If it’s not broke, don’t fix it…
That’s the old adage, right? When the staff at The American Society of Travel Advisors came up with the idea of launching The Travel Advisor Conference, it wasn’t because the Global Convention was broken, but because they felt there was something about it that wasn’t truly special compared to their events like the River Cruise Expo or the Caribbean Showcase.
The ASTA asked themselves: “What can set this event apart?” and decided on rebranding and revamping the event to lean into what they do best: world-class education, speakers and professionalizing the industry. In many ways, the Global Convention already did that, but they wanted to double down and give advisors something they would look back on and say, “that helped take my business to the next level.”
The ASTA Travel Advisor Conference, May 29-31, 2024, at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas, will do just that.
Hilton Anatole, Dallas, Texas (Photo via Wikimedia)
Focus on Education
This year’s Travel Advisor Conference will feature incredible keynote speakers. You know Venus Williams as a tennis superstar, but she’s not giving backhand lessons. Instead, she’s going to talk about her journey as one of the world’s most successful female entrepreneurs. Ever have a hard time closing a sale? Chris Voss was the FBI’s lead hostage negotiator and his book, “Never Split the Difference” is a New York Times bestseller on high-stakes negotiations.
We also have industry professionals like Christine Duffy (President, Carnival Cruise Lines) and Chris Nassetta (CEO, Hilton) and while they will certainly update us on the latest with their brands, the main focus of their talks will be the leadership skills and lessons they’ve learned as they have risen to the top of the travel world.
The educational breakout sessions will be focused on three distinct tracks:
- Cultivate: for those newer to the industry looking to kickstart travel business.
- Accelerate: for those more focused on taking their business to the next level.
- Innovate: for mid-large sized agency owners/managers wanting to polish their leadership skills.
Speakers include business experts from Harvard, UCLA, Arizona State, the Small Business Development Center, TED as well as best-selling authors. ASTA also asked more of their instructors to repeat their sessions, so you don't have to miss a thing.
In addition, the Verified Travel Advisor certification is quickly becoming the industry standard when it comes to separating yourself as a more professional advisor that consumers know they can trust. Travel Advisor Conference will be the first event where on-site new and renewal verification will be possible, and ASTA will have a lot more exciting news about the VTA program planned around the Conference which they plan to announce in the coming weeks.
Focus on Networking
No one has ever confused one of ASTA's events for a boring business meeting or a stale trade show. This year, however, the Travel Advisor Conference is taking steps to ensure that Dallas will be the place to make the connections you need to make as your business grows and thrives.
The trade show is also growing…by shrinking. No, that’s not a typo. ASTA heard from advisors and suppliers alike that a two-day tradeshow just isn’t a good use of anyone’s time. Instead, we’re setting aside time for curated, 1-to-1 connections between advisors and suppliers. These won’t just be drive-by conversations, but the kind of interactions that drive new business and open new opportunities.
Meanwhile, our standard trade show will feature specialty areas in the Exhibit Hall for entrepreneurs, travel technology, media partners and more.
Attendees can make use of both a special rate at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas as well as a discount on flights to and from the conference from ASTA's friends at Southwest. Visit www.traveladvisorconference.org to register or for more details.
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