Questex Travel Group has announced a roster of speakers, panel discussions and educational seminars for its inaugural Travel Industry Exchange event, to debut Sept. 15-17 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida.
The event, emphasizing niche travel and specialization, will offer over 60 sessions focused on revenue-generating niche segments, including certification programs in luxury travel, cruise ship travel and weddings and romance as well as concentrated programs in technology, trends, destinations and millennial travel.
To offer attendees dynamic educational content on topics relevant to their business development, Questex has partnered with leading industry associations. Key educational tracks and sessions will include:
• Cruise Travel Specialist, supported by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and Family Travel Association (FTA)
– Specialty Cruises: A Review of Specialty Segments of the Cruise Industry
– Establishing Yourself as a Cruise Specialist
– River Cruise: How to Cross-Sell Your Cruise Clientele!
– Family & Multigenerational Cruises
– New Builds & Revitalizations: Emerging and Innovative Cruise Ship Features
– Eat, Drink & Cruise
– Personalizing Cruise: Top Agents Discuss Cruise Options Based on Demographics
– Cruise 5 in 5
– River Cruise 5 in 5
– Where to Find it: Must-Have Resources and Apps
– Town Hall Interactive – Cruise Pop-Up Panel
• Wedding & Romance Travel Specialist, supported by the Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa (APTA), Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association (DWHSA) and International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA)
• Millennial Travelers and Advisors, supported by Millennials In Travel (MIT)
• Trends and Impact of Tech, Online and Social Media, supported by the Professional Travel Bloggers Association (PTBA)
• Luxury 2.0: Going Beyond the Basics
• Multigenerational & Family Travel, supported by the Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa (APTA) and Family Travel Association (FTA)
• Lifestyle Travel & Trends: Including Adventure, Eco-Tourism, Culture, Culinary, Spa & Wellness
• Property and Destination Updates, supported by the Africa Travel Association (ATA)
• Your Business, Your Brand: Building Both Together
The full schedule can be viewed at http://www.travelindustryexchange.com/schedule
“Travel Industry Exchange will bring together the industry’s most knowledgeable and experienced executives in niche travel,” said Marilyn McHugh, Questex Travel Group vice president of global events. “Current research indicates that the need for travel professionals to specialize within the industry is directly linked to an increase in new business and revenue growth. Travel Industry Exchange will fill a space within the marketplace by providing specialty training courses developed and designed to address the hottest travel avenues for niche and specialization.”
Meredith Hill, founder and chief executive officer of Global Institute for Travel Entrepreneurs (GIFTE), will deliver the event’s keynote address, “The Path to Limitless Opportunities Begins with Specialization.” Hill’s empowering message will draw upon her extensive travel career, entrepreneurial journey and success turning her failing business around to achieve record sales through specialization.
Travel Industry Exchange will bring travel professionals and lifestyle specialists together with international suppliers, including destinations, hoteliers, cruise lines, tour operators, transportation providers, technology companies, spas and resorts. The event will include over eight hours of one-to-one meetings, comprehensive education including agent specialty training and networking events and receptions.
The one-to-one appointments and networking events are designed to help attendees build on their specializations and grow their businesses. For more information or to register, travel professionals may visit www.travelindustryexchange.com.
