Applications are now being accepted for TravelAge West and Travel Weekly’s annual Global Travel Marketplace (GTM) and Global Travel Marketplace West.
GTM West will be held at The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa in Las Vegas/Henderson, Nevada, from May 9 to 11. GTM takes place at The Diplomat Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Fla., from July 26 to 28.
These are boutique events that give pre-approved travel advisors the opportunity to meet new suppliers, build upon relationships with suppliers they already know and network with peers.
A limited number of top-performing advisors are invited to participate: 100 to 125 for GTM and 100 for GTM West. Advisors must have $1 million in annual sales to qualify for GTM, and $800,000 in annual sales for GTM West. Or, a participant can be an owner of a multimillion-dollar agency who actively books travel. All attendees must have the authority to make product and partner decisions.
"Each year, GTM attracts the top level of advisors, those who are pushing their businesses forward through innovative sales techniques, building complex itineraries and creating unique experiences for their clients,” said Alicia Evanko-Lewis, senior vice president of events for the Travel Group, Northstar Travel Group. "We can’t wait to accept the next group of advisors and see how the peer/peer relationships and agency/supplier relationships forged at GTM impact their businesses."”
Northstar Travel Group is the parent company of Travel Weekly and TravelAge West. Each event includes two days of one-on-one, scheduled meetings. Advisors have up to 50 one-on-one meetings, each of which lasts six minutes. Advisors also participate in a number of boardroom presentations, in which suppliers meet with roughly a dozen advisors in a collaborative and interactive environment. Selected advisors are fully hosted, receiving roundtrip air, a three-night hotel stay, meals, networking opportunities and invitations to events.
GTM West is for travel advisors from the western half of North America: Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
GTM is a national event, accepting advisors from throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Advisors can apply at www.globaltravelmarketplace.com. The next step is a one-on-one telephone interview.
Advisors see the sales results almost immediately, plus the relationships and comradery are long lasting.
“Just 10 days after the event, I had three suites booked on Seabourn, two Kensington tours quoted to Africa and Scotland, a multi-island Hawaii package booked and six cabins booked on Royal Caribbean for Christmas time,” said Patti Lehman of Travel 67. “I am part of this GTM family for life, and they are a part of me always.”
Supplier opportunities are selling out. All meal functions and boardrooms are sold out, but a limited number of appointment slots are available for each event. For supplier inquiries, please contact Emmy Morales at [email protected] or (201) 902-1951.
