What if there were a trade show and conference where you never had to leave your home or your office to learn more about how to run your home-based travel business better? That’s the question we asked several years ago when we launched our virtual home-based travel agent expo, now named Agent@Home Expo after Agent@Home, our magazine for home-based agents. And today, starting at 2 p.m. ET, you can take part in the most recent edition of our virtual show.

Agent@Home Expo will take place online “live” today, Wednesday, June 27 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET. A second session will take place tomorrow, Thursday, June 28 from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. ET. After June 28, the expo will be available for three months, so you can revisit the speakers, sessions and exhibitors. If you haven’t registered already, there’s still time – and there’s no cost to join us for one of the most informative virtual events you’ve ever experienced.

Agent@Home Expo is now recognized as the premier virtual event for home-based travel agents. You can stop by, view speakers and interviews, or chat “live” with a lineup of top exhibitors. The expo will feature "live" presentations and interviews that give you the information you need to better run your home-based business.

On Wednesday, June 27, at 2:15 ET, you can see a “live” one-on-one session with Sandals Resorts "The Beauty of the All-Inclusive" co-hosted by Brian Major, our executive editor covering the Caribbean. Also on Wednesday, June 27, a 4 p.m. ET, you can see a “live” presentation with Great American Steamboat & American Cruise Lines on “River Cruising in the U.S.A.” co-hosted by Mark Murphy, president and CEO of Travalliancemedia, parent of TravelPulse.com, Agent@Home magazine, and Vacation Agent magazine, as well as Virtual Travel Events, including Agent@Home Expo. On Thursday, June 28 at 3:45 p.m. ET you can view a “live” presentation with Couples Resorts on “Selling the Dream” Destination Weddings and Honeymoons” co-hosted by Randy Russell, chief romance officer for Couples Resorts, and Mark Murphy.

On both days, you can tune in to hear a series of interviews I did with top industry leaders focused on “Perspectives on the Home-Based Travel Agent Market.” You’ll hear from Jackie Friedman, president of Nexion, one of the country's largest host agencies, who talks about who is coming into the market today and what it takes to be successful as home-based travel agent, as well as the training necessary to become profitable. Gary Fee, president and founder of the Outside Sales Support Network (OSSN), the largest home-based travel agent association, discusses the state of the home-based agent market today, what the future holds and how travel suppliers view the home-based market.

Scott Koepf, vice president of sales for Avoya Travel/American Express, and former president of the National Association of Career Travel Agents (NACTA), offers his assessment of the home-based market today and what it takes for agents to success. Scott, of course, also is a regular columnist for Agent@Home magazine.           

Anita Pagliasso, president of Ticket to Travel, a top host travel agency, and president of PATH (Professional Association of Travel Hosts), discusses the state of the host travel agency market, where it's headed and how to find the right host agency to meet your needs. Anita also is a regular columnist for Agent@Home magazine.

During the “live” hours of the expo, you also can view videos, download brochures and collateral material, and chat “live” with top exhibitors. These include Travel Impressions, Israel Ministry of Tourism, Hertz. Puerto Costa Maya, Cruise One & Cruises Inc., OSSN, Couples Resorts, The Great American Steamboat Company, Sandals Resorts, Munich Airport, Avoya Travel/American Express, American Cruise Lines, Nexion, Puerto Rico, and Travel Planners International, Inc. So register now, if you haven’t already, and join us later today at www.AgentAtHomeExpo.com.

James Shillinglaw is editor-in-chief and editorial director of Travalliancemedia, parent of TravelPulse.com, Agent@Home magazine and Vacation Agent magazine.