Australian Consulate-General

Tasked with co-​hosting a Unilocal Elite Event at Outback Steakhouse, I wanted to make it memorable and get a theme going. I’m pretty familiar with Consulates from my college days and knew they often have many useful travel guides and goodies, so I emailed the Australian Consulate-​General in Chicago and hoped this one could hook me up.
Justin Biggs (Passports | Public Diplomacy Officer) got back to me quickly and asked for a little more information to get an idea of what I was looking for and what he could provide. He said if I gave him a day he’d get a nice package together that I could come and pick up before the event.
When I stopped by at the end of the week, he greeted me excitedly and seemed very interested in what we were doing. It was a pleasure meeting him. He had a giant shipping box full of stuff and said he was happy to have found a few things he didn’t even realize they had and hoped they’d be put to good use.
I took the package home and unwrapped it with the excitement of a child on Christmas. Inside I found general travel brochures, region specific guides, a cute little dictionary of Aussie slang and colloquialisms, American/​Australian flag pins and country flag toothpicks. It was great!
Everything was placed on the tables for guests. Many took the SWAG home or took pictures with it, and it piqued their interest in the country. It definitely made me want to travel there, and I know if I have any questions or need anything travel related that the Consulate-General’s got my back.