If you haven’t heard of San Diego-based host agency Cadence, that’s by design. Wendy Burk, founder and CEO of the agency, has deliberately kept a low profile.
Nonetheless, Cadence is celebrating 30 years in business, and I attended the final day of its tenth annual Cadence Connects conference to get a better sense of what the organization is all about. Here are a few key takeaways.
1. Cadence's Mission Is Built on Connection
“In 1995, I opened [Cadence] because I wanted to create an environment for independent affiliates [and] entrepreneurs to have a place to connect in a safe environment — like dolphins, not sharks,” Burk said at the event.
I wanted to create an environment for independent affiliates [and] entrepreneurs to have a place to connect in a safe environment — like dolphins, not sharks.
According to Burk, the travel industry of the ‘90s was cutthroat and hypercompetitive. Contrastingly, Burk credits Cadence’s longevity to passion, perseverance, genuine connection and constant evolution.
“A defining moment was when I saw everyone around us copying exactly what we were doing,” Burk said.
Attendees celebrated 30 years of Cadence at the annual event.
Credit: 2025 Sue MorleyCadence’s model includes turning corporate accounts into personal clients.
“I called business travel the gateway drug,” Burk said. “We are going to make sure that we create customers that refuse to go elsewhere.”
Cadence has 194 agents in its ranks, and each one books more than $1 million in travel annually, on average.
2. The Cadence Connects May Be Small, But It's Also Strategic
Hosted at the architecturally timeless Hotel del Coronado, Cadence Connects welcomed 347 people, including 132 advisors and 136 partners, which ensured a near one-to-one ratio.
“When people are here, there's a lot of what you might call ‘true professional development,’” said Eitan Geft, chief of staff at Cadence. “It's one on one. So, it's that kind of intimacy.”
Among the partners present during the conference were Four Seasons (showcasing its upcoming yacht), Orient Express (highlighting its future ships) and Explora Journeys. Mass market brands such as Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and Royal Caribbean were also represented, reflecting the diversity of Cadence’s portfolio.
In fact, hoteliers made up 51% of partner attendees, followed by cruise lines at 18%. But Burk estimates cruises account for about half of Cadence’s current business.
What was once an educational event (originally called Cadence Council), Cadence Connects has since evolved into a full-scale conference that includes seminars, networking meals, one-on-one appointments, roundtable discussions, parties and a keynote address. This year, the address was delivered by Lee Kitchen, lead innovation catalyst at Magical Dude Consulting.
3. Cadence Connects Attendees That Sales Are Up for 2025
David Kolner, executive vice president of Virtuoso (of which Cadence is a member), shared several interesting industry trends, as well as the results of a “Pulse Survey” he took of attending advisors and partners.
Kolner noted that experiences continue to lead the luxury market, ahead of both physical goods and other luxury products, according to Bain-Altagamma's Fall 2024 Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study. Virtuoso data also shows that 13.3 million U.S. travelers are interested in working with an advisor in 2025, driven by demand for first-hand experience, specializations and bespoke trips.
Pop culture has had an impact too: since “The White Lotus” premiered in 2021, interest in related destinations has spiked — 320% for Maui (the first season’s setting) and 424% for Sicily, where the second season was filmed. Season three was shot in Thailand, which is now seeing a similar spike in demand.
For Cadence, the outlook for 2025 sales is mostly positive. Only 14% of advisors reported a dip in sales from last year. In contrast, 20% are seeing a 1-10% increase; 19% saw 11-20% growth; 10% saw 21-50% growth; and 15% saw gains of 50% or more. The top concern impacting luxury travel in 2025, according to 80% of advisors and 89% of partners is U.S., is stock market volatility.
4. Candence Is a Multi-Generational Family Business
Geft, who is Burk’s son-in-law, is not the only family member involved in the business.
A decade ago, Burk asked her team to embrace a “bring-a-kid-to-work” mentality — an idea born from watching their top producers approaching retirement. Because of this foresight, Cadence now has a thriving network of parent-child advisor teams that resonate with multigenerational clients.
“The language that you're speaking is often better coming from that next generation than from the parent,” Burk said. “I believe our suppliers want that. Legacy advisors aren't necessarily taking pictures of everything. It's where technology meets experience.”
We have not seen a slowdown in our leisure division. The people we’re working with are calling their financial planner and buying on the margins. I think [it’s key to] not to listen to the noise and to just home in.
5. Candence Advisors Feel Optimistic About the Future
Cadence advisors and leaders see good things in their future.
“We have not seen a slowdown in our leisure division,” Burk said. “The people we’re working with are calling their financial planner and buying on the margins. I think [it’s key to] not to listen to the noise and to just home in.”
Burk acknowledges that there may be some regional slowdowns due to recent geopolitical issues, but overall, she remains optimistic. Geft, meanwhile, sees promise in technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI) as a future tool.
“AI can make us better,” Geft said. “It's not a threat to anyone who can use it well. I think a lot of great things will emerge, allowing people to spend their time more effectively.”
Cadence Connects 2026 has already been scheduled for April 21-24, 2026, at the Four Seasons Westlake Village.
