2022 Day 3

Friday, November 4

All times are listed in Eastern Standard Time. Program is tentative and subject to change.

7:45am - 10:15am General Session III and Breakfast
Breakfast sponsored by Sandals

An Update from Sandals

Presented by Gary Sadler, Executive VP of Sales & Industry Relations, Sandals Resorts

TW Talks, hosted by Uplift

Presented by Lori Speers, CTC, Owner & CEO, Levarté Travel

Category Spotlight - Lux Adventure/Expedition Travel: Atlas Ocean Voyages

Presented by James A. Rodriguez, President and CEO, Atlas Ocean Voyages

Pitch Perfect - Luxury

Panelists include:
Andy Fuentes, Regional Sales Director, Scenic Luxury Cruises and Emerald Cruises; Dianna Rom, Sr. Director, Sales, Windstar Cruises; Michele Saegesser, Vice President, Sales and National Accounts, Viking; Steve Smotrys, Vice President, Global Sales & Trade Relations, Seabourn; Shawn Tubman, Senior Vice President of Sales, Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Moderated by Adam Duckworth, President and Founder, Travelmation and Angela Hughes, Chief Visionary Officer, Trips & Ships Luxury Travel

A word from Allianz

Presented by Richard Aquino, Vice President, Head of Sales USA, Allianz

Pitch Perfect - River and Small Ship Cruising

Panelists include:
Janet Bava, CMO, AmaWaterways; Marilyn Conroy, EVP Sales and Marketing North America, Riviera River Cruises; Pamela Hoffee, President, Avalon Waterways; Thomas Lennartz, VP of Sales and Client Experiences, Quark Expeditions; Michele Saegesser, Vice President, Sales and National Accounts, Viking
Moderated by Christen Perry, Owner, Classic Travel Connection and Jesse Morris, Owner, We Book Travel LLC

Category Spotlight - International Destination: Saudi Tourism Authority

Presented by Alanoud Alsalamah, North America Trade Partnership Manager, Saudi Tourism Authority and Sam Combs, Market Director, Saudi Tourism Authority

10:30am - 11:00am Concurrent Peer-to-Peer Educational Sessions

Demystifying Cruise Charters: It's not as Difficult as you Think!
You don't need a 1,000 clients to run a successful (and profitable) charter. In fact, charters can be extremely profitable with just 14-16 couples! This class goes over the basics: from setting up the charter, net vs. gross pricing, building new business and marketing.
Presented by Suzy Schreiner, Owner, Azure Blue Vacations

Ten Ways to Generate Demand for your Business
For the majority of people, the hardest part of running a business is finding and retaining the right client. If finding more clients is important to you, this session will help. Join us as we explore 10 different ways to generate demand for your travel business, including the pros and cons of each.
Presented by Jesse Morris, Owner, We Book Travel LLC

Accessibility in Travel
With nearly 30% of the population having some form of disability, this is not a segment of the market you can afford to overlook. Disabilities affect every age, income bracket, race, and gender. Yet somehow, the hospitality industry has overlooked this segment of the population almost entirely. 89% of “accessible” hotel rooms do not meet the needs of their guests with disabilities. Very few locations offer true dietary equitability, yet 10% of the population has food allergies, 10% has diabetes, and another almost 20% control a disability or disease by diet. Let’s talk about the different kinds of disabilities, and how we can make travel possible for those with them. We will talk about questions you need to be asking both your potential client and the supplier, as well as discussing different scenarios to mitigate obstacles that a client with disabilities might face.
Presented by Kristy Durso, Owner, Incredible Memories Travel LLC

Marketing Travel in a Digital World
In this session, we’ll cover how to market travel in a digital world. You’ll learn all about:

• Today’s Digital Opportunities

• Digital Printing Strategies

• eBook Marketing

• …and more!

Presented by Joanie Ogg, Founder/Co-Owner, Travel Professional News

11:10am - 11:40am Concurrent Peer-to-Peer Educational Sessions

Maximizing Supplier Relationships to Enhance Co-Marketing Opportunities
Suppliers have refilled their coffers for 2023 and beyond and are seeking solid partnerships with the advisor community. Whether you are seeking gifts-in-kind, a few hundred or more than $2500 the process is the same and begins with establishing a solid business/marketing plan for the event(s), promotion and quantifying the potential for sales/growth with the supplier(s). During this session you will be provided the tools to develop a blueprint to capturing a share of supplier co-marketing dollars.
Presented by Debbie Brown, Owner, SB World Luxe Travel

5 Key Digital Marketing Strategies to Sell MORE PROFITABLE Luxury Travel
As a luxury travel advisor, it's important to know how to use a variety of marketing channels to reach your target market. Learn the hottest tips and tools with SEO, Google My Business, social media, email marketing, and digital advertising to amplify and skyrocket your luxury sales.
Presented by Angela Hughes, Owner, Trips & Ships Luxury Travel

How to Be a Million-Dollar Seller
Networking is just one of the ways these ladies have built their million-dollar businesses. And it can be done literally anywhere. Find out how a massage turned into booking travel for Netflix executives. Then, discover other key steps to becoming a million-dollar seller.
Presented by Monday Cleghorn, Owner, Such a Time as This, a Travel Agency; Renee Dunkin, Owner, Around About Travel and Jennifer Wayland, Owner, Island Bridal Inc

Managing Client Expectations without Crushing Their Dreams
Travel in today's world is more unpredictable than ever, yet, our client's dreams and expectations are higher than ever. Matching making, managing expectations, and problem-solving are the three most important roles that an exceptional travel advisor has in creating amazing travel experiences for our clients. We know the risks, the potential bumps, and tips to help our clients have a fabulous vacation. But, how can we manage those high expectations without crushing their vacation dreams? Although it can be really stressful these days, travel is still one of the most exciting things in the world! In this workshop, we'll talk about ways to showcase our passion, excitement, and knowledge, and communicate realistically and positively.
Presented by Christen Perry, Owner, Classic Travel Connection

11:50am - 12:20pm Concurrent Peer-to-Peer Educational Sessions

Why Selling Diverse Tour Products & Experiences Should Be a Priority for Sellers of Travel
The 2022 National Travel & Tourism Strategy includes supporting the development and marketing of diverse tourism products and experiences across the United States to domestic and international travelers. Brand USA's recent Multicultural Multiplier Cultural Diversity Study confirms a global demand for diverse tour products and experiences such as Black cultural heritage tours and Native American experiences. How can sellers of travel get prepared and positioned to offer new diverse tourism products and experiences to clients? What tools are available to help promote and sell niche products and experiences? Come join the conversation!
Presented by Stephanie Jones, Founder & CEO, Cultural Heritage Alliance for Tourism, Inc.

Tech For Travel Advisors: Making Customer Data Work For Your Business
Accelerate work and unlock your potential with powerful apps that connect your customer data, workflows, and teams. This is how.
Presented by Stephen Scott, Owner, Travel Hub 365

Facebook and Instagram Marketing to YOUR Perfect Client
In this session, you'll learn how to create your perfect traveler audience and market to them on Facebook & Instagram for as little as $1/day. Best of all, turn your hard-earned marketing dollars into real bookings and life-long customers.
Presented by Nolan Flynn, Marketing & Operations Manager, LaMacchia Travel

Master Selling to the Rich, and It’ll Make you Rich
We know that everyone wants to sell luxury, but few advisors know how. In this session, we’ll dive in to the “how to’s” of selling to this segment. We’ll explore all of the possibilities but be practical about what you can sell. You’ll walk away feeling confident that you know:   

• Where is the luxury client

• What are the needs of the luxury client

• How do I retain the luxury client

• The essentials of a luxury specialist

Presented by Nick Pena, Luxury Travel Advisor, Cruise Planners

12:30pm - 3:00pm General Session IV and Lunch
Lunch sponsored by Norwegian Cruise Line

Q&A with Norwegian Cruise Line

Todd Hamilton, Senior Vice President of Sales, Norwegian Cruise Line and Mary Pat Sullivan, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Northstar Travel Group

CEO Conversation

Frank Del Rio, President and Chief Executive Officer, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. and Arnie Weissmann, Editor-in-Chief, Travel Weekly

Norwegian Cruise Line Presidential Chat 

Moderated by Arnie Weissmann, Editor-in-Chief, Travel Weekly
Jason Montague, President and Chief Executive Officer, Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Harry J. Sommer, President and Chief Executive Officer, Norwegian Cruise Line

Category Spotlight - Technology: Xeniapp

Presented by Rachel Obenshain, President, Xeni Inc.

Pitch Perfect: Groups

Panelists include:
John Diorio, Vice President, North American Sales, Virgin Voyages; Scott Kluesner, Vice President Strategic Accounts, Oceania; Jacki Marks, Executive Vice President, Travel Agent Vacations, ALG Vacations; Matthew Shollar, Founder, Transcend Cruises; Kristen Steele, Senior Director | Key Accounts, Globus family of brands; John Vavrina, Managing Director, North America, Exoticca
Moderated by Suzy Schreiner, Owner, Azure Blue Vacations and Stephen Scott, CEO & Founder, Travel Hub 365

3:15pm - 4:30pm Princess Cruises Workshop

Princess Lovefest
Celebrate the end of a successful conference and Come Feel the Love with Princess. Come get a cocktail and learn about the various initiatives we have in place to show our appreciation for you.
Presented by Carmen Roig, Vice President - Sales, Princess Cruises