Sandy & Mark DeGonda of A1 Travel, a Member of the Results!
Travel network, has returned from Newark, NJ, where they attended the organization’s biggest conference of the year.
The 2014 Results! Travel National Meeting took place September 11-13 in the New
York City area, and included travel suppliers and experts from all segments of
the industry as well as travel agency owners, managers, and frontline agents
from across the country. The 2014 Results! Travel National Meeting included
training sessions from how agents could leverage their personal brand in business
to managing corporate travel. Mark & Sandy were also privy to a special presentation
on understanding the vital Millennial market.
“Attending an important travel industry event, such as this one, is an
investment in my business and, more importantly, my clients. To have
one-on-one access to top industry executives, hands-on training related to
technology, branding and marketing, as well as the opportunity to network with peers
allows me to stay ahead of the curve and provide exceptional experiences for my
travelers from throughout the greater Minneapolis/St Paul area,” explained mark & Sandy DeGonda, Owners of A1 Travel. “Travel is evolving – so are my customers
and my business. It’s important to me that I am at the top of my game to make certain
my clients – be they leisure or corporate travelers – not only receive the most
value for every dollar spent, but also have every confidence in my expertise. I
learned a great deal at this conference that will allow me to do just that.”
During the 2014 Results! Travel
National Meeting, an extensive schedule of training workshops was carefully designed
to help Members sharpen their skills in addressing the needs of each unique
subset of travelers. Through the
workshops and speakers at this year’s meeting, Members were provided with tools,
tips and information on engaging today’s travelers from Millennial to
Baby Boomer– whether they’re most interested in traditional “sun and fun” or
experiential and luxury travel. Among the workshops offered were ones on:
leveraging your personal brand in business; building customized international
itineraries particularly for affluent travelers; managing “above the line” for
bottom line results in corporate travel; and creating a winning online profile. There were also specific travel industry
supplier workshops.
In addition, Mark & Sandy were
able to meet directly with executives from various travel suppliers. The conference featured multiple General Sessions, as well as a full
Supplier Trade Show with top industry executives from airlines, cruise lines,
hotels, tour companies and more. The event was capped off with an exclusive
dinner cruise aboard the Atlantica,
with views of the New York City skyline – including the Freedom Tower and the
Statue of Liberty.
