Travel Agent - March 3, 2008 - (Page 70)

BUSINESS OPER ATIONS AGENCY PROFILE The Travel Society Host agency with more than 100 members charts a course for expansion BY LOIS FRIEDLAND THE TRAVEL SOCIETY IS THRIVING. Since purchasing the Colorado-based host agency in May 2005, co-owner Randall Yaroch says its annual revenue has jumped from about $70 million to $96 million. The membership, composed of affiliates (agents working from home or their own commercial location) and vendors at The Travel Society’s annual meeting in Denver in January to explain that she loves it. “It enables me to be home with my family when they need me. My clients don’t know that I’m there. As far as they are concerned, it’s still a very professional office.” Other consultants prefer the associate option an agent much longer. “I’m an independent agent,” she says, “but I have the buying power of a huge agency because there are so many of us.” Welch adds that even though everyone is competitive, it’s “lovely to pick other people’s brains, and we share a lot of information.” Supplier Relationships From left: Michelle Burnham, independent contractor; Lori Mathis, Boulder office manager; Ken Luzietti, co-owner; Jan Nance, independent contractor, at the annual meeting associates (those who work in The Travel Society’s three Colorado offices), has climbed from 97 to 113, spread among 14 states, the U.K. and the Caribbean. Approximately 60 percent of members are affiliates who work from home, in an office building or at a retail site. “Typically, at-home agents are people who have been in the industry and have a book of clients who have a great loyalty to them,” says Yaroch. He adds that about 20 percent of the affiliates are women with children, and many others are agents 55 or older whose clients have stayed with them. The opportunity to work at home appeals to a growing number of travel consultants. Tamara Gorenc, an affiliate, paused between visiting 70 | TravelAgent March 3, 2008 because it’s more social. For example, associate Dana Welch, who specializes in adventure travel and was on Travel + Leisure’s 2006 A-List as a “Super Agent,” works out of the office in the Cherry Creek neighborhood of Denver. She’s been a Travel Society member for 10 years, but Suppliers are learning to love Travel Society consultants because they tend to be successful in niche markets. Some 75 vendors showed up for the Travel Mart trade show at the annual meeting. Howie Perlin, national sales and marketing manager for Ya’lla Tours USA, says that he and many of his colleagues realize that Travel Society members are the people who are concentrating on markets that they resonate with. “The home-based independent contractors are now the journeymen and journeywomen of the business,” he says, “and some of the most soughtafter [agents] because they are some of the most professional, most interested and most entrepreneurial. Twenty years ago, ‘outside agent’ was a pejorative term; they were kitchen agents. They’ve come full circle and now they are some of the most adept and technologically knowledgeable.” Paulette Kaufman, Ritz-Carlton’s West Coast regional director, travel industry sales, who met with agents at the Travel Mart, says, “The Travel Society put together a necessary resource for reaching the home-based community, which is clearly the wave of now and the future.” Sales Support The Travel Society Headquarters: 600 S. Cherry St., Suite 100 Denver, CO 80246 Phone: 800-926-6031, 303-321-0900 Website: www.travelsociety.travel The Travel Society’s strong relationship with Virtuoso was evident during the meeting, where the consortium did a presentation on “How to Be a Star Using Virtuoso Onsites.” Virtuoso feeds The Travel Society’s members a lot of business, according to Yaroch. After Yaroch and his partner, Kenneth Luzietti, purchased The Travel Society, they CONTINUED ON PAGE 72 http://www.travelsociety.travel

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - March 3, 2008

Travel Agent - March 3, 2008 Online Now Contents Contributors From the Editor From the Publisher Special Supplement: Planet Hollywood Florida: We Checkout Four Hotels in Key West, the Southernmost Point in the Continental U.S. Europe: Ruthanne Terrero’s Tuscan Adventure Pacific/Asia: Five-Star Hotels in Bangkok Las Vegas: Where Your Clients Go for Golf Outings Central & South America: Starwood Leads Expansion by Hoteliers in Latin America Pacific Northwest: The Fairmont Empress Celebrates its 100th Birthday this Year Alaska: Take a Tour of Anchorage Alaska Briefs Caribbean & Bahamas: La Romana in the Dominican Republic Offers Fun and Pampering Cruises: The Key to Success for River Cruise Lines Full Panama Canal Transits Cruise Briefs Cover Story: Hot Hotels Special Supplement: Spa Specialist Hotels: Venice Beach Eco-Cottages Hotel Briefs Auto Europe: Company Offers Competitive Prices and High Commissions Agency Profile: The Travel Society Charts a Course for Expansion Revelex Revolution: Deal with Am Ex affirms status as Major Provider in Travel Industry Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Volunteer Leadership Future of Hawaii’s Cruise Industry Panda Travel, USA Caribbean News In the Spotlight Classified Marketplace Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - March 3, 2008

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