Brand USA teamed up with Arizona Office of Tourism, Delta Air Lines, Infinity Holidays, Sports Where I Am and Alamo Rent A Car to take agents from Australia and New Zealand to Nevada and Arizona in the USA, for an exclusive sports themed road trip famil.
Lexie Miliatis, Tourism Development Manager for Brand USA in Australia and New Zealand travelled with eight lucky travel agents from 28 February to 8 March 2025.
Agents had several sales incentive opportunities to win a spot on this epic Sports Odyssey fam. These included, completing or retaining their Alamo experts’ badge via USA Discovery Program, selling flights to the USA on Delta Air Lines or booking land arrangements in the USA with Infinity Holidays.
The winners got the opportunity to attend exciting sporting events in Las Vegas and Phoenix and to take to the open road, exploring sections of the iconic Route 66 in Arizona – celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2026.
The agent winners who attended were:
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James Mallett – Travel Associates – VIC AU
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Treena Moore – Galaxy Travel World Travellers – North Island NZ
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Jasvinder Singh – Flight Centre Riccarton Mall Christchurch – South Island NZ
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Alana Pilcher – Flight Centre – QLD AU
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Corinne Heveldt – Flight Centre – NSW AU
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Krystal Cooke – Helloworld Charlestown – Hunter Travel Group – NSW AU
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Brian Caddle – Reho Travel – VIC AU
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Fiona Gent – MTA Travel – QLD AU
The group flew to the USA in comfort with Delta Air Lines, taking advantage of the 40+ one stop connections Delta offers across the USA to arrive in Las Vegas, NV.
Thanks to Alamo Rent A Car, the group embarked on a road trip along Route 66 in Arizona. The famil hosts Lexie Miliatis, Brand USA and Millie Browne, Arizona Office of Tourism led six of the participating agents to experience the beauty of U.S. road tripping for themselves by taking turns driving the route.
The road trip covered two states, nine cities/stops and 1,500kms. The key itinerary highlights included:
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Las Vegas, NV: The group stayed at Encore Las Vegas and enjoyed the spectacular ‘Awakening’ production. Nicole Bennett from Delta Air Lines joined the group for this Las Vegas portion of the famil, taking a helicopter ride over the Strip, experienced ‘The Sphere’, and went on a ‘Lip Smacking Food Tour’. Attended thrilling sports games at Allegiant Stadium with Alex Brennan from Sports Where I Am.
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Sedona, AZ: Upon arrival, the group was delighted by a surprise snowfall and stayed at the luxurious Sky Rock Sedona. They then enjoyed a guided sunset hike, BBQ dinner at Stagecoach, and morning desert yoga and meditation.
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Scottsdale, AZ: The group did a site inspection at the Mountain Shadows Resort and treated to lunch, overlooking desert and mountain views. Explored Native American art and history at the Western Spirit Museum then dined at the exceptional, Mission, in Old Town Scottsdale.
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Phoenix, AZ: Early in the morning, the group went Sunrise Hot Air Ballooning, toured the Musical Instrument Museum, played nine holes at We-Ko-Pa Golf Course, and attended an NBA game: Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Clippers at the Footprint Centre.
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Winslow, AZ: Joined by Mayor Roberta “Birdie” Wilcox-Cano, the group dined at the Turquoise Room. Birdie made history in 2020 as the first Native American to be elected as mayor in Arizona and meeting her was an absolute highlight of the group’s trip.
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Flagstaff, AZ: Greeted by snow, the group went on the Walk This Talk – Route 66 Audio Tour and visited the Lowell Observatory. Watched an NAU Women’s Tennis Match at NAU Tennis Centre, tried axe throwing at Flag Tag AZ and enjoyed building snowmen and epic snowball fights at Buffalo Park.
Speaking about her experience on the Brand USA famil, Alana Pilcher from Flight Centre Luxury Queensland said: “The Brand USA Sports Odyssey trip was an unforgettable adventure, made even more memorable by the classic road trip experience along the iconic Route 66.
“Arizona’s landscapes captivated me with their stunning diversity, from sun-drenched desert vistas to serene pine forests in the higher elevations. What truly stood out was how each town along the route offered its own unique charm and character, making every stop a new discovery.
“Where else can you stop at a roadside sandwich diner and find yourself in a bingo battle or end up playing pool with the local mayor at a town club? These unexpected, unforgettable moments made this journey truly something special and one for the books,” Pilcher said.
