The outlook is positive for Signature Travel Network in 2014 thanks to end of the year’s strong sales and new agencies members.

In order to better service the increasing membership, Signature has added staff to its Member Services Department, including a Member Engagement Manager as of the first quarter of 2014.

New members like Divine Destination Weddings of Granite Bay, Calif., Hill Barrett Travel of Woodinville, Wash., and JETSET World Travel, Inc. of Chicago are driving up Signature’s membership.

Julia Douglas, president of JETSET World Travel, Inc. joined Signature Travel Network in part because of the technology offered by the group.

“The efficiencies Signature has created for their membership through Client Reach and Hotel Connection are unparalleled,” said Douglas. “The variety of marketing materials and activities offered ensure we have something suitable for every client in our database.”

Member engagement will be the catch phrase for 2014, as the network increases to 215 member agencies and 417 retail locations throughout the United States and Canada. Collectively, Signature members generated over $5 billion in annual travel sales.

Other agencies come from Des Moines, Iowa, like Kathleen Stahl Travel Services, Raleigh, N.C.’s Maupin Travel, Inc., and Travel Machine of Lafayette, La. A Way To Go Travel of Greensboro, N.C. has also joined.

Ringing in the New Year Conlin Travel of Ann Arbor, Mich. will join after Jan. 1, 2014. 

“By joining Signature, we now have an organization that is fully dedicated to helping us manage our leisure clients. Signature has truly figured out how to mine our leisure database and overlay it with demographic and psychographic data, allowing us to target specific customers with very specific offerings,” said Christopher U. Conlin, president, Conlin Travel, Inc. 

Signature Travel Network is on course for 2014 if the results from 2013 are any indication.

“Over the course of 2013, our network enjoyed tremendous growth in terms of membership and collective sales. We directly attribute this success to the strong relationships that we have with our members. The theme of our last Sales Meeting was ‘All About YOU,’ and we are incorporating this mantra into all of our 2014 plans,” said Alex Sharpe, president.