From the Shire to the World Stage
Matt grew up in the shire, and once he left school started working in a bottle shop, then a pub — a far cry from advising and providing security for high profile clients as he does today.
While working in the pub, he was asked by the owner if he might be interested in working on the door as there was an opening, and Matt seemed to have a way of dealing with difficult people well. Matt decided to give it a go, and started working on the door.
Matt enjoyed the job, but a typical entrepreneur at heart — was always looking at how he could improve on the job and expand his prospects. After working there for a while, he asked the pub owner if he'd be interested in paying him as a subcontractor rather than an employee, and the owner said yes.
"Security nobody wants — that's what we provide. People don't want to need us, but when they do, we're there."
Building a Business
Matt registered his business name and started canvassing venues that might need door security, and started offering security for private functions and eventually larger events. While his business was getting off the ground, Matt worked in retail and selling cars.
One of Matt's car clients ran an event management company, and through chatting and providing him with car deals, he offered Matt some work running events nationally. Matt jumped at the chance, and started working coordinating event security for the company's events. Over time, he became a trusted name in the industry.
Specialising in Security Nobody Wants
Today, Matt's company specialises in what he describes as "security nobody wants" — the kind of protection that people only realise they need when something goes wrong. His business has evolved significantly since providing door security, and now provides security coordination, planning and training across a wide range of contexts: from corporate travel to major public events, film productions to inbound tourism.
Secure Tours & Travel represents the travel and tourism arm of the AFS Group operation — bringing the same security-first operational DNA that built the business into the luxury travel and inbound tourism market. The proposition is simple but differentiated: high-end travellers, corporate delegations and touring groups deserve the same level of professional security planning that sporting teams and film productions receive.
Australian Tourism Exchange
Secure Tours & Travel has participated in key trade expos to promote its unique services and product offering — including the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE), one of the industry's premier events for connecting inbound tourism operators with international wholesale buyers. The company's presence at ATE has been consistently noted for its professionalism, with industry peers including Janene Rees of REES INTERNATIONAL citing the quality of the company's presentation to international agents.
The business has also been introduced to key tourism organisations including Tourism Australia and the Australian Tourism Export Council — establishing Secure Tours & Travel as a recognised player in the Australian inbound tourism market at a national level.
What's Next
With the ATE deadline of May 2026 approaching, Secure Tours & Travel is relaunching its digital presence through this standalone website — bringing together the full breadth of the company's capabilities, from exclusive transfer assistance and P.A.S.S. programmes through to STAT Accreditation and event security. The site is designed to serve international wholesale partners, corporate travel managers and high-net-worth individuals looking for an operator that takes both luxury and safety seriously.
Matt's journey from pub door to the world stage is, in many ways, the story of the business itself — built on relationships, operational reliability, and a willingness to take on the security work that others don't.