Referrals Have Become the Driving Force Behind GTM West

Referrals became the main channel through which travel advisors gained admittance to the invite-only Global Travel Marketplace West (GTM West) this year, a three-day conference for high-producing agents looking to expand their book of business with top suppliers. (The event is produced by Northstar Travel Group, the parent company of TravelAge West).

The event, which took place from July 11-13 at Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa in Henderson, Nev., included three packed days of one-on-one appointments with supplier partners, small-group boardroom presentations, general sessions and networking receptions.

Now in its 10th year, the event drew in a record number of applications before accepting its 125 “GTM Elite” travel advisors, almost all of whom were referred by past attendees, or “GTM Ambassadors.”

An Evolving Marketing Strategy

In the past, Jacqueline Hurst, director of trade recruitment and engagement for Northstar Travel Group events, said she waited until applications opened to ask ambassadors to send invites to the industry colleagues they think might be a good fit for the conference.

But for 2023, she tried a different approach.

“This year, we asked returning ambassadors to invite their referrals early, before we opened up general applications,” she said. “We received more referral applications than there were open event spots, even before the general applications opened.”

We received more referral applications than there were open event spots, even before the general applications opened.

Abbey Meyer, owner of Sky High Travel and a second-time event attendee, jumped on the opportunity, referring Samantha Shawhan of Destination Fun Travel, an advisor in her local community.

“My mission is to help this industry maintain its professionalism,” Meyer said. “Sam and I are very similar advisors, and it’s all about sharing [these events] and scratching each other’s backs. There is enough business to go around, and then some.”

Shawhan was impressed with the way she and her fellow attendees were vetted.

“I recently went to another conference where the agents weren’t vetted,” she said. “But I think the suppliers we meet with here take us a little more seriously.”

Although Shawhan and Meyer are relatively new to the industry, seasoned travel advisors are also finding their way to the event through industry connections, which in turn have led to new ones.

Rick Deramus, owner of Deramus Travel Inc., was referred to the event by one of his own advisors, who attended last year after learning about GTM when getting his Certified Travel Counselor certification with The Travel Institute.

“I’ve been in business for 25 years, and one thing I love about this industry is the passion,” he said. “When you get advisors together and share ideas, this networking makes our industry the way it is. I know I’ll have at least a dozen new relationships coming out of this event."

The high caliber of agents is one reason why suppliers choose to attend GTM West and its sister event, GTM Flagship, which takes place in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and requires a minimum annual sales volume of $1 million). 

“These advisors are ready to do business,” said Debbie Horrilleno, business development manager for Southern California and Arizona for the Globus Family of Brands and Avalon Waterways. “Whether they have previously sold your (product) or not, they are open to learning more about what you do.  There’s an intention in the conversations we are having. I am seeing why everyone is saying this is their favorite event.”

I am seeing why everyone is saying this is their favorite event.

Horrilleno also believes the intimate and exclusive nature of the event has helped her forge strong relationships with the advisors she’s meeting.

“I know what’s it’s like to be in their shoes,” said Horrilleno, who was previously a travel advisor for Coastline Travel in Orange County, Calif. “I know what their clients are asking for, and the positions their clients are putting them in. GTM, so far, has given us that space to have those conversations. Now, it’s more than just my name on a business card.”

Now, it’s more than just my name on a business card.

How Does a Travel Advisor Get Accepted to This Event?

For travel advisors looking for their ticket into the event, Hurst has one piece of advice: Talk to someone who has been there before.

“Even after 10 years of recruiting for this event, I am still receiving a record number of applications from qualified applicants,” she said. “One might think that we’ve reached all the multimillion-dollar producers by now, but we haven’t. You know you have a successful event when almost 100% of your applicants are referred by past attendees.” 

This recruitment strategy is a far cry from where GTM West started back in 2014, when organizers depended heavily on advertising and media outlets for event awareness.

“We were a new event, and we were a new concept,” Hurst said. “To me, the biggest evolution over the years is that we no longer rely on advertising; our leads come in predominately from word of mouth. And that speaks volumes to the success of the event and the business opportunities it provides to our advisors and our participating suppliers.”

“I’ve always said that this event will have achieved the pinnacle of its success when it is 100% referrals,” added Alicia Evanko-Lewis, executive vice president of events for Northstar Travel Group. “However, one of our goals of this event is to continue to diversify attendance across all levels and expand our reach. We still get applications that come through our advertisements, and we make sure we look at those closely.”

As for 2024’s event — which will take place from June 1-4 at The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa — Hurst plans to continue the momentum she found in 2023.

“When recruitment begins next year, I am going to follow the same process, asking our ambassadors to invite their qualifying industry colleagues first,” she said. “The ambassadors have seen this process work, and they want their colleagues to experience the same successes they have.”

However, she still encourages qualifying travel advisors to apply for the event, even if they don’t know a colleague who has attended in the past.

“All qualified applicants will be considered for the limited number of spots,” she said. “Ultimately, we are looking for advisors who will benefit from the GTM formula, and those advisors who suppliers are asking to meet with.”