Travel advisors stay busy throughout the year, and it's not always easy to make time for conferences, fam trips and other training events. However, these industry events are an important part of your role and can play a huge part in growing your business.
I attended the ASTA Global Convention in Fort Lauderdale earlier this week, and this annual event includes a blend of education and entertainment to allow travel advisors to head back to work feeling inspired and motivated to grow their businesses.
Stephanie Werner, Strategic Development Manager for MAST Travel Network, knows the importance of industry events and encourages young professionals to embrace this evolving industry by attending them.
"I think a lot of people, especially those newer to the industry, may not fully understand the work ASTA does for us. There's no better place to expand your knowledge on industry affairs and keep up with current trends than through networking activities, educational sessions, and industry events that bring together all ends of the spectrum, such as the ASTA Global Convention," she explains.
Travel advisors not only got a chance to hear from cruise line CEOs and interact with supplier representatives, but they also had the chance to explore the area through sightseeing tours and hop on board to tour various cruise ships from Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and MSC.
During one of the education sessions I attended-Destination Perspectives: When Headlines Hit Popular Destinations-attendees had the chance to hear from industry representatives including Ali Gerakaris, Director of PR for Apple Vacations and Michelle Bernier-Toth, a US Department of State Managing Director, on the best practices when working with skeptical clients.
Everyone leaves conferences with a few key takeaways, and they aren't always the same for each person.
For Werner, "A personal highlight from AGC was having the opportunity to hear from Keynote Speaker, Randi Zuckerberg founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media, at Tuesday's All Delegate Closing General Session, on how intelligent, strong women can excel in our current positions and create unimaginable opportunities for the future."
With such a broad range of opportunities-lunch and learns, panels, speakers, the trade show-attending the ASTA Global Convention is an invaluable event for travel advisors to attend. And this is only one of the many events offered throughout the year.
Industry events allow advisors and suppliers to not only strengthen existing relationships but also to create several new ones. You'll leave events with a wealth of new knowledge to bring home, and this transfers over to creating even better vacations for your clients.
Whether you only have time for a local one-day conference or you're able to take a few days away from the office to go to something longer, attending industry events will certainly play a vital role in growing your business.
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