Allan Leibowitz

I am one of Australasia's most experienced business writers, with awards for international trade, travel and automotive journalism and broad industry recognition for my work in a range of areas from materials handling, logistics and procurement to music.


My work has spanned radio, television and print media, as well as extensive experience in content marketing, corporate communications and blog creation.


I have also enjoyed success in event organisation as the producer of Australasia's leading business travel conference for more than a decade and have assisted organisations big and small with event planning, management and facilitation.


I called my consultancy "talking business" because that's what I do best - and what my clients need most.


When I'm not writing, I enjoy music and have spent more than a decade as a semi-professional drummer. I strive for harmony, fit in with my clients' rhythms and always attempt to maximise audience engagement in everything I do.

Read some of my work

Here's a collection of the various types of projects and articles in my portfolio.

Skift •

What Happens When Events Grow Too Big?

Can an event become too successful? That’s something Germany’s largest exhibition organizer, Deutsche Messe, will put to the test in April when it combines two of its biggest events in Hanover, the Hannover Messe 2018 industrial technology show and the biannual CeMAT logistics and materials handling show. The massive event will use 25 of the 26 halls and occupy around 4.3 million square feet of the world’s biggest exhibition center. The annual combined trade show could attract more than 250,0
Herald Sun (News Ltd) •

How LA became a music lovers’ mecca

MUSICAL stars are scattered among the movie greats immortalised in concrete on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. In fact, Elvis Presley and the Beatles have their respective stars at the start of the sidewalk tribute on Hollywood Boulevard and tourists from around the world journey to seek out their favourites. From Bryan Adams to Hans Zimmer, everyone who is anyone in popular music has a star on the walk. LA has a checkered musical past, with a heyday in the 1940s and ’50s, thanks to the entertainme
Forkliftaction •

Up close with Combilift - NEWS ARTICLE

Pragmatism is a core concept at Combilift - from its growing range of specialised materials handling equipment to the design of the EUR50 million (USD56 million) plant which is coming up to its first anniversary. The 46,500 sqm purpose-built factory is L-shaped, with the two production areas meeting at the central admin tower. The pragmatic design minimises the distance between production and design, research and development, testing, sales and marketing. The fresh design and the extra space hav
Skift •

Australian Charter Operator Gets Opportunistic About Tourism Surge

Alliance Airlines has clinched a major aviation charter contract with giant Japanese tourism operator JTB as the carrier continues to diversify and look for niches in a market dominated by the Qantas-Virgin duopoly. Alliance, based in Brisbane, has signed a three-year service contract with JTB to provide air charters for inbound Japanese tour groups. The services will start in April, providing day trips from entry hubs including Cairns, the Gold Coast or Brisbane, allowing tourists to spend up
Skift •

Music Tourism and Millennials Can Be the Right Mix for Travel Advisors

Whether it’s millennials wanting to see the hottest bands at Coachella in Southern California, musical theater die-hards booking months ahead for a ticket to Hamilton or nostalgic baby boomers keen to catch Fleetwood Mac one last time, music and entertainment are becoming increasingly interlinked with travel. The popularity of music festivals, shows and concerts, along with the challenges travelers face in obtaining tickets and coordinating travel arrangements, are presenting opportunities for
CAPA - Centre for Aviation (2016 NTIA winner - Travel Writer of the Year) •

Australian Corporate Travel Outlook: A vibrant marketplace - and the focus is not just on cost

Overall, the cost pressures on travel buyers look set to increase over 2015, with the supply market tightening. The 2015 Flight Centre-CAPA Australian Aviation Report notes that the domestic market share battle between Virgin Australia and Qantas has temporarily halted. There are strong indications that fares will rise after modest overall increases last year. Some city pairs will, however, be affected more, with Sydney-Canberra fares increasing by 13%, and more to come. Similarly, accommodati
business travel BUZZZ •

Virgin’s Blues - back to basics

I recall flying to Sydney for a Virgin Blue (as it was then) press conference. I was initially disappointed to be seated in the back row, until CEO Brett Godfrey sat down next to me, clutching his take-away meal, bought in the departure lounge before boarding. That image is a world away from his successor, John Borghetti. And in many ways, the airline that has now collapsed is as far removed from the vision mapped out by Godfrey on a drinks coaster in the pub. Every time I swipe my Velocity ca
Forkliftaction •

Suppliers ponder tariff responses - NEWS ARTICLE

As materials handling sellers from around the world assembled last month for the 2018 MODEX show in Atlanta, Georgia, the clock was ticking on the imposition of a 25% tariff on 1,300 types of Chinese imports, forklifts among them. The tariffs are unlikely to come into effect until later this month at the earliest, with public submissions closing on May 11 and a hearing set for May 15. The threat comes as Chinese imports continue to gain traction in North America, with many mainstream manufacture
Forkliftaction •

Allan Leibowitz: A testing time in Hannover - BLOG

This is my second year on the jury of the International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY) Awards, and last year, my participation was remote. The technical reports and test day results were shared with me electronically and I had to make my decision based largely on the input from IFOY's technical team and my fellow judges. This year, I was able to get into the action, flying to Hannover to participate in the testing and deliberations. Over a couple of days and in the company
Australian Musician Magazine •

DRUMCRAFT SERIES 8 MAPLE KIT Review

DRUMCRAFT SERIES 8 MAPLE KIT March 10, 2010 | Reviewer – Allan Leibowitz DISTRIBUTOR: DYNAMIC MUSIC www.dynamicmusic.com.au When I was told my review kit was just back from a tour with Swedish band Pain of Salvation, there was a sense of trepidation. Not only would I be deprived of the ceremonial unwrapping of a brand-new kit, but I’d have to deal with the havoc unleashed by a Scandinavian metal drummer and the tribulations of a multi-city tour. As it turned out, my fears were totally u
digitalDrummer •

Using e-drums live

No matter what kit you’re using, a few basic rules will ensure you sound good live, as Allan Leibowitz reports. Sound restrictions, quick changeovers, the need for special sounds – a number of factors are driving the increased use of electronic drums on stages around the world. Whether you’re playing a club in Hackensack, New Jersey or a stadium in Stockholm, Sweden, once you connect your lines out to the PA, your sounds are largely someone else’s concern, so we spoke to some of those folks fo
Suncorp Business Banking (ghost-written column) •

Leasing offers flexibility

Australian businesses appear to be following the trend in the United States which sees companies moving from property ownership towards leasing. Grant Whittaker, Queensland Managing Director of national real estate firm Frank Knight, says Australian businesses are starting to appreciate that their skills may not necessarily include expertise in property investment. Many are concentrating on the core business and opting to lease premises instead of tying up their capital in an asset that might not be productive, he says. Most business owners are better off using their capital to grow their business, says Kerry Herron, chairman of valuation firm HTW Valuers, especially since overdraft rates are higher than returns on property.
Aero Ascent (Content marketing) •

BRISBANE AIRPORT INNOVATES WITH AEROASCENT

Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) has turned to Australian airport systems and processes innovator AeroAscent to keep it on the cutting edge of airportoperations, apps and intelligence. The award-winning airport is among the first in the world to partner with AeroAscent, a Gold Coast-based global innovation company that specialises in raising airport performance and improving the customer experience through its unique and disruptive mobile apps. BAC has entered into a strategic contract with A
illion TenderLink (Ghost-written blog) •

NT procurement failures could have been avoided

The Northern Territory government housing department recently found itself in hot water over its procurement practices. Auditor-General Julie Crisp said investigations “identified control deficiencies and weakness across the procurement lifecycle and non-compliance with procurement rules”. To make matters worse, the department was not able to produce its documentation for audit purposes. While the exact value of the contracts under dispute is not known, it is thought to run into millions of d
Ghost-written blog for QBT •

How to Stop Leakage in Your Travel Program

You’ve crafted a great travel policy and shared it with all your travellers. You’ve negotiated hard to get good deals in a tough market. You’ve put all your preferred suppliers on your booking engines. Yet, you still have staff staying at non-mandated hotels and flying on non-preferred airlines. Welcome to the world of leakage. Almost all travel programs, no matter how big or small, suffer from “rogue” behaviour; people using airlines and hotels outside of policy. And often, they think they’re