Virtual Travel Events, a division of Travalliance, which also publishes TravelPulse.com, held a very successful first day of its 2012 Agent@Home Expo. More than 1,100 travel agents attended the expo to increase their knowledge on suppliers and destinations and talk one-on-one with representatives from companies such as Couples Resorts, Sandals Hotels & Resorts, Hertz, Israel Ministry of Tourism, Puerto Costa Maya, Munich Airport, Puerto Rico, Great American Steamboat, American Cruise Lines and Travel Impressions. Other exhibitors included Cruise One and Cruises Inc., OSSN, Avoya Travel, Nexion and Travel Planners.

The shows now feature live presentations, which debuted earlier this year during the Virtual Luxury Expo. The Agent@Home Expo has three live presentations scheduled during the two-day event. On Wednesday, Sandals held a “The Beauty of the All-Inclusive” webinar, hosted by Executive Editor Brian Major, who covers the Caribbean and all-inclusive resorts. More than 660 agents attended this live webinar where Major, Travalliance CEO Mark Murphy and a representative from Sandals provided agents with an overview of their properties and the all-inclusive stay.  Agents asked over 95 specific questions, which were answered during and after the presentation, and also commented that the product information would help them to sell Sandals to their clients.

The second live presentation focused on “River Cruising in the USA,” and was hosted by Murphy and featuring Great American Steamboat Company and American Cruise Lines. Almost 400 agents attended and asked more than 110 questions during the live event. 

Day Two of the 2012 Agent@Home Expo will open tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. ET.  The third live presentation, scheduled for 3:45 p.m. ET, will feature with Couples Resorts Chief Romance Officer Randy Russell. This webinar is titled “Selling the Dream: Destination Weddings and Honeymoons.” Register at www.agentathomeexpo.com.

Agents made positive comments about the first day of the Agent@Home Expo. A few examples: “I have to say that I found today’s show very informative I enjoyed it immensely.” “It was really nice to be able to see so much information about the cruise ships and destinations as well as be able to chat with an experienced agent.” “Thanks for a GREAT session!” “I'm highly motivated by this presentation today!”

Travalliancemedia creates innovative solutions that support and promote the leisure travel industry by strengthening the agent profession, helping suppliers grow their brands, and providing travelers with valuable expertise to make their travel more rewarding. Our industry-leading brands reach more than 75 percent of the travel agent population and include VacationAgent, a monthly magazine that focuses exclusively on leisure travel; Agent@Home, the only publication devoted to the rapidly growing home-based travel professional; TravelPulse.com, the world’s leading travel trade news source; and TravelTribe.com, an online community where travel enthusiasts get expert advice, share their experiences and learn about new destinations. For more information, visit www.travalliance.com.