ST . LOUIS BEFORE YOU GO
Best advice for business appointments
Business happens on and off the Travel Exchange floor , and what better time to make new connections than while you are having fun ? Whether it ’ s a night out or helping a good cause , you ’ ll get to know potential business partners and the host city .
Prescheduled Appointments : Research pays off
NTA ’ s online request system enables you to develop a list of the companies you hope to meet with during your business appointments , and it provides information on appointmenttaking attendees . Appointment scheduling opened Dec . 6 , and you have until Jan . 27 to finalize and submit your appointment requests . After the system does the matching , you ’ ll receive your list of meetings by email on Feb . 14 . ( Think of it as Valentine ’ s Day matchmaking .)
Direct request scheduling : Your first follow-up
After you receive your appointment schedule , you can add more meetings before you arrive in St . Louis by using the same online request system . Reach out to colleagues who have the same open time slots as you and see if you can schedule a meeting . Each request that ’ s accepted will be automatically added to your schedule — and theirs . Direct request scheduling closes Feb . 24 .
More appointments : Work the floor
We ’ ll give you a shopping list . On it are the companies you missed getting a prescheduled appointment with , and those are the members you can seek out on-site . ( Download the list from your posted appointment schedule ). Your best option is while tour operators are seated during the Supplier Exchange . Approach a company ’ s representative who is not engaged in
a meeting and ask if you can schedule an appointment during a time you both have open . If one ’ s not available , you can introduce yourself and leave your profile form and business card — and chat with them later at a meal or social function .
Need an intro — or refresher — course ?
NTAonline . com contains everything you need , ranging from the full schedule and information on seminars and evening events to tips from convention veterans and helpful links . For instance , you can listen to an audio recording of the Travel Exchange 101 webinar , conducted Dec . 1 , and find links to seminars from previous conventions at NTAonline . com / education .
The Travel Exchange First-timers page ( NTAonline . com / travelexchange-first-timers ), features tips from members who were Travel Exchange newcomers last year in Atlanta , as well as information on this year ’ s Travel Exchange Ambassadors . If you
have a question as you get ready for St . Louis , you can reach out directly to any of the veteran NTA members in this group for peer-to-peer advice about the show . Photos and bios of each of the following ambassadors are available on that page :
Jim Coggin , Virginia Beach Convention & Visitor Bureau Laura Elkin , Crescent Hotels & Resorts Scott Hartcorn , Shilo Inns Suites Hotels Melody Johnson , Falcon ’ s Crest John Shaffer , Luray Caverns Mindy Shea , Visit Savannah
Suzanne Slavitter , Sports Empire & Authentic California Vacations
Christian Utpatel , Terra Lu Travel & Consult GmbH Michael Weinberg , Hiltons of Chicago Clayton Whitehead , Sports Leisure Vacations
And don ’ t miss the Travel Exchange 101 seminar and tour of the convention floor once you arrive in St . Louis . This session , which will be offered Sunday at 3:15 and Tuesday at 3:30 , will be followed by a convention floor tour to help you get the lay of the land .
ROBB COHEN PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO
32 January 2017