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It didn't take long for David Morris to find new work. As we reported in late March, Morris, then Silversea's executive vice president of worldwide sales and marketing, along with his close colleague Marilyn Conroy (the two are often dubbed the "Dynamic Duo"), senior vice president of sales and marketing for the Americas, left Silversea under somewhat dubious circumstances.
Now, with that behind them, Morris has launched a new company tailored to help niche upscale companies develop and expand their sales and marketing reach in North America and beyond. Morris will serve as president of David Morris International; Conroy as executive vice president of sales; and Judy Parker, most recently was with Worldview Travel, has accepted the position of senior vice president of marketing.
"I have a great deal of admiration and respect for luxury travel providers; both for the caliber of people and the product," said Morris. "I feel very fortunate to have worked closely with some of the best in the business and proud of the things we accomplished together. Starting DMI put all the pieces together where I could further expand my expertise, while bringing companies an added level of sales and marketing experience."
The company, which will have offices in Orange County, CA, and New York City when it's fully operational by May 1, will offer marketing services to the travel industry from full annual programs to specific project needs. As Morris put it, "There is no 'one size fits all' when it comes to providing marketing support as each supplier is unique."
The company's plan is to offer companies cost-effective solutions to grow their business with executive level services, as little or as much as needed. "I have personally seen the need for this type of service for many years and I hope now to fill the demand," Morris said.
The decision to launch the company came from Morris seeing opportunities in the marketplace for rewarding and productive programs. There is an acceptance right now to challenge the old methods as many industries search for a new recipe for successful sales and marketing programs," he said. "Difficult times require us to be more creative and quite often end up permanently changing the way we do business. It is during these times that many doors of opportunity open, if you're looking for them. I hope to identify and promote these opportunities with customized programs created to fit each provider's particular needs."
One key component: The development of programs sold through travel agents that blend both cruise and land products. One example might include traveling with a celebrity or industry icon or access to people and places not readily available to the public.
The company's website, www.davidmorrisintl.com, is currently under construction.