Travel Agent - September 3, 2007 - (Page LV24)

Las Vegas Luxury Travel Expo Conference An update on the can’t-miss learning opportunities planned for agents BY ALICIA EVANKO aevanko@questex.com Exciting new additions are being added to the Luxury Travel Expo Conference program every week. Not only will there be two days packed with conference offerings, but the “pre-accreditation day” is shaping up to be a can’t-miss learning opportunity as well. This year CLIA offers two sessions covering topics guaranteed to improve your cruise sales and help you increase your profits. For the first time at Luxury Travel Expo, CLIA will be presenting their all new and updated Groups Sales Seminar. Presented by esteemed CLIA Training Manager Bernie Blomquist, CLIA’s “Group Sales Made Easy” demonstrates how to develop group business as a profit center. This is an all-new and updated version of this popular course, so if you’ve never taken it before or haven’t taken it in a while, this might be the one to choose. Mandalay Bay, site of the 2007 Luxury Travel Expo and Conference Niche Markets The second CLIA offering, “Selling to Special Interests: Niche Markets,” will be presented by the inimitable CLIA training expert, Tom Cogan, and includes all types of valuable information to help you hone in on the niche markets that make sense for you and your business. Also as part of the pre-accreditation day, popular speaker and consultant Bruce Tepper takes to the stage to present his twohour classic, “Luxury Travel 101: Secrets to Selling and Marketing Luxury Travel,” a course for both “newbies” and veterans who could use a “refresher course.” Whether you’re new to luxury travel or not, you will surely garner some useful new tips and ideas to motivate you to hit the ground running when you get back to the office. The traditional luxury cruise market is always a solid winner for travel agents, but the growing popularity of the niche cruise continues to gain recognition. Attend the Niche 24 TravelAgent September 3, 2007 Cruise Marketing Alliance’s panel review of six of the most popular river cruise offerings and walk away with a treasure trove of recommendations to present to your clients who are interested in something new and different. For the destination enthusiast, Hawaii returns again with their popular and informative 90-minute session covering all the major islands. General Session Both mornings of the conference begin with the general session. General session highlights include the informative and entertaining Dr. Lalia Rach, Division Dean and HVS Chair, NYU Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management, as she reviews the state of travel in 2007. This session will be a whirlwind tour of the trends and issues of the past year and of forecasts and expectations for the new year. Another highlight of the general session is the annual awarding of the Leaders in Luxury Awards to industry icons in four categories. The 2007 honorees include: Deb Natansohn (in memoriam) for Cruise; Ian Schrager, chairman and CEO, Ian Schrager Company for Hotel; Rohan Vos, founder, owner & president, Rovos Rail for Tour; and Sibyl W. Wild, president, Sibyl Wild Inc. Travel Service, An Altour Affiliate, for Travel Professional. This year’s conference program, which will take place Wednesday and Thursday immediately following the general sessions, features more in-depth sales and marketing workshops than in previous years. Also featured will be sessions addressing luxury hotel, tour, cruise, and market trends with an eye toward how each is addressing the future of the green initiative and sustainability. The Travel Institute Conference Another new feature of this year’s educational program is “The Travel Institute Conference,” which will take place in conjunction with Luxury Travel Expo on Tuesday, December 4th from 12:30 to 5 p.m.This half-day workshop will consist of unique hands-on travel industry training. This is an exclusive offer for only Luxury Travel Expo and requires a separate registration. For the complete conference program and more information on Luxury Travel Expo, visit www.luxurytravelexpo.com. http://www.luxurytravelexpo.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - September 3, 2007

Contents News You Can Use Agenda: Fam Trips, Calendar of Events, Deal of the Week Cover Story: Hotel Brand Expansion Africa: Egypt’s Newest Destination Hawaii: Hawaii Update Pacific/Asia: Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square Europe: Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Caribbean & Bahamas: Marriott Expands Its Caribbean Portfolio El San Juan Hotel & Casino Upgrades San Juan’s New Doubletree by Hilton Mexico: Hotels Offer Post-Hurricane Deals Ski: The Inn at Lost Creek Agent Profile Meet Mame King Advertisers’ Information Classified Marketplace Luxury Travel Expo Update People & Places Special Supplement: Las Vegas Sales Guide

Travel Agent - September 3, 2007

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