Debut Family Travel Advisor Forum Closes With Rave Reviews | Travel Research Online

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Debut Family Travel Advisor Forum Closes With Rave Reviews

The debut Family Travel Advisor Forum has officially wrapped, and by all accounts, was a tremendous success. The Forums was produced by Specialty Travel Forums, a division of Travel Show Marketing Group, an independent event organizer. This exclusive event took place at the Royalton Riviera Cancun in Mexico from Tuesday, November 1 through Saturday, November 5, with optional post-event familiarization itineraries.

“The results are in, and clearly, it’s all about family! The first ever Family Travel Advisor Forum has far exceeded our expectations, and based on the very positive feedback we’ve received from suppliers and sellers alike, a success across the board! It is an absolute privilege to produce an event that brings suppliers together with such a passionate and successful audience; really, some of the best in the business, and who contribute to their professional growth and longevity in the marketplace,” said Jennifer Fernandez, Vice President Events & Content, Specialty Travel Forums.

image4Nearly 80 family-focused travel sellers from all parts of North America hosted and were hand-selected for participation. Travel sellers represented an average of $800,000 – $1 Million in annual bookings, with business spanning the globe. Participating sellers took part in a broad-range of networking and familiarization opportunities; peer-to-peer education discussions; and a Showcase floor with mutual-interest one-on-one supplier meetings. Collectively, over 3,000 one-on-one business meetings took place during the Showcase time, along with informal meetings during an open window during the Showcase.

Supplier participants for this program featured forty companies with family-friendly vacation products, destinations, and critical resources for the family-focused travel seller. A full list of exhibiting companies can be found online at http://family.travelsmg.com/exhibitor-registry/

Event Sponsors included: Royalton Resorts; Royalton Riviera Cancun; Nexus Tours; The Family Travel Association; Beaches Resorts; Palace Resorts; Xoximilco; Xenses; Experience Xcaret. Supporters and marketing partners included: Travel Research Online; Cancun Hotel Association; EGroup Communications; American Solutions for Business. The events official photographer was Photoventura.

Initial immediate feedback from suppliers and agents alike offered a glimpse at the success of the debut program:

This event is one of the best I have participated in within my 20+ years. The agents are serious to partner with the suppliers they want to work with in addition to their willingness to meet during free time shows the level of commitment. Not every agent is a perfect match to every supplier, although the meeting selection process has impressed me to continue our participation. Another well done event that has proven increase of business and preferred status for BellaVista Tours. Thank you all!!” – Darya Camacchi, BellaVista Tours

The event was the perfect combination of work and leisure. The agents we met were very interested on the product and we are willing to work with all of them” – Stephanie Sheehy, Il Viaggio Travel Costa Rica

image3The team has outdid themselves – Wonderful Forum” – Teri Boyd, The Mark Travel Corporation

It was a great week and most of all a success. I was able to refresh agents of our product in Jamaica and also convince those who did not know of our brand or heard of it and had no idea what we were about and that was an accomplishment.” – Daine C. Golube, Jewel Resorts/Hilton Rose Hall.

Thank you so much for everything. This event was by far the very best event I have attended. It was organized, the communication was perfect (not too much, not too little), the attendees were knowledgeable, successful agents, the vendors were awesome. I really can’t rave enough about the event from beginning to end. Thank you!” – Andrea Wallace, Escape With Us Vacations

The Family Travel Advisor Forum is a must for anyone who sells to families or multigenerational group. Very well organized, amazing vendors, and great peer-to-peer sessions. Absolutely the best overall experience to grow your business.” – Jodi Leidholm, Time Away Trips

In the 13 years I have been in the travel business, this was the BEST conference I have ever attended. It was perfectly organized and fun at the same time. What I loved about this conference was the focus and dedication to learning from both from the agents & the suppliers. Also, it was brilliant to allow the suppliers to attend the social events to further solidify the bond. Congrats to the TSMG Team on this highly successful inaugural conference!” – Lauren Leibert, Ticket 2 Travel

image1The FTAF team did a great job or organizing this conference. I appreciated the opportunity to meet new suppliers, learn and network in this perfect size group of my peers.” – Neal Miller, Neal Miller Travel Company

Evening Events, which welcomed travel agent and supplier participants, played a strong part in the event, including a Welcome Mixer followed by a dine-around at the Royalton Riviera Cancun; a Day of the Dead Celebration (as the event overlapped this important Mexican cultural holiday); a fun-filled fiesta at Xoximilco; and a closing Carnival themed evening at the Moon Palace Cancun. Travel agents also had the chance to conduct site inspections at Generations by Karisma; Iberostar Paraiso Maya; and Azul Fives; along with a choice of a catamaran afternoon (compliments of Nexus Tours) or a visit to the Xenses park, the newest member of the Experience Xcaret family. Other event highlights included networking lunches; a presentation on the ever-evolving multi-generation market, presented by the Family Travel Association; a villa-focused Certified Family session presented by Private Trade Winds, who is also the author of The Travel Institute’s Villa Course; and a breakfast presentation on the growing Blue Diamond Resorts portfolio. Additionally, delegates had the chance to take part in a post-familiarization itinerary including stays and activities at the luxury Grand Velas Riviera Maya; the adventurous Sandos Caracol Eco Resort; and Fiesta American Condesa Cancun, a family friendly EP property.

Travel Show Marketing Group caters to the travel agent community and produces a number of annual events. It’s large scale tradeshows include the Travel Agent Forum, with its Spring edition taking place at the Paris Hotel Las Vegas from March 26 – 29, 2017; and its Fall edition at the Hyatt Regency Miami from October 1 – 4, 2017. In addition to the Family Travel Advisor Forum, the Specialty Travel Forums division hosts the highly-acclaimed Romance Travel Forum, a hosted program for top-producing romance travel sellers which will take place at the Paradisus Palma Real in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic from June 19 – 23. Just announced is the addition of ELEVATE, a top-level program that will be held at Unico Riviera Maya, Mexico from September 14 – 18, 2017. This event is an invitation-only program geared toward owner/managers and executive level suppliers.


For additional details on the Travel Show Marketing Group or to learn about these individual events, visit www.TravelSMG.com.

Travel agents may contact Lisa Marshall via email at Lisa@TravelSMG.com.

Suppliers interested in the Travel Agent Forums can contact Jim Cloonan at Jim@TravelSMG.com. Suppliers interested in the Specialty Travel Forums niche events should contact Jennifer Fernandez at Jennifer@TravelSMG.com.

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