And Speaking Of… Virtuoso Travel Week 2024

I am fresh off the heels of the largest global gathering of luxury travel professionals, hotels, cruise lines, destination management companies, tourism boards, and more! Virtuoso Travel Week (VTW) was one for the books, and Gifted Travel Network (GTN) was proudly represented with seven team members and 40+ travel advisors. GTN was also nominated for a prestigious award in the category of Most Respected Agency Culture, and one of our top producing advisors, Lisa Reich of Majestic Getaway, was nominated for Top Family & Celebration Community Advisor.

This year, I decided to arrive a day earlier than I normally do and participate in Community Globetrotting Day. I engaged in the ultraluxury and wellness track and garnered many new perspectives on both what is trending in the wellness space and opportunities for the ultra-luxe traveler. My big takeaways for wellness were the robust, medically-focused offerings from Canyon Ranch and the focus on sleep that many properties were sharing. For ultra-luxe, I was intrigued by Blue Parallel and their Antarctica offerings.

On Sunday, I participated in professional development and taught a session on my favorite topic: LinkedIn! Thanks to everyone who joined me for this session and engaged with my content. I had a great turnout and felt well supported by partners, advisors, and my peers in host agency management. Shout out to Karen Magee , the President of Valerie Wilson Travel , who could have been in a thousand other places but chose to come to my session to support me and learn. Thanks, Karen, for snapping pics and being the best cheerleader!

And speaking of Karen Magee, the connection and friendship that we have formed, along with Lindsey Epperly of Jetset World Travel , is a testament to the community-focused vibe within the Virtuoso Travel network. VTW was an important reminder that deep, authentic human connections are part of this global network of passionate travel professionals. Beyond the product and destination training, anchoring in on your connections while attending matters deeply in the end and, quite frankly, sustains you through the busy and overwhelming times of business.

From Monday to Thursday, I took meetings mainly between the Preferred Partner Lounge and the Hotel Showcase. I connected with many of our preferred partners and had strategic conversations to move our mutual businesses forward. Tracey Golon on the GTN Partner Relations team pointed out that there was a theme in many of my meetings, and shared that I apparently used the following sentence quite often: "Good partners can have difficult conversations."

Admittedly, many of my meetings centered around addressing pain points in our partnership, and I felt that I was able to navigate the various topics strategically because of the strong relationships that we have built. I would like to unpack how I approach difficult conversations with partners for a future article. Not every moment of a partnership is smooth sailing, and knowing how to have difficult conversations is part of the journey.

Speaking of conversations, I wanted to mention a few true standout conversations during my week! I loved meeting and connecting with Kelly Craighead , President and CEO of CLIA | Cruise Lines International Association . Kelly and I met at a Norwegian Cruise Line lunch and we covered all kinds of topics including my favorite: political advocacy for our industry. I also had great conversations with Brennan Quesnele , Vice President of Strategic Accounts for Norwegian Cruise Line .

Shout out to Brennan for creatively sponsoring our Hair by Haven suite to get glammed up for the Gala on Thursday. This was a true highlight of the week!

I also had a great strategic conversation with Ranga Chidawanyika from 雅高 and talked about increasing awareness for their newly launched loyalty program, Hera. Our meeting with the 凯悦 team was extremely productive as well, and I appreciated the time spent with Tristan Dowell and his leadership team, diving deep into Miraval , Alila Hotels , and more.

I loved my time in the tech lab and providing insight to the team on enhancing the lead generation program for advisors. There are so many great programs coming out of Virtuoso right now, and many were on display in the digital labs. I am barely scratching the surface of my great meetings, and thanks to all the partners I met with last week.

The big highlight for GTN at VTW 2024 was truly our 1st annual Celestial Soiree! GTN hosted a party for our preferred partners, advisors and Virtuoso family on Wednesday evening and it was a big success! Over 200 people stopped by, and we loved every minute of the event. A big dose of gratitude to the Future You Project? and Park West Gallery for sponsoring the activations at our event and for your incredible support.

To end, I also wanted to share insight and perspectives from GTN colleagues and advisors on their takeaways. Take a moment to read them below, and if you were in attendance, leave your takeaways in the thread so we can keep the conversation going!

Sandy Adcox Saburn , Chief Strategic Alliances Officer at GTN

During the opening session, Jennifer Campbell , Senior Vice President, Network Products & Events with Virtuoso, said that Virtuoso Travel Week is a city in the desert we build each year. I love this imagery because it really represents how each year, Virtuosos from around the world come together, connect, share, and inspire one another. Attending VTW is the best way to connect with the largest concentration of preferred partners in one location. Whether an advisor is new-to-the-industry or well-established, making and renewing connections with partners is one of the best things you can do for your business.

Céline S. , AZUROM TRAVEL

Once again, Virtuoso did it! This is definitely the most invigorating event of the travel industry. Some of my main takeaways are:

• That luxury travel continues to evolve beyond opulence and extravagance. It's increasingly focused on personalized, meaningful, and transformative experiences.
• Sustainability isn’t just a trend; it's becoming a cornerstone of luxury travel. Clients are seeking eco-friendly options without sacrificing comfort.
• Leveraging technology such as AI to enhance personalization in travel planning is a gamechanger.

I'm so excited to infuse these fabulous new trends into our practice!

Julia Kasid , Travallure

I walked away from VTW with renewed confidence in the value advisors will continue to have in the travel landscape. Travel is all about connection and that's exactly what we bring to our clients - a human touch, an authentic understanding, an on-the-ground relationship, and a soulful desire to make their trip something special. It's unmatched, invaluable, and truly irreplaceable.

Kristin Matthews , VP of Professional Development at GTN

My takeaway is that the professional development sessions and Brain Dates were a great way to network with other advisors and share best practices.

Carol McKee , McKee Travel

One experience that stood out to me was the connection I made with a key supplier at the GTN celestial party. While I have known this supplier for years, the opportunity to sit down and chat for a long period of time in a relaxed situation, which allowed us to draw out a vision for a partnership, was fantastic! I made many connections with people at this event, both supplier partners, and other advisors. The connection you make with other people at this event when you come here after year is the key reason I keep coming back. These connections are the magic of this event!

Lee Lennon, CTC , Travel By Design, Inc.

This is about my 7th or 8th VTW, where one can meet up and network with the world's best in the travel industry. It is true that this is the ultimate travel event. It offers the opportunity to attend various networking events and professional development and to connect with representatives from hotels, cruise lines, tour companies, and destinations around the globe.

Tracey Golon , Strategic Account Manager at GTN

My biggest takeaway from VTW I was the reminder of how important relationships are in the travel community. The convenience of the virtual world is great, especially for those that spend much time on the road. But nothing can replace the conversations and connections created in person during the lunches, meeting and parties I had the privilege of attending.?

Jay Yokley , Left Bank Travel

Attending VTW as a member of GTN makes a difference because we are well received by all partners. My best partner meeting was Deluxe France . I hope they will solve the biggest challenge I've had - finding a good partner for France. Very glad they are GTN-preferred.

Kay Fahlberg, MBA, VTA , Ippo Travel

If you are planning on attending VTW in the future, I recommend preparing a few thoughtful questions to ask partners during in-person meetings. I find great value in hearing their unique stories—those special moments that made their guests happy or created special memories. Though our meeting time is brief, it’s enough to gain insights and determine whether a more in-depth discussion is appropriate.

Emily Bireley , Sales Support and Strategy Coordinator at GTN

As a first-time attendee of Virtuoso Travel Week and a member of the growing "Gen Z" category within the industry, it was illuminating to see both the current magnitude and the future potential of our network. With women leadership taking charge and the continuous rise of travel, there is no better time than now to be part of Virtuoso and build on our connections within the community.?

Sandra (Sandy) Lipkowitz , Sterling Journeys Luxury Travel

What is so valuable about VTW for me is the partner relations. Since I work internationally, I don’t always get to meet face to face with people I do business with all year. Having the opportunity to have an in-person connection, does so much for the working relationship and in turn benefits my clients They get the extra attention because the partner wants to show me how much they value my relationship with them.

The professional development workshops are a great resource for business trends, best practices and personal development. The more one learns and improves, it elevates ones business and personal life.

Meredith Calloway , Chief Visionary Officer at GTN

Think Big!? Dream Big!? Stop letting your doubts and stories hold you back.? The possibilities in selling luxury travel are endless and oh so fulfilling and fun.? If you have the desire, there is a way.? The opportunity is there and I believe it’s only growing.? Just go for it.