There are still four days left to register for The New York Times Travel Show trade event on Friday, Feb. 23 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. So if you're in the New York area – or want to come in for the long weekend -- I can promise you a series of fascinating speakers and panels that will cover nearly every aspect of the travel agency profession and then some. You'll also get a chance to walk the trade show floor before more than 26,000 potential travel customers descend on it Saturday and Sunday (although you may want to stick around over the weekend, since those folks might just be interested in booking a few trips from you).
Also included on Friday is a keynote address by J. Stephen Perry, president and CEO of the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau. Perry, who will speak from 1:15 to 1:45 p.m. during a luncheon for travel industry professionals that starts at 12:45 p.m., will provide an update on what really is happening in New Orleans these days. He'll be preceded by a keynote introduction from Bruce Beckham, executive director, Tourism Cares, that worthy organization that has helped refurbish and revamp many of our nation's most precious tourism attractions, including those in New Orleans and on the Mississippi Gulf.
The 2007 Trade Day is supported by a number of industry leading companies, including our very own Performance Media Group, parent of ModernAgent.com, Agent @ Home and Vacation Agent magazines. This year's conference features more than 35 top executives from throughout the travel industry, who will tackle topics, including home-based travel agencies, selling luxury travel, changes in travel technology and selling cruises. Special accredited workshops will be offered through Cruise Lines International Association and The Travel Institute. Informational seminars will be presented by Travel Impressions, Carnival Cruise Lines, Performance Media Group, Outside Sales Support Network, Mark Travel and Tauck World Discovery.
Presented by American Express, The New York Times Travel Show, taking place Feb. 23-25, is the largest travel trade and consumer show in the United States, having hosted over 26,000 attendees and 400 exhibitors in 2006. On Feb. 23, trade registration begins at 7:30 a.m. From 8:30 to 10 a.m. Scott Koepf, CTC, MCC, general manager of Nexion and Jurni, will present "The Ultimate Selling Workshop." During the same time period, Bernie Blomquist, manager-training development for CLIA, will offer "Special Interest Marketing." Also during the 8:30-10 a.m. slot, our own Mark Murphy, president, and Scott Whitley, vice president-sales and marketing for Performance Media Group, will offer a session on "Successful Web Marketing."
From 10:15 to 11:15 a.m., three seminar panels are scheduled. "Home Based Travel Agents: How the Home-Based Agent Market is Evolving" will feature Scott Koepf, general manager, Nexion/Jurni; William Alverson, president & CEO, Joystar Travel Network; Stacy Small, president, Elite Travel International; Jeffrey Anderson, vice president-marketing, America's Vacation Center; Steve Byrne, group managing director, Travel Counsellors PLC; and moderator Gary Fee, president, Outside Sales Support Network.
During the same time period "Travel Technology: Using Essential Technology for Travel Agents" offers panelists Dan Westbrook, vice president-merchandise strategy & innovation, Sabre; Bob LaCroix, senior vice president-sales & marketing, Trisept Solutions; Dave Menzel, CEO, G2 SwitchWorks; Michael Ihle, vice president-product development, Galileo; and Scott Ahlsmith, CTC, vice president-global network solutions, Virtuoso. The session is being moderated by Mark Murphy of Performance Media Group.
I'll be dividing my time between the latter seminar and "Selling Cruises: Finding a Cruise for Every Customer," which features Ken Muskat, vice president-East Coast region, Royal Caribbean; Terri Burke, vice president-business development, Norwegian Cruise Lines; Hans Rood, president, Norwegian Coastal Voyage; Jeff Drew, CTC, senior vice president of sales, Oceania Cruises; Karin Viera, eastern regional vice president of sales, Carnival Cruise Lines; J.F. (Jeff) O'Rourke, director of sales-eastern region, Viking River Cruises. The cruise session is being moderated by my colleague Theresa Norton Masek, editor in chief of Vacation Agent.
Three additional seminars are scheduled during the 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. session. "Selling Luxury Travel: The Keys to Understanding the New Luxury Market" features Susie Ellis, president, Spa Finder; Jerre Fuqua, president, First Choice Expeditions /Travcoa; Larry Pimentel, president & CEO, SeaDream Yacht Club; Kimberly Wilson Wetty, co-president, Valerie Wilson Travel; Chris Austin, vice president global customer partnerships-leisure & luxury sales, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.; Jean Marie Healy, vice president of strategic partnerships, American Express Consumer Travel. The session is being moderated by Stacy Small, president of Elite Travel International, a home-based agency in West Palm Beach, Fla. Stacy also happens to be regular columnist for our own Agent @ Home magazine.
If you can tear yourself away from the always hot topic of luxury travel, I can promise you an entertaining and highly informative panel (moderated by me) on another crucial part of the business: "Selling Tours: The Evolution of the New Tour Product-and How to Sell It." This session features Marc Kazlauskas, president, Insight Vacations; Dennis Pinto, managing director, Micato Safaris; John Severini, president, Trafalgar Tours; Navin Sawhney, senior vice president-sales & marketing, Tauck World Discovery; and Steve Gorga, president & CEO, Travel Impressions.
Finally during the same 11:30 to 12:30 time slot, if you want an update on what's going on in ever-popular Britain, you can sit in on "Selling Stories: Britain 2007-What You Need to Know Now." The session features Paul Gauger, regional director of public relations-The Americas, Visit Britain, and Paul Chibeba, public relations executive, Visit Britain. That's followed by the travel industry professionals luncheon and keynote speakers.
From 2 to 7 p.m., the trade show floor is open to the travel industry, so you can get an advance look at more than 400 trade show exhibitors. During a session from 2 to 2:50 p.m., Bob Pieri, national accounts manager, Travel Impressions, will offer "Travel Impressions-Learn and Earn with Us." Also from 2 to 2:50 p.m. Gary Fee, president of Outside Sales Support Network, will take "Questions and Answers for Home-Based Agents." Also, from 2 to 2:50 p.m. Carnival Cruise Lines will feature "Today's Carnival: New Sales Opportunities."
From 3 to 4 p.m., Patty Mattler, manager-travel agency training, Funjet Vacations/Mark Travel will offer "VAX VacationAccess Training." Nancy Murphy, vice president of sales, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority; Laura Pickover, director-food enthusiast programs, Culinary Institute of America; and moderator Doug Duda, producer and host of A&E's "The Well-Seasoned Traveler," will host "Culinary Travel-What's Hot and What's Next?" And Rick Baron, CTC, DS, director of worldwide accounts, Tauck World Discovery will speak on "Turning Groups into Gold with Tauck."
This year the consumer days of the Travel Show will feature two new pavilions. At "The Taste of the World," produced by Doug Duda of A&E Network's "The Well-Seasoned Traveler," consumers can watch cooking demonstrations, learn food and wine travel tips, gain information on cooking classes aboard cruise ships and vineyard tours and enjoy food samples from around the world. The new Spa Pavilion will showcase exhibitors from spa resorts around the globe who will offer on-site treatments and exclusive discounts and packages for visitors to the Travel Show.
Admission to the show is $15 for consumers and travel industry professionals. Consumer show hours are Saturday, Feb. 24, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To register or for more information -- including a list of exhibitors, a schedule of trade seminars and speakers, and locations for discounted restaurants and parking -- visit www.nytimes.com/travelshow. I hope to see you later this week at the New York Times Travel Show!
James Shillinglaw, CTC
Editor in Chief
jshillinglaw@pmgemail.com