department of Transport and main Roads, Townsville City Council, the Museum of Tropical Queensland, NQ Dry Tropics and Hinchinbrook Shire Council.

From 2004 to 2009, the work by Mary and her clients in Townsville has been recognised in 18 State and national awards.

Within the public relations profession, Mary has achieved recognition through international and national awards and her election as the first female President of the Public Relations Institute of Australia (Vic). She holds a BSc (Hons) and Diploma of Journalism and has served as Chair of Deakin University Course Advisory Committee for the Bachelor of Business Communications degree.

She has been a member of Boards and/or Committees for the Victorian Arts Centre Trust, Young Achievers Australia, New Zealand International Year of the Child, Spastic Welfare Association of Western Australia and Arthritis Foundation of Victoria. Mary is a past Director of DanceNorth and a member of the Townsville Business Women's Network. Balfour Consulting is a member of the Townsville Chamber of Commerce.

We believe that research is the rock on which all successful strategic planning activities must be firmly anchored. Without reliable research, you will find yourself making decisions based on educated guesswork rather than real knowledge.

Balfour Consulting will analyse the current levels of information within your organisation and develop a research program appropriate to your needs and your budget. Balfour Consulting uses computer-based survey systems combined with sophisticated analysis programs to extract and analyse data. We also have extensive experience in conducting focus groups and undertaking one-on-one interviews. We provide experience and analytical skills, along with input from associates as required, to consistently deliver the best available information and advice to form the basis of your planning processes. Remember, the cost of good research is never as expensive as the cost of bad decisions.