Colin Drake

Colin Drake is a Senior Lecturer at Victoria University's Victoria Graduate School of Business, where he has served on faculty since 2010. He holds dual leadership roles as Head of Tourism and Hospitality Management and Head of Event Management, and previously oversaw the MBA program from 2015 to 2020. With 25 years of corporate sector experience including founding an event management company, Drake has held management and marketing positions across events, aviation, tourism, and hospitality in Australia, the UK, and New Zealand, and has served as a visiting professor in Germany, Malaysia, and Scotland.

His academic credentials include:

• PhD from Victoria University
• MBA from the University of Adelaide
• Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Education from Victoria University

Drake's research centers on practical applications in event tourism and marketing, with particular focus on corporate hospitality dynamics, visitor information systems, and MICE sector development. His work consistently bridges academic theory and industry practice, examining how hospitality initiatives impact customer loyalty and marketing effectiveness in special events contexts. He investigates critical industry challenges including economic downturn resilience, airline-tourism partnerships, and regional destination management.

Analysis of his 2009-2015 publications reveals a cohesive research trajectory addressing real-world industry pain points. Key thematic clusters include the measurable ROI of corporate hospitality programmes, structural challenges in visitor information ecosystems, and strategic responses to economic disruption in tourism marketing. His work demonstrates strong industry relevance through frequent engagement with sector-specific organizations and practical problem-solving approaches.

Drake's professional recognition includes:

• Churchill Fellowship
• Wallmans Lawyers MBA prize for E-Business (2005)

He maintains active industry leadership as Deputy Chair of Western Melbourne Tourism Inc., a regional destination management organization representing six local government areas west of Melbourne. His professional affiliations include the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Churchill Fellows Association of South Australia, reflecting his dual commitment to academic excellence and corporate governance standards.