Ensemble Travel Group, the members-owned travel agency cooperative, said it would switch the venue of this year’s annual conference and change the dates of the event. Ensemble originally announced the conference would take place Oct. 24-28 at Las Vegas’ PH Towers, adjacent to Planet Hollywood. Now the 2012 conference will be held Oct. 17-21 at the Red Rock Resort Las Vegas, where Ensemble held its conference in 2008.

 “In making this decision, we really listened to our members,” said Lindsay Pearlman, Ensemble’s co-president. “Red Rock has a proven track record with the Ensemble family, which is key to having a productive event. Plus, it allows us to leverage the many benefits of the Vegas location -- ease of flight from all gateways, very good rates, and headliner entertainment, to name a few.”

At Ensemble’s last conference at Red Rock the group celebrated its 40th anniversary.  “Both members and partners appreciated the entire conference experience at Red Rock,” said Libbie Rice, Ensemble’s co-president. “They liked the high-energy vibe of Las Vegas, combined with the unique beauty of the desert surroundings. And, with the Strip just a short drive away, attendees had plenty to choose from.”

Among the program enhancements for the 2012 Ensemble Travel Group International Conference will be a three-day forum featuring roundtable exchanges on Thursday, Oct. 18, and Saturday, Oct. 20 for Ensemble On Location, hotels, and specialty suppliers; and an interactive tradeshow on Friday, Oct. 19 for air, car, cruise, tour, and insurance partners. A strategic members-only executive session will address the long-range planning of organizational priorities on Thursday, Oct. 18. The Ensemble Circle of Excellence Celebration, the annual black-tie gala and dinner, will take place on Friday, Oct. 19 honoring Ensemble’s top producers and partner award winners. A Vegas On Your Own evening is designed for attendees to immerse themselves in Las Vegas on Thursday, Oct. 18. A farewell celebration at Red Rock on Saturday, Oct. 20 will feature entertainment, dinner, dancing, prizes, and time for members and suppliers to socialize and network.

 “Based on member feedback, Red Rock offers the best of all worlds for our event, especially the date and off-strip location,” said an Ensemble spokeswoman. “We’ve been able to change the date to what’s been our traditional time frame of that third week of October. Plus, the off-strip location helps us offer a very strong business program, heavy on content with plenty of fun mixed in – and the strip is just a short drive away.”