Ausure Camping Trip Wrap-Up: A Weekend of Fun, Connection, and Industry Spirit
The Ausure Camping Trip, which has fast become a standout tradition in the insurance industry, took place over Halloween weekend – from October 31st to November 3rd at the Canungra Showgrounds on the Gold Coast. With over 300 attendees, including brokers, Ausure staff, partners, and their families, the 2024 camping trip highlighted the unique and close-knit culture Ausure has been committed to since it first begun. The event, known for blending industry networking with family fun, continues to grow in popularity each year, making it one-of-a-kind in the industry.
Since its debut during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ausure Camping Trip has doubled in size each year. This year’s event required six months of dedicated planning by the camping committee – Mick O’Bree, John Mills, Dana Reid, Deb Whyte, and Charline Mitchener. Their efforts, along with the Head Office staff’s hard work during the event, helped create a memorable experience for everyone in attendance. Whether it was unloading cars, organizing supplies, running kids’ games, or staying up late serving drinks, the head office team brought to life Ausure’s “#wecare” tagline.
A Big Thank You to Our Sponsors
The Ausure Camping Trip wouldn’t be possible without the support of our loyal sponsors. This year, 25 sponsors joined the event, contributing to its success and making it possible to offer a memorable experience for all. Sponsors not only provide financial support, but were also able to attend and enjoy connecting with Ausure’s network over the long weekend.
Highlights from the Weekend
Every day was packed with activities, games, and delicious food and drink options that kept both kids and adults entertained. Here’s a snapshot of the weekend’s highlights:
Friday:
- Morning Kickoff: Adults enjoyed coffee from GJ’s Sunflower Café, sponsored by Allstate, while kids sipped on milkshakes and juice served by Ausure CEO, Scott McCarthy!
- Breakfast Spread: Bacon and egg rolls were served fresh every morning by the Head Office staff.
- Obstacle Course and Creek Fun: A 45 metre obstacle course kept the small and big kids busy, while the Canungra creek offered a refreshing spot for all to swim.
- Evening Festivities: With an ice cream van sponsored by SafetyCulture Care, wine tasting thanks to Wineology, and a gin bar sponsored by ATL, the evening was lively. Kids enjoyed a pizza dinner, a movie under the stars, and fun with popcorn and a fairy floss machine while adults were spoilt too, with 6 (yes 6!) mouth watering slow cooked lambs on the spit thanks to Attvest.
Saturday:
- Coffee, Milkshakes & Breakfast on repeat!
- Family Games: Parents and kids participated in various races and games, including Ausure’s Fastest Race for men, women, and kids.
- Exciting Attractions: Fellow campers tested their skills on a mechanical bull sponsored by Elantis and splashed down a giant waterslide sponsored by Wealth Architects. The Chevy Beer Truck, sponsored by Arteva, kept the adults refreshed throughout the day.
- Halloween Celebrations: The kids enjoyed trick-or-treating, thanks to sponsorship from Point Underwriting, followed by a Halloween disco. Meanwhile, adults tested their trivia knowledge on music, movies and brands followed by a Halloween Party with a live musician belting out our favourite tunes.
Ausure’s Key Partner and loyal support of the Ausure Camping Event, Faaizah Banu from Allianz, shared her favourite memory from the weekend. “The camp trip was a perfect blend of connection, relaxation and adventure. The setting of this truly unique industry event which combines family and business is a great reminder that relationships both personal and professional, are built on trust and shared experiences – and what an incredible experience it was! Highlight was Halloween dress up and karaoke – thanks Mick O’Bree, Trent Brown & Adam Sloan with Troy Brown on the guitar. Ausure boy band is ready to entertain us for the next one! Thank you Ausure, I loved camping. Already looking forward to 2025!”
An Impactful Event for Canungra
With over 300 people in attendance, Ausure decided to rent out the entire Canungra Showgrounds – which is a not for profit, community organisation – to enjoy the weekend. The team from the Showgrounds looked after us so well and made us feel at home. Supporting local businesses was also important, with Ausure sourcing supplies from the Canungra community. Food was bought from Foodworks, alcohol from the Canungra Pub, pizzas from the local Italian eatery, and all recyclable bottles were donated to the local Men’s Shed Charity. Over 90 caravans were hired from small businesses throughout South East QLD, with our major provider Luxury Caravan Hire also providing linen & Hygiene packages for most people. The event injected over $200,000 into the local economy, underscoring Ausure’s commitment to giving back to the communities it touches.
Looking Forward to 2025
This year’s camping trip was a massive success, even with attendance doubling from 2023. As we look forward to 2025, the excitement is already building! However, with limited space and an emphasis on quality over quantity, spots will be capped at 300 next year. Keep an eye out for the 2025 invitations, and be sure to register quickly to secure your spot!
The Ausure Camping Trip is more than just a weekend getaway; it’s a celebration of the relationships, values, and culture that define Ausure. Here’s to another year of unforgettable memories and friendships in the making!
Quotes
“What another amazing time with our industry’s families! Even with the larger numbers this year, the vibe was still intimate, with kids climbing, running and laughing nonstop. For some reason, the adults were running and climbing a bit less, but the laughter was off the charts. A massive thank you to everyone for pitching in and helping make the 2024 Ausure Camp trip the best yet! Also a special shout out to Kurt Nilsen (Lion Underwriting) for making it out on Saturday. Kurt made everyone’s day just by being there, it was inspirational. It wasn’t lost on a few of us that Kurt arrived as the Chevy Beer truck opened up. 😂
“From our Ausure family to your families, we hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as what it looked like! Thank you for sharing your family’s time with us. And for those whose kids and/or partners couldn’t come this year, well played on the sleep-ins!”
Mick O’bree – Ausure General Manager of Operations & Underwriting
“Thanks to the whole Ausure team for another fantastic camping weekend. There are so many industry events that underwriters attend and the unique nature of the Ausure camping trip definitely creates a great atmosphere for us all to get to know each other even better every year. Looking forward to 2025!”
Jay Hani – NTI National Operations Manager – Commercial