The Travel Group, comprised of Luxury Travel Advisor, Travel Agent magazine and Luxury Travel Expo, has announced the launch of the Young Leaders Conference. The inaugural conference is a natural extension of The Travel Group’s initiatives created to support the growth of tomorrow’s leaders today. It answers the call to showcase talent that is prominent in the travel industry and creates a forum exclusively for this demographic. The event will be held December 7, 2010 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
“At The Travel Group, we feel it’s imperative to encourage and inspire the next generation to join the travel advisor community,” said Ruthanne Terrero, CTC, vice president and group editorial director. “We’ve taken an industry leadership position on the topic by forging our annual 30Under30 issue in Travel Agent magazine, in which we recognize the rising stars in the travel agency arena. In Luxury Travel Advisor, we make similar efforts to recognize the fresh entrepreneurial spirits in the travel advisor community. Shining a light on these successful individuals provides new entrants to the industry with role models of their own generation. The Young Leaders Conference is a natural outgrowth of this effort and it will provide a dynamic environment for this group to thrive within their own community.”
“As a young professional, I look forward to spearheading this effort for The Travel Group,” remarked show director, Alicia Evanko. “The conference will create a community of professionals under the age of 40 who will grow in the industry together.”
The Young Leaders Conference will foster an environment where young professionals in the travel industry can learn from each other’s experiences, share industry knowledge and discuss career matters with their peers. The conference will include peer-to-peer networking, relevant education and career development. Participation in the event will be open to travel professionals under the age of 40 representing travel agency owners, travel consultants, travel suppliers and industry partners. Registration for the event will be available on www.LuxuryTravelExpo.com in April 2010.
The Travel Group initiatives include an editorial feature on young travel professionals in Travel Agent magazine and Luxury Travel Advisor Internship Program, in partnership with Tourism Cares. The editorial coverage, launched in 2008, includes an esteemed roster of agents and applauds their success stories. The program places university students in luxury travel agencies throughout the country. Luxury Travel Advisor will provide financial backing for the program; will coordinate internship application and placement while developing new talent for entry into the travel industry workforce.
The Young Leaders Conference Steering Committee includes:
* Elizabeth Bailey Harvey, Forest Lake Travel
* Luke Breaux, TravelCorp International
* Katie Brower, American Express Platinum Travel"
* Michael Distler, Admiral Travel International Inc.
* Danielle Foley, The Travel Exchange
* Jennifer Fox, Sue Brown Travel, a division of Protravel International
* Aanchal Gandhi, Protravel International
* Amber Lock, Protravel International
* Craig Hsu, Travel Design USA Inc.
* James (Jamo) Ladd, Park Avenue Travel
* Carmen Teresa Targa, Condado Travel