WHY IT RATES: Riveria Travel’s six-day group sales workshop with River Cruise King Academy illustrates the company’s ongoing commitment to providing travel advisors with substantive educational opportunities to help them grow their businesses.—Claudette Covey, Executive Retail Editor.
Riviera Travel, a leader in ultra-premium river cruising, ocean yachts, and global land travel for more than 40 years, today announced a new advisor-focused professional development experience in partnership with River Cruise King Academy, designed to help travel advisors grow and scale their river cruise group sales business. Following the 2027 ASTA River Cruise Expo, Riviera Travel will host the exclusive River Cruise King Academy Group Sales Workshop, a six-day immersive learning experience led by renowned travel industry educators David Natale and Erika Commisso. Taking place March 14-19, 2027, aboard Riviera Radiance, the workshop will combine hands-on business development training with firsthand experience of the Riviera Travel product.
“At Riviera Travel, travel advisors are at the heart of our growth strategy, and we are deeply committed to investing in their success,” said Stuart Milan, president of North America at Riviera Travel. “This workshop reflects our belief that meaningful advisor partnerships go beyond product education. By partnering with River Cruise King Academy, we’re providing advisors with the tools, strategies and confidence to grow their river cruise group business while experiencing the Riviera Travel difference firsthand.”
Created specifically for travel advisors looking to strengthen and scale their group business, the workshop moves beyond the traditional familiarization trip format to deliver a structured, revenue-focused learning experience designed for immediate real-world application. Throughout the program, advisors will receive hands-on instruction in modern group sales systems and digital business tools, including platforms such as TravelJoy and Tern, with a focus on streamlining client communication, managing group workflows, and building efficient booking processes from inquiry through confirmation.
The curriculum also explores the strategic use of artificial intelligence in day-to-day agency operations, including itinerary development, client communications, marketing content creation, and follow-up sequencing, helping advisors reduce manual workload while increasing consistency and conversion. Participants will be guided through proven digital marketing strategies, including how to structure and optimize paid social campaigns designed to generate qualified group leads, as well as how to translate those leads into sustained booking pipelines.
Advisors will also work through the development of a fully customized group sales framework, including the creation of a dedicated landing page and booking environment for a live group departure, supported by automated email and marketing sequences designed to nurture client engagement before, during, and after inquiry. The workshop is structured to ensure that each advisor leaves not only with a defined group concept, but also with the operational infrastructure required to launch and manage it efficiently.
By the conclusion of the program, participants will have built a complete, end-to-end group sales system tailored to their business, including marketing assets, digital workflows, and automation strategies designed to support long-term scalability and repeatability in their group sales efforts.
“I’ve spent years building a group sales system that actually works – not theory, but a real, repeatable process that produces real revenue,” said David Natale, Founder of the River Cruise King Academy. “Doing this on a Riviera ship isn’t just fitting, it’s perfect. These agents are going to sell this product. They’re going to love it. And they’re going to go home with everything they need to start immediately.”
The workshop will take place aboard Riviera Travel’s newest river cruise ships, Riviera Radiance, allowing advisors to experience the line’s contemporary design, spacious accommodations and elevated culinary program while participating in the training program. Additional itinerary details will be announced at a later date. Applications for the River Cruise King Academy Group Sales Workshop opened May 1, 2026, and space will be limited to ensure a highly personalized learning environment.
SOURCE: Riviera Travel press release.
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