Gun for hire may be a bit bold for a job description, but for travel directors such as Scott Carlan, the label fits.
Like that Old West staple of a gunslinger who wanders the land decisively solving other people’s problems, travel directors are on-site liaisons who take care of business. Carlan has worked Super Bowls, FIFA World Cups and the last five Olympic Games.
“I get to show up and execute what someone else has put together, and then you get to walk away and never look at it again,” the affable Carlan said. “I used to be a planner, but I don’t ever want to plan again.”
Duties include working with vendors, hotel staff, travel firms and DMCs. Carlan typically works the first half of the year as a travel director for companies such as Visa, with the other half dedicated to tech industry events. The Olympics tend to be the most glamorous gigs, he offered.
“This is kind of the Mac Daddy of that type of event,” he said. “It’s the center of the universe for a few weeks, with people from all over the world and huge corporate sponsorships.”
But the job of travel director also requires long stretches of hard work.
“There are lots of days when you’re working 16- or 20-hour days,” he said. “[The Rio Olympics] was a 35-day contract. You show up to work every day and they own you. It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s amazing—you get front-row seats and get paid very well. That’s a cool part of this business.”
Nightmare scenarios include attendees dying or getting into legal trouble abroad.
“I’m good at my job because I forget the names the second I walk out the door,” Carlan joked, “so that allows me to come back for more.”
