Email marketing. (photo via Avoya Travel)
Highly innovative host agency Avoya Travel last week successfully completed the virtual portion of its annual Land Forum event, which took place over three days, from May 23 – 25. Hundreds of Independent Agencies (IAs) of the Avoya Network, Avoya staff and land supplier representatives were in attendance.
In line with its broader ‘Avoya 2025’ guiding growth strategy, the company introduced the Land Forum a few years back as part of a commitment to building the land vacation side of its business, and providing its network of independent advisors with access to high-quality continuing education and professional development options.
About the Virtual Land Forum:
Avoya held its first Land Forum in 2019 before the start of the pandemic necessitated transitioning to a virtual format for the following year’s assembly. Now in its fifth year, the event has adopted a hybrid format, which allows for the inclusion of any Independent Agencies of the Avoya Network (IAs) who can’t necessarily attend the in-person portion, which is set to take place from June 20 – 23 at Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa in Puerto Vallarta, although plenty of IAs are attending both portions.
The annual set of events is designed to help IAs grow their knowledge of land-based travel products by providing valuable content and unique opportunities for the Avoya Network’s outstanding community of independent agencies and advisors to engage directly with its land supplier partners.
Avoya’s own executives and affiliated land suppliers are able to deliver up-to-date information on new and upcoming product offerings and company campaigns, as well as invaluable opportunities for networking with representatives from dozens of land and destination suppliers and their many subsidiary brands. These range from hotel and resort chains to vacation packagers, guided tour companies, DMOs, rail operators, travel insurance providers, and online travel marketplaces and booking engines offering advisor commissions.
The event is open to all Independent Agencies of the Avoya Network, but particularly appeals to those interested in looking to increase sales by casting a wider net and diversifying their product mix, as well as strengthening or establishing new professional relationships with peers and suppliers via the event’s robust networking opportunities.
PHOTO: Virtual conference, tradeshow, zoom call (photo courtesy filadendron/E+/Getty Images)
Event Highlights Included:
In General Sessions, presenters discussed the industry’s emerging consumer trends and educated attendees about their companies’ new-to-market and soon-to-launch products, IT enhancements, exclusive special rates and promotions, unique selling points of their offerings, matching clients to the right products (“qualifying” clients), tips for upselling, and ways to make the most of various commissionable items and add-on booking opportunities.
Kicking off the event, the first Main Stage General Session brought some exciting announcements and sneak-peek revelations from Avoya executives, including that the company has seen a record-breaking first quarter, with the entire Network up 25 percent in booked land sales compared to 2019’s pre-pandemic benchmark, with guided vacations up 40 percent, wholesaler business up 50 percent, bookings with preferred land partners up 40 percent and new-to-Avoya clientele up 30 percent.
Execs also divulged some further details about previously announced developments that currently are in the works, such as the new Travel Leaders Network partnership and integration of TLN Agent Universe into Agent Power (Avoya’s proprietary SaaS platform), the Beta launch of Avoya Flights and Avoya Hotels, new resources available within Agent Power, updates to Agent Profiler pages, resort rewards registration, enhanced marketing updates, incentives and bonus commission opportunities.
Enjoy The Holidays, We’ll Handle The Marketing (Courtesy of Avoya Travel)
Event Programming Components Included:
— General Sessions on the Main Stage, comprised of timely presentations by Avoya executives, sponsors and preferred suppliers.
— A Virtual Expo with dozens of “booths”, which IAs could access to chat with supplier reps, ask questions and exchange information.
— A Sponsor Info & Collateral area that provides easy access to suppliers’ materials.
A Networking Hub to host several scheduled “Speed Dating” sessions where attendees are randomly paired with a rotation of Preferred Suppliers, other IA attendees or Avoya staff members in seven-minute increments, allowing for one-on-one opportunities to video chat, exchange information and briefly get to know various brands better. Attendees could also schedule one-on-one appointments to meet with supplier reps on their own schedule.
— Virtual “Cocktail Parties”, designed to offer a more casual atmosphere for networking, socializing, and relationship building.
— Raffles, trivia games and various prize giveaways.
A family working with a travel advisor. (photo via South_agency / getty images)
Travel Advisors’ Reactions:
“For me, the one-on-one meetings, and being able to schedule or ‘drop in’ are the most unique and helpful part,” Julia Liess, Owner of Next Phase Travel, told TravelPulse. “If it's a vendor I already know and work with, it's my chance to address any challenges or needs I'm facing with existing business, and, if it's a vendor I was just introduced to through the main stage, I can now have my questions answered, have them expand more on their offerings and focus on the points that are most useful to me.”
“My favorite aspect of this year’s Virtual Land Forum was the Speed Dating, and I enjoyed that we had it every day! It is a great way to get one-on-one face time with the suppliers, connect with other agents in the network, and meet some faces behind the corporate names I see on emails,” said Kathleen Herman, CTA, Owner of Vacation Travel Pro.“There’s something fabulous about “meeting” a person in the industry while we are both sitting in the comfort of our own homes! I really enjoy that part of the connection.” She explained, “It is such a great way to get an introduction to some of the suppliers we will see in a few weeks at the land forum in Puerto Vallarta, I like that now I have some more contacts to ‘meet’ when I arrive there!”
Herman also added, “I will absolutely be at the in-person event in June, cannot wait to say hello face to face! This industry on the daily can seem very alone, coming together to celebrate our successes, learn, and enjoy the time is something I look forward to every year.”
Nichole Patrick, Owner of Traverse The Earth Travel, likewise pointed to the Speed Dating component as her favorite part of this year’s event. “I've found connections through this time that I would not have otherwise pursued, as I didn't fully understand what they were offering until we were randomly connected,” she said. Connections with suppliers new and old are always the best parts I take away. These connections build trust and create long-lasting professional symbiotic relationships.” Patrick will also be attending June’s in-person event and said, “I wouldn't miss it for anything. Person to person, face to face... You can't beat that in a world of Zoom and virtual conversations.”
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