Los Angeles-area travel agents were treated to a taste of the good
life, when Small Luxury Hotels of the World came to town for its
first annual Los Angeles Gala on Oct. 12 at House of Petals in West
Hollywood. The event featured representatives from a number of the
group’s luxury properties around the world, as the brand welcomed
several new additions to the collection, including Inkaterra Machu
Pichu in Peru, Correntoso Lake & River Hotel in Argentina,
Covecastles in Anguilla and Lanson Place in Hong Kong. Event guests
were also treated to free massages, manicures and pedicures and a
raffle.
CARNIVAL NAMES NEW VICE PRESIDENT
Gordon Buck, a 20-year veteran of the cruise industry, has been
appointed to the newly created position of vice president Caribbean
relations at Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines. Buck will oversee
the line’s port agents and port contracts for all Carnival ships
operating in the Caribbean, Yucatan and South and Central America.
He will also serve as a liaison with local government agencies.
“As the Carnival organization has grown, so has our need for a
dedicated liaison with the dozens of Caribbean destinations where
our ships sail. Gordon is the ideal candidate for this job,
possessing extensive experience and expertise in all aspects of
Caribbean cruise operations,” said Brendan Corrigan, Carnival’s
senior vice president, marine operations.
Buck began his career with Carnival when he joined Concord Nopal
Lines, a subsidiary of Carnival, as an equipment manager in 1978.
He later became operations supervisor at Carnival, then port
operations manager and director of port operations. He became vice
president of port operations in 2005. A resident of Miami, Buck has
a master’s degree in business administration from Lehigh
University.
AGENT CHOICE AWARDS
Winners for the Island Destinations’ Agent Choice Awards were
announced at the annual Island Destinations Travelers Collection
Launch party in New York City. Over 150 leisure travel agents
attended the invitation-only awards ceremony held at the St. Regis
New York in New York City. Similar events in Boston and Washington
D.C. have already taken place, and receptions in Chicago, Atlanta,
Dallas, Houston, Florida and Los Angeles are scheduled.
TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS WINS JURNI AWARD
At the Jurni Network Annual Conference held at the South Coast
Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Travel Impressions was named the
winning company in the Jurni Network preferred supplier awards
program for Best Sales Support to member agents.
“We are pleased to be awarded this recognition and honored that
Jurni agents selected us ...,” said Bob Pieri, manager, national
accounts consortia, for Travel Impressions. “We value and
appreciate travel agents and will continue to offer them the best
possible service.”
HYATT UNVEILS AGENT PROGRAM AT AWARDS
Hyatt Resorts held its third annual travel agent awards event Nov.
3 and 4 at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa in
Huntington Beach, Calif. Travel agent Aggie Lewis of Gaffney Travel
in Oak Lawn, Ill., received the 2006 Paradise for Life award, a
lifetime timeshare at Hyatt’s Coconut Plantation Vacation Club
Resort in Naples, Fla.
The evening culminated with an announcement unveiling Hyatt’s
new 2007 travel agent incentive programs. The Slice of Paradise
program has been amended and a new program, the Recommend Reward
program, will provide monthly recognition for two agents.
