PHOTO: This year’s CoNexion conference had 610 attendees, including 420 travel agents.

As one of the largest, if not the largest host travel agencies in the world, Nexion has become a significant player in the travel distribution system. Indeed, it now counts more than 3,450 independent affiliate agents as members and its annual conference in Orlando Sept. 17-20 attracted 610 participants, including 420 travel agents. That’s better attendance than some travel agency consortia or associations have at their national conferences.

So when Nexion unveils new programs to support its affiliated agents, it’s pretty big news for the distribution system. At this year’s conference there was no shortage of new initiatives, as well as expansions of existing programs. Here are five reasons why you might consider choosing Nexion as your host agency.

Get a new travel app communications tool and lead-generation system. Nexion used this year’s conference to introduce a new travel app that doubles as a lead generator. The host agency has partnered with Globetrotter E-Media, a third-party U.S.-Canadian app developer, to develop a mobile-based app that travelers and Nexion travel agents can download on their iPhones and Androids.

There are two app components to the program: Smart Leads by Nexion and The Travel Valet. Smart Leads by Nexion, is an app that Nexion agents can download for $19.99 per month initially and then provide for free to their customers. The app, which features destination and travel product information, allows Nexion agents to connect with clients who have it so they can make travel bookings directly or get other travel information from their Nexion agent. It can be uploaded onto both iPhones and Androids.

Nexion preferred suppliers also will be offered the opportunity to market their offers and distressed inventory through the app. Clients of Nexion agents who have the app can then book those offers directly with their Nexion agent.

The Travel Valet is a duplicate destination and travel product app that will be marketed directly by Globetrotters to consumers who are not currently affiliated with a Nexion agent. Those consumers who download it for free and want to make travel bookings will be driven to a Nexion agent, effectively turning the app into a lead-generation program.

Consumers will be matched with the appropriate Nexion agent based on that agent’s specialty and geographical location, and on whether he or she has the Smart Leads by Nexion app. Only Nexion agents who have signed up with Smart Leads by Nexion can get consumer leads. In addition, for the first eight to 12 months there will no additional cost to get these leads, and Nexion agents will get the same commission split they currently have from the host agency.

“The greatest challenge [for agents] is finding new business and good quality leads they can market to,” says Nexion President Jackie Friedman. “There are 30 million people researching travel on their mobile devices, so we decided to capitalize on that and do something very different.”

Friedman says she’s confident the new app system can humanize the mobile booking experience. “Someone’s time and money should not be left to chance, and that’s where our agents can step in and ensure an expert is always advocating on behalf of each consumer and client,” she says.

Friedman is showcasing the new lead-generation app product as a great complement to Agent Snapshot, a program that puts travel agent profiles on Vacation.com’s website where consumers can search for great travel agents. Nexion agents are indirectly members of Vacation.com through their host agency’s membership in the consortia, and so they have access to the Snapshot program.

Benefit from a new quality-control solution for airline reservations. One thing that Nexion has that many other hosts do not is an airline reservations capability. Nexion agents can use any existing GDS (Amadeus, Apollo, Sabre and Worldspan), as well as a non-GDS product called SNAP (Simple Nexion Air Program), to book airlines, including domestic carriers, and get commission.

With airline bookings, however, come some challenges, including the chance for fraud and mistakes in the booking itself. That’s why Nexion is introducing ResView, a new quality-control solution that operates 24/7 to support the growing number of Nexion agents who book air for their clients. Under this system Nexion agents automatically get a series of quality-control checks when they book air through the GDSs or SNAP. ResView quickly scans airfares for eligible commissions and provides a robust client invoicing system.

The new product, which went live on Aug. 1, also helps protect Nexion agents against airline ticket fraud by checking credit card numbers against addresses. “ResReview strengthens the ability of our agents to reduce the risk of fraudulent charges occurring,” says Friedman. “In order to protect our agents and their clients, ResReview offers reporting features that allow us to spot-check those procedures with accuracy and further minimize potential problems.”

ResReview also gives Nexion agents the ability to quickly void or refund tickets and allows them to program in service fees as part of the air booking process. In addition, it also allows Nexion agents to develop customized air itineraries for corporate travel customers.

Through ResReview, Nexion agents now have the capability to provide clients with more personalized, sophisticated invoices that automatically include Seller of Travel information, and itineraries that incorporate links specific to a traveler’s baggage information and weather reports, as well as links to the Transportation Security Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation.

ResReview also features Internet calendar-sharing capabilities to provide clients with digital attachments and notifications regarding air, car and hotel confirmations. The new mid-office quality control system also confirms that each client is taking advantage of obtaining eligible frequent flyer miles, as well as hotel and car rental reward programs.

“ResReview provides Nexion agents with a supreme level of operational support,” says Nexion Vice President Robbi Hamida. “One of the most valuable features of ResReview is that it continuously receives updated information on existing air partner agreements, ensuring booking accuracy and reducing the number of potential errors.”

Join a host agency with great education and training programs. Nexion has long been known for its boot camp training programs and online education all designed to give its agents the basics for running their businesses as well as boosting their sales of preferred suppliers. Now Nexion is upping the ante on all its education and training.

At CoNexion 2014, the host agency announced that its major conference next year will take place aboard the Norwegian Getaway on a seven-day cruise out of Miami, Sept. 26-Oct. 3. That marks a first for Nexion, which has never held a conference at sea before. The event will feature all the training and education seminars that Nexion has become known for. During this year’s conference, for instance, Nexion debuted a networking “power hour” where Nexion agents could meet their peers and discuss common niche travel specialties.

Nexion features an Agent Essentials program with lots of hands-on training that focuses on bringing in new people into industry. This includes three “boot camps” every year with Nexion’s preferred suppliers and marketing and business development.

Nexion this year has been revamping its Power Up program for newbie agents and has added new courses to develop their business skills. It also is touting the benefits of its online Nexion University, which features extensive online courses on how to get started and grow your business with the host agency.

In addition, Nexion plans to introduce more destination training in 2015 by reaching out to tourism bureaus and convention and visitor bureaus. The host agency also will offer more regional training next year, with eight live sessions in such locations as Chicago, Houston, Orlando, Denver, San Jose, Seattle, Orange County and Baltimore. “These will be great opportunities for Nexion agents and local supplier representatives to get together for networking,” says Friedman.

The host agency also has an extensive mentorship program pairing new agents with more experienced travel professionals. Finally, Nexion has begun a series of “fireside chat” webinars where Friedman interviews top travel executives from the host agency’s preferred suppliers. These webinars have already featured such companies as Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Lines and MSC Cruises.

Get rewarded for meeting preferred supplier and air sales goals. Nexion has a long-standing awards program honoring top sellers of its preferred suppliers and top air sellers. At this year’s CoNexion, the host agency honored 72 agents with its Circle of Excellence award for recording $350,000 or more in preferred supplier sales and 13 agents for selling a million dollars or more in ARC airline tickets over the past year. Winners of this year’s awards were eligible for a free group trip to the Fiesta Americana resort in Cancun.

Benefit from a turnkey marketing program offered by Vacation.com. As a Vacation.com member, Nexion has access to the consortium’s Engagement marketing solution, a permission-based marketing program where Vacation.com does major direct-mail and email promotions for key preferred suppliers using individual agency client lists. This program is offered free to all Vacation.com members; the only requirement is that members provide their client list and use ClientBase CRM system. Nearly 400 Nexion agents are registered for Engagement and Nexion executives are making a strong push to get more agents to participate.