The virtual component of the Dream Vacations, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. hybrid National Conference, whose theme is TOGETHER, kicked off on Nov. 3
The weeklong cruise portion of the conference will take place aboard Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Apex, beginning on Nov. 13.
"Even though we are back to hosting in-person events, the last 20 months has demonstrated the value of virtual events and we are excited to launch a hybrid National Conference this year," said Drew Daly, general manager and senior vice president of Dream Vacations, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc.
"We love that everybody in our network will have access to the educational workshops that are normally only available to those who attend National Conference."
The virtual portion of the conference will provide home-based agencies with an array of educational opportunities, with multiple workshops released on a daily basis.
During the cruise portion of the conference, a recorded version of all workshops - 35 in all - will be available for agents not attending in person.
"By having a hybrid National Conference, our advisors have more flexibility in how they spend their time on board and where they want to learn," said Charity Santiago, director of training. "Now, our advisors can attend workshops from their local coffee shop, the pool or the comfort of their own home if they were not able to attend the week at sea.
"Plus, advisors will have access to the workshops for three months and can re-watch courses that they want to focus on."
Highlights of the cruise portion of the conference will include a question-and-answer session with Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises; a panel with executives from Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line and GOGO Vacations; best practices workshops and general sessions; and a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish charity.
"We've been through a lot together over the past 18 months and now, I can't imagine a better backdrop than the transformative Celebrity Apex to imagine our new future together," said Dondra Ritzenthaler, senior vice president of sales at Celebrity Cruises.
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