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2024 AAA Independent Travel Agency Conference 101!
It is time to finalize your plans for our upcoming Independent Travel Agency Conference. If your plans have changed and you can no longer attend, please email me at rcalloway@acg.aaa.com
This year you have a choice of hotels for the conference. There is a conference rate for either hotel, so please use the special booking link provided. Limited rooms are held, so please book by February 29, 2024. Connie and I are booked at the Courtyard.
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Holiday Inn Express, 9402 Corporate Lake Drive, Tampa FL. 1.3 miles from conference venue. $129 per night plus tax. Book Here
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Courtyard Tampa NW/Veterans, 12730 Citrus Park Lane, Tampa FL 4.2 miles from conference venue. $124 per night plus tax. Book Here
Transportation to and from the AAA Headquarters is not provided. Rental car or Uber/Lyft are recommended.
I will be sending you the registration and credit card charge forms via Adobe e-Sign. Please look for my email and register by February 29, 2024. In the email will also be topics of discussion for the Workshops. With your help and recommendations, we will design the workshops around what is important to you. Below are a sample of the topics I will ask you to choose from.
Topics:
- US Travel Agency Regulatory Compliance
- Group Travel - Sourcing, servicing and maintaining a group
- Professional Fees – Strategies and Solutions
- The Law and Agency Relationships
- Marketing You – Promoting Your Value
- Digital Marketing
- Guide to Planning and Project Management
- Travel Advisor Ethics
- Real World Sales Tactics
- Top Notch Customer Service
- Guide to Personal Branding
- Business Planning
- Other (something we haven't thought of)
I am still working on the tradeshow participation. I am trying to limit the number of travel partners but so many want to participate. Instead of having all on site at once, I am spreading them out over 3-days (Monday-Wednesday). The tradeshows will be held in the afternoon of each day followed by dinner sponsored by a travel partner. The tradeshows will be a round-robin format, you will have 25 minutes with each travel partner.
List of Travel Partners (so far):
- Alexander+Roberts
- Bedsonline
- Celebrity Cruises
- Club Adventures
- Europe Express
- Holland America Line
- Member Choice Vacations
- Oceania
- Pleasant Holidays
- Princess Cruises
- Regent Seven Seas
- Royal Caribbean
- Silversea
- Tauck
- TTC
The fun day on Thursday will be sponsored by Carnival Cruise Lines and Visit Tampa Bay. We will take a motorcoach from the AAA building to the Port of Tampa and tour the refurbished Carnival Paradise and have lunch. From there we will motorcoach to Zoo Tampa for a VIP experience and dinner. For those of you who prefer to drive to the venues, you are welcome to.
Visit Tampa Bay encourages you to take their Visit Tampa Bay Specialist Program. If you choose to enroll and graduate, your name may be drawn to win a prize!. Here is the link to their specialist program Tampa Tourism, Travel Agents and Professionals | Visit Tampa Bay
I will continue to update you on any important information. Please reach out to me with any questions and please use 2024 ITA Conference in the subject line.
I'm looking forward to seeing you in April!
Rosenda Calloway
Manager, ACG Independent Travel Agency Sales
rcalloway@acg.aaa.com
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