TRAVEL SHOW MARKETING GROUP
Left to right : An evening of networking at BrewDog sponsored by Las Vegas CVB ; Advisors networking with Absolutely Cuba at the tradeshow ; Suppliers and Travel Agent Select advisors during one-to-one meetings .
Supplier Participation While it ’ s always possible to connect with BDMs through emails and phone calls , nothing truly compares to a face-to-face meeting . Supplier attendance at travel industry events is one of the main draws bringing advisors in , and it ’ s for good reason . In a perfect world , advisors would be able to get ahold of the right people , find the answers to all their questions and bounce ideas off their supplier representatives at any time . However , the opportunity to do these things is not always available .
Searching for supplier information online only takes advisors so far , but having a conversation in person can check several items off the box . “ We have representation from all seven continents , and it ’ s one thing to google them online , but it ’ s another to be able to talk to a representative and have a conversation ,” Cloonan said .
Suppliers continue to increase their participation at events , as they know how important it is to be connected to the travel advisor community . New team members and ever-evolving product offerings mean consistent engagement at events is key .
“ More than ever , travel suppliers understand the value live events represent to a global travel community ,” Cloonan said . “ With new products , destinations and in some cases , new teams , suppliers are investing in events to maximize their visibility .”
Suppliers are not only attending these events but are also being more strategic with their engagement . In addition to the tradeshow , advisors have several other opportunities to interact with their supplier
representatives . TravelSMG had its largest Las Vegas Travel Agent Forum ever in 2023 , and the company saw exponential growth in areas such as small group roundtable discussions and private one-on-one meetings .
“ Like travel , events are ever-evolving and we are continuously developing new solutions to engage suppliers with the right travel sellers for their products ,” said Cloonan .
Travel Advisor Engagement On the supplier side , attendees of the Las Vegas Travel Agent Forum in 2023 included more than 300 destinations , travel products and business resources . In addition to suppliers , the event welcomed nearly 1,000 professional travel advisors with a variety of experience levels .
“ Collectively , these agents represent THOUSANDS of potential customers , BILLIONS in annual spending and opportunities for future sales ,” Cloonan said , which is great for the supplier participants .
TRAVELSMG ’ S EVENTS
• Las Vegas Travel Agent Forum
• Romance Travel Forum
• Travel Agent Forum Owners Edition
• European Travel Agent Forum
• Family Travel Advisor Forum
LEARN MORE ABOUT TRAVELSMG : travelsmg . com
This is also ideal for travel advisors , as in-person events are where advisors meet mentors , business partners and in some cases , some of their closest friends .
The energy among the travel advisor community is positive , caring and encouraging . While competition is present in any industry , advisors tend to lift each other up and collaborate to better their businesses . Attending in-person events is where advisors meet like-minded professionals to learn and grow with throughout their careers .
Unique education sessions , focused peer-topeer training , information on new programs , casual networking , influential speakers — all this and so much more can be found under the same roof at industry events .
“ Beyond booth traffic , our Roundtable sessions hosted over 75 small-group discussions , and our One-to-One meetings accounted for over 2,500 private meetings ,” said Cloonan . “ This simply can ’ t be done virtually .”
INDUSTRY CALENDAR Want to stay up to date on tradeshows , seminars , FAM trips and webinars ? Visit the Industry Calendar on VAX VacationAccess : vaxvacationaccess . com / the-compass / industry-calendar
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