I recently attended Signature Travel Network’s annual conference at
the Los Angeles Convention Center. (See our home page at
TravelAgeWest.com for full details.) This was the first year the
conference was held at the convention center instead of at the
Century Plaza Hotel, and it’s a credit to the organization’s
success that it has outgrown its former digs. In fact, with 1,125
agents and 500 suppliers, the conference and trade show was the
biggest in the organization’s history.
Michelle Morgan, the group’s president, sees even further growth
ahead.
“Today our network includes 178 members, 300-plus locations in
25 states and 1,000 consumer Web sites, collectively generating
over $2.2 billion in annual travel sales,” said Morgan. “Our goal
is to continue to attract quality agencies to our network, while
remaining true to our business principles and member
requirements.”
One of the things that I like about Signature is that no matter
how big the organization gets, there is a down-home quality to
their conferences. It’s not anything easily described, it’s just a
vibe. For instance, Morgan was clearly moved when she honored Ellie
Knight, one of the organization’s longtime staffers, who is leaving
the group this year. With Signature, there are often these moments
where the organization’s leaders let their guard down and are not
afraid to show the human side behind their professional
exteriors.
This attitude seems to run throughout the organization. The
theme of this year’s conference was “connected,” and while many of
the speakers addressed variations of this theme from connecting
with upscale clients to connecting to the Internet to connecting
across generations there was hardly any mention of the obviously
strong connection Signature members feel toward the consortia
itself.
Nobody would ever accuse Signature Travel Network of not having
a solid business approach, yet there is another lesson to be
learned from its success. This is a sales-driven industry where
personality matters, and while every agent has to be professional
first and foremost, letting your guard down and connecting with
clients can often help you just as much or more in the long run.
K.S.
