Travel Industry Exchange — Source: Questex

NEW YORK (June 29, 2015) ─ Questex Travel Group today announced a robust 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:

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)

  • Caribbean Weddings & Honeymoons
  • Networking with a Purpose: Growing Your Romance Travel Business
  • Top Destinations & Trends in the Weddings & Honeymoons Market
  • Planning & Selling Honeymoons in Africa
  • LGBT Destinations & Travel Trends
  • Best Marketing Practices to Acquire The Bride's Attention
  • Selling Packaged Versus Custom Weddings & Honeymoons
  • Top Tips for Selling Destination Weddings
  • Legal Requirements For Foreign Destinations
  • Town Hall Interactive - Wedding & Romance Pop-Up Panel

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

Millennial Travelers and Advisors, supported by Millennials In Travel (MIT)

  • Millennial Roundtable: Trends & Insights
  • How to Engage Millennials: Attracting & Retaining Millennial Talent
  • Brainstorming Ideas: Habits of Millennial Travelers
  • Getting A Leg Up on the Competition by Working with Miles

Trends and Impact of Tech, Online and Social Media, supported by the Professional Travel Bloggers Association (PTBA)

  • Using Video to Promote Your Brand
  • How To Find & Work with Travel Bloggers
  • Speed Dating with Travel Bloggers
  • How To Implement a Social Media Marketing Plan with Limited Resources
  • Using E-Marketing Solutions to Grow Your Business
  • Improving Your Social Media Marketing Efforts – Five Easy Ideas to Start Now
  • Town Hall Interactive - Trends & Impact of Tech Pop-Up Panel

Luxury 2.0: Going Beyond the Basics

  • Sculpting the Perfect FIT: Crafting the Ideal Itinerary for Your Discerning Client
  • The New Exotic: How to Sell the Emerging Destinations that Your Clients Are Reading About
  • The New Luxury: Group Travel - Learn How to Make Money Selling Destination Weddings, Family Reunions and Celebration Travel
  • Discovering “Thainess” Within the Royal Kingdom of Thailand
  • Luxury Travel Sales through Partnerships
  • Defining Your Luxury Niche & Marketing it to Success

Multigenerational & Family Travel, supported by the Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa (APTA) and Family Travel Association (FTA)

  • How to Become a Family Travel Specialist
  • Tips on Planning & Selling Family Travel
  • Multi-Generational Guided Experiences & Tours
  • Planning & Selling Family Safaris
  • Family Travel Planning with Unique Needs

Lifestyle Travel & Trends: Including Adventure, Eco-Tourism, Culture, Culinary, Spa & Wellness

  • Tips on Selling Active Lifestyle Travel
  • Sports & Special Event Travel: A Profitable Niche
  • Insight into Wellness Travel- Part 1
  • Insight into Wellness Travel- Part 2
  • How to Fill Your Groups & Sell Out Retreats with Ease
  • Sustainability & Eco-Tourism
  • Wellness & Spa
  • Culinary
  • Walking, Biking, & Hiking
  • Reaching & Capturing The Faith-Based & Cultural Travel Market

Property and Destination Updates, supported by the Africa Travel Association (ATA)

  • Africa Travel Specialist
  • Tourism Australia
  • Cuba
  • Maldives…the Sunny Side of Life
  • Puerto Rico
  • Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau
  • Transportation Trends: Leaders Share What's New for 2016
  • The Starwood Advantage: Your Work More Rewarded

Your Business, Your Brand: Building Both Together

  • How To Create Powerful Partners
  • How To Charge a Service Fee with Ease & Confidence: Put Thousands of Dollars in Your Pocket Each Year

The full schedule can be viewed at 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, travel industry trailblazer and 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 travelindustryexchange.com.