On December 7-9, 2010 I had the privilege of attending The Luxury Travel Expo, the premier travel tradeshow in North America. Accompanying the expo was The Inaugural Young Leaders Conference, a special conference open to industry leaders under 40. The LTE provides educational opportunities and access to suppliers to help build the luxury travel market. The YLC is targeted at the growth of the future leaders of the travel industry through educational opportunities and networking with peers.
The first positive outcome of my attendance at the LTE & YLC was the opportunity to form new supplier relationships. We cannot succeed in this industry without products to pass on to our clients and the LTE provided an amazing venue to meet new suppliers and gain insights on their products. As a result of attending the show, there are several new suppliers that my company is currently doing business with, and we have been able to widen our product base. Relationship building is definitely one of the most positive outcomes of attending.
Being able to Network with industry peers was definitely a positive outcome of attending these events. At both the LTE and the YLC I was able to start and build on relationships with my peers in the industry. As a result I have many more people that I can reach out to when I am in need of advice or assistance. Having these new relationships has also helped me in getting myself out there more, and building recognition of both myself and my business. I have definitely taken a greater interest in trying to be an ambassador for our industry, as well as taken further steps to add to my own credibility and education as a result of attending these events.
The main outcome that I was able to take away from the LTE &YLC was a greater understanding of the luxury market. Through the various classes and events I was able to participate in, I came away with invaluable new insights and knowledge of the luxury client and the luxury travel market. Throughout the 3 days of the event, I participated in 10 seminars covering a wide range of luxury travel, marketing, and sales topics from some of the industry’s elite. Topics ranged from “Tackling the Generational Gap in Luxury Sales” to “Social Savvy U” which focused on utilizing social media for the luxury travel market. My expectations were definitely exceeded.
All in all, The Luxury Travel Expo & Young Leaders Conference was a great event to attend. The opportunities to meet new suppliers, network with industry peers, and better understand the luxury travel market were invaluable. They are events that I would recommend to anyone interested.
This year, The Luxury Travel Expo & Young Leaders Conference will take place from December 5-8, 2011. It looks to be even better from last year. If you are a Young Travel Proffessional I would definitely recommend it.
Brandon Johnson, CTA
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