The 2007 National Tour of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Shared Services Solutions fully managed the merchandise program for the 2007 tour of the Dalai Lama including design and manufacture of all items in the apparel range. We became fully integrated within the organisation of Dalai Lama in Australia Ltd. To equip our team with the required knowledge that such an event needs. Our design and manufacture partner switched their international manufacturing production headquarters from Hong Kong to India to avoid raising issues concerning to Tibet conflict. Where possible we utilized local production.

The Shared Services Solutions team established and managed the online shop with online payment facilities, update of product and stock takes to ensure orders were always able to be fulfilled. We data entered all mail, telephone, fax and retail shop orders into the online shop. We data entered all Contributor Packages in to the online shop allowing the marketing department of the tour to always be aware of the number of participants in the tour.

We exported all data to our mail house partner for orders to be fulfilled and sent to the customer with days of the order being placed and received all of the incoming calls in to
our retail shop as the Dalai Lama Tour Information Centre, giving information, taking orders and selling Contributor Packages over the telephone.

SSS provide a show room with a full range of the merchandise available for in-person purchases and our team toured across the country during the national tour of the Dalai Lama to every event and set up merchandise outlets and sold goods in conjunction with tour volunteers. We conducted retail training and managed all Event selling. This included organisation of stock movement across the country to each event, set up of all retail outlets, stock take of each outlet, pack up and reconciliation of every item in the merchandise range.

Shared Services Solutions continued to manage the merchandise program and sales since the tour concluded in mid-June 2007 until the completion of the 2008 tour.

Tour Marketing Dalai Lama

As a member of the Dalai Lama In Australia Limited national executive, Shared Services Solutions’ business partner Graham Crossan had an ongoing input in the development of a comprehensive marketing strategy for the Dalai Lama 2007 Australia Tour.

He also took on a wide range of responsibilities as National Creative Director for the tour. These included the development of strategies, concepts, copywriting and directing of the design for Tour logo, National – press, radio and television – advertising, direct mail items, website, brochures, Tour merchandise, newsletter (hardcopy and web based) and Certificates of Gratitude and Authenticity on the tour he was also responsible for the co-ordination of a small group of photographers who had special backstage access to His Holiness at all functions.