THE HUB, a new social media platform launched in early August, is adding members at an impressive rate, said its cofounder Tom Brussow, owner and president of Sunsational Beach Vacations.

“Since the launch of the HUBtoberfest Travel Advisors promotion, we have added more than 130 new members. These are top travel advisors and suppliers,” he said. “Given that we have only been live for about two months, this big jump in membership is very exciting, and means our community is growing as we hoped and expected based on all of the available benefits.”

Travel advisors who take advantage of the HUBtoberfest promotion will receive complimentary 12-month free membership and the chance to win prizes from THE HUB’s supplier partners, Playa Hotels & Resorts and Virgin Voyages.

Since its inception, the platform “has evolved both in terms of the number and diversity of the membership,,” Brussow said. “For example, we are continuing to build the Destination Community Groups, as well as the new collaborative Group Business Generator, which we and the members feel could be a game changer and drive valuable new sales for agents and suppliers.”

He added, “The Group Business Generator is soon to be a force in the industry as HUB travel advisor and supplier members collaborate to take advantage of their collective marketing power and member know-how to drive niche group sales opportunities.”

Other member benefits include the HUB Travel Think Tank and HUB Morning Shows, and The Path to Prosperity an initiative whereby agents, suppliers and industry executives “construct a shared vision and a specific set of actions and tactics to help the travel industry to return to prosperity in the weeks and months ahead,” Brussow.

“One final, very important point is that we are not in business to compete with established industry players such as consortia, hosts, private Facebook groups or travel publishers, etc.,” he said. “More than anything, we are a new, innovative resource that is in business to support travel and our industry as a whole as we work together to get back to a better place.”