What’s new in the world of travel agency consortia? Travel Agent caught up with the industry’s top companies to get the scoop.
Nexion is expecting the arrival of over 450 travel industry professionals this week at the CoNexion 2011 in New Orleans, September 8-11. Held at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, this year’s conference theme will be “Get Jazzed and Ignite Your Passion.” Agents will partake in learning sessions, networking opportunities and workshops to better enhance agents’ knowledge and business skills. CoNexion 2011 will provide pre-conference activities that enable the Travel Institute to test Nexion members for their CTA and CTC desginations.
Vacation.com has officially opened up its website and registration for its 14th annual International Conference & Trade Show, to be held onboard Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas. The conference, aptly themed “Think Big,” sets sail May 5, 2012 and concludes on May 12.
Travel agents can look forward to all the typical highlights of the conference, including the trade show, hands-on training, General Sessions, and top speakers. Exclusive events will be held on all three port stops, including Nassau, Bahamas; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; and Phillipsburg, St. Maarten.
Agents interested in attending should visit www.conference.joinvacation.com.
Signature Travel Network recently wrapped up its annual Marketing Committee meeting at the Marina del Rey Ritz-Carlton. The meeting pulled together executive marketing members to share ideas and strategies while making decisions on marketing for the following year.
The coming year will focus on fine tuning some of the company’s newer programs, such as Food Network Travel, MyTravelSite, niche microsites, mobile technology, and the soon-to-be-released web-based app.
This year’s Signature Sales Meeting and Trade Show will be held November 17-19 at the MGM in Las Vegas.
Next year Signature will launch a new initiative to help travel agents acquire new clients. The program will feature a rollout plan of direct marketing materials, such as “The Travel Magazine” and other brochures.
Signature has obtained an additional $1 billion in annual travel sales, along with 17 new members in 2011.
Ensemble Travel Group is gearing up for its International Conference, which will be held in Las Vegas, October 19-23.
In the meantime, group members Ryan McGredy of Moraga Travel and Jason Coleman of Jason Coleman Inc. are planning ASTA’s annual Young Professionals’ Society (YPS) Member’s Only Day on September 10, part of ASTA’s Travel Retailing and Destination Expo in Las Vegas. YPS is geared for agents under the age of 40 and is a hub for networking, education and career development.
Agent members who are part of American Express will be attending the American Express Travel Representative Conference from October 16 through October 19. The annual event will be held at the La Costa Resort & Spa in San Diego.
Travel Leaders will hold their 2011 National Meeting in Las Vegas November 3 to 5. The event, themed “The Formula for Success,” will be held at The Cosmopolitan. Agents looking to register ought to note that the company is bringing back its “Three for Free” registration. This means that if you register three or more agents from the same office, everyone is eligible to join for free. There is no limit to how many agents may attend from the same office. Agents must register by September 16 to take advantage of Travel Leaders’ exclusive hotel rates. Register here.
Looking toward next year, the American Marketing Group’s “Travel Market 2012” global conference will take place June 19-24 at The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona. An early bird registration fee is available for $99 per person, based on double occupancy. The rate is in effect through December 31, 2011, after which the fee will move to $149 per person.
Visit www.meetwithacclaim.com/amg2012
Be sure to check out Travel Agent’s coverage of Virtuoso’s 2011 Travel Mart. Those already waiting for next year’s Virtuoso’s events should take note that the Symposium will be held April 19-23 and Travel Mart from August 12-17.