Email advertising and marketing. (picture through Avoya Travel)
Highly revolutionary host company Avoya Travel final week efficiently accomplished the digital portion of its annual Land Forum occasion, which passed off over three days, from May 23 – 25. Hundreds of Independent Agencies (IAs) of the Avoya Network, Avoya employees and land provider representatives have been in attendance.
In line with its broader ‘Avoya 2025’ guiding progress technique, the corporate launched the Land Forum just a few years again as a part of a dedication to constructing the land trip aspect of its enterprise, and offering its community of unbiased advisors with entry to high-quality persevering with schooling {and professional} improvement choices.
About the Virtual Land Forum:
Avoya held its first Land Forum in 2019 earlier than the beginning of the pandemic necessitated transitioning to a digital format for the next yr’s meeting. Now in its fifth yr, the occasion has adopted a hybrid format, which permits for the inclusion of any Independent Agencies of the Avoya Network (IAs) who can’t essentially attend the in-person portion, which is about to happen from June 20 – 23 at Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa in Puerto Vallarta, though loads of IAs are attending each parts.
The annual set of occasions is designed to assist IAs develop their data of land-based journey merchandise by offering worthwhile content material and distinctive alternatives for the Avoya Network’s excellent group of unbiased companies and advisors to have interaction instantly with its land provider companions.
Avoya’s personal executives and affiliated land suppliers are in a position to ship up-to-date info on new and upcoming product choices and firm campaigns, in addition to invaluable alternatives for networking with representatives from dozens of land and vacation spot suppliers and their many subsidiary manufacturers. These vary from lodge and resort chains to trip packagers, guided tour corporations, DMOs, rail operators, journey insurance coverage suppliers, and on-line journey marketplaces and reserving engines providing advisor commissions.
The occasion is open to all Independent Agencies of the Avoya Network, however significantly appeals to these focused on seeking to improve gross sales by casting a wider web and diversifying their product combine, in addition to strengthening or establishing new skilled relationships with friends and suppliers through the occasion’s strong networking alternatives.
PHOTO: Virtual convention, tradeshow, zoom name (picture courtesy filadendron/E+/Getty Images)
Event Highlights Included:
In General Sessions, presenters mentioned the trade’s rising client tendencies and educated attendees about their corporations’ new-to-market and soon-to-launch merchandise, IT enhancements, unique particular charges and promotions, distinctive promoting factors of their choices, matching purchasers to the precise merchandise (“qualifying” purchasers), ideas for upselling, and methods to benefit from varied commissionable objects and add-on reserving alternatives.
Kicking off the occasion, the primary Main Stage General Session introduced some thrilling bulletins and sneak-peek revelations from Avoya executives, together with that the corporate has seen a record-breaking first quarter, with the whole Network up 25 p.c in booked land gross sales in comparison with 2019’s pre-pandemic benchmark, with guided holidays up 40 p.c, wholesaler enterprise up 50 p.c, bookings with most well-liked land companions up 40 p.c and new-to-Avoya clientele up 30 p.c.
Execs additionally divulged some additional particulars about beforehand introduced developments that at the moment are within the works, corresponding to the brand new Travel Leaders Network partnership and integration of TLN Agent Universe into Agent Power (Avoya’s proprietary SaaS platform), the Beta launch of Avoya Flights and Avoya Hotels, new assets out there inside Agent Power, updates to Agent Profiler pages, resort rewards registration, enhanced advertising and marketing updates, incentives and bonus fee alternatives.
Enjoy The Holidays, We’ll Handle The Marketing (Courtesy of Avoya Travel)
Event Programming Components Included:
— General Sessions on the Main Stage, comprised of well timed shows by Avoya executives, sponsors and most well-liked suppliers.
— A Virtual Expo with dozens of “booths”, which IAs may entry to speak with provider reps, ask questions and change info.
— A Sponsor Info & Collateral space that gives quick access to suppliers’ supplies.
A Networking Hub to host a number of scheduled “Speed Dating” periods the place attendees are randomly paired with a rotation of Preferred Suppliers, different IA attendees or Avoya employees members in seven-minute increments, permitting for one-on-one alternatives to video chat, change info and briefly get to know varied manufacturers higher. Attendees may additionally schedule one-on-one appointments to satisfy with provider reps on their very own schedule.
— Virtual “Cocktail Parties”, designed to supply a extra informal ambiance for networking, socializing, and relationship constructing.
— Raffles, trivia video games and varied prize giveaways.
A household working with a journey advisor. (picture through South_agency / getty photographs)
Travel Advisors’ Reactions:
“For me, the one-on-one meetings, and being able to schedule or ‘drop in’ are the most unique and helpful part,” Julia Liess, Owner of Next Phase Travel, advised TravelPulse. “If it’s a vendor I already know and work with, it’s my chance to address any challenges or needs I’m facing with existing business, and, if it’s a vendor I was just introduced to through the main stage, I can now have my questions answered, have them expand more on their offerings and focus on the points that are most useful to me.”
“My favorite aspect of this year’s Virtual Land Forum was the Speed Dating, and I enjoyed that we had it every day! It is a great way to get one-on-one face time with the suppliers, connect with other agents in the network, and meet some faces behind the corporate names I see on emails,” mentioned Kathleen Herman, CTA, Owner of Vacation Travel Pro.“There’s something fabulous about “meeting” an individual within the trade whereas we’re each sitting within the consolation of our personal properties! I actually get pleasure from that a part of the connection.” She defined, “It is such a great way to get an introduction to some of the suppliers we will see in a few weeks at the land forum in Puerto Vallarta, I like that now I have some more contacts to ‘meet’ when I arrive there!”
Herman additionally added, “I will absolutely be at the in-person event in June, cannot wait to say hello face to face! This industry on the daily can seem very alone, coming together to celebrate our successes, learn, and enjoy the time is something I look forward to every year.”
Nichole Patrick, Owner of Traverse The Earth Travel, likewise pointed to the Speed Dating part as her favourite a part of this yr’s occasion. “I’ve found connections through this time that I would not have otherwise pursued, as I didn’t fully understand what they were offering until we were randomly connected,” she mentioned. Connections with suppliers new and outdated are all the time one of the best elements I take away. These connections construct belief and create long-lasting skilled symbiotic relationships.” Patrick may even be attending June’s in-person occasion and mentioned, “I wouldn’t miss it for anything. Person to person, face to face… You can’t beat that in a world of Zoom and virtual conversations.”
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Source: www.travelpulse.com”
