Schedule of Events

Sunday, September 9th - Cruise/Luxury/Destination

12:00pm – 1:45pm

Educational Sessions

·         Matching the Right Cruise Product to the Client – and Winning Customers For Life – Mark McMullen, CTC

·         Professional Selling Skills – Courtesy of CLIA – Bernie Blomquist, CTC, MCC (session runs till 1:30pm)

·         Business Building Secrets from Luxury Experts (Panel) – Kate Koziol

·         Jamaica – Once You Go, You Know – Brought to you by Jamaica Tourism Board – Basil Smith and Donnie Dawson

·         Sharpening Your Edge and Reinventing Yourself as a Seller of Luxury Travel – Courtesy of The Travel Institute – Jeff Drew, CTC

·          Adventure Travel Specialist Designation Workshop – Brought to you by Adventures in Travel Expo (ATE) *Note – session continues at 4:15pm – 5:30pm, $35 Fee for this session and registration required

·         Sabre Cruises – Tina Shaffer (Tech Pavilion 12:30pm – 1:30pm)

2:00pm – 4:00pm

Trade show, including:

·         THESHOWSTAGE: 

         o  "Why We Travel: Tapping Into the Hidden Motivations of Travelers" with Rudy Maxa

         o  You Already Have It—Use It! Utilizing Existing Cruise Line Resources to Sell More Cruises (Panel)

             - Moderator: Ana Figueroa, Senior Editor, TravelAge West

             - Lisa Bauer, Sr. Vice President Sales, Royal Caribbean International

             - Vicki Freed, Sr. Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Carnival Cruise Lines

             - Dondra Ritzenthaler, Sr. Vice President of Sales, Celebrity Cruises

             - Jim Baer, Vice President National Account Sales, Princess Cruises and Cunard Line

             - Richard Sasso, President & CEO, MSC Cruises USA

·         TripTailor – Todd Johnson (Tech Pavilion 2:15pm – 3:15pm)

·         Presentation Pavilions

      o    Experience Jordan Now! – Brought to you by Jordan Tourism Board North America - Malia Asfour and Gisele Abrahao - Pavilion 1 (2:30pm – 2:50pm)

      o    Wonderful Greece – Brought to you by Greek National Tourist Office – Pavilion 1 (3:00pm – 3:50pm)

o    Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern – Brought to you by the Travel Channel  – Andrew Zimmern – Pavilion 2 (3:00pm – 3:20pm)

o    US Airways Vacations – We'll Bulk You Up! – Brought to you by US Airways Vacations – Chris Ames and Scott Fisher – Pavilion 2 (3:30pm – 3:50pm)

o    ModernAgent.com – Brought to you by ModernAgent – Shaun T. Whitley – Pavilion 3 (2:30pm – 2:50pm)

Plan now for your Monday, Sept. 10 and Tuesday, Sept. 11 appointments during show hours!

4:15pm – 5:30pm

Educational Sessions

·         Special Interest Marketing – Courtesy of CLIA – Bernie Blomquist, CTC, MCC (session runs till 5:45pm)

·         Sure Fire Ways to Increase Your Share of Luxury Cruise and Tour Products - Offline and Online – Mark McMullen, CTC

·         Luxury Travel, What It Is and What You Need to Know to Sell It – Sharon Scott, CTC

·         Sharpening Your Edge and Reinventing Yourself as a Seller of Luxury Travel – Courtesy of The Travel Institute – Jeff Drew, CTC

·         There Really Is No Place Like Home! – Joanie Ogg, CTC, MCC

·          Adventure Travel Specialist Designation Workshop *Note – Part I runs 12:00pm – 1:45pm, $35 Fee for this session

·         Discover Asia Now – Brought to you by Asia Now

·         Front Page for Beginners – Dottie Sutherland (Tech Pavilion 4:15pm – 5:15pm)

7:30pm 

Saddle up and Cut Loose on Fremont Street

Courtesy of Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority
Location: Fremont Street

Monday, September 10^th – Home-Based Agent Appreciation Day/Business Building

8:45am – 10:45am

NTO Summit

9:00am – 9:45am

General Session – Specifically for Home-Based Agents

·         Welcome – Joanie Ogg, CTC, MCC, President, NACTA & TravelSellers

·         Featured Presentation

·        Tech Demo (Panel)

9:00am – 9:45am

Product Seminar Sessions

·         Catering to the Luxury Travel Professional – Brought to you by Wynn Las Vegas – Jeff Gloeb

·         The Power of Net Rates – Brought to you by CCRA – Patti Free

·         Korea Again-Know How to Connect and Sell Korea – Brought to you by Korea Tourism Organization – Complimentary Continental Breakfast 

·         PowerPoint for the Travel Agent – Beginners – Dottie Sutherland (Tech Pavilion 9:00am – 10:00am)

·         Your clients will love Israel from the first “Shalom” – Brought to you by Recommend and the Israel Ministry of Tourism - Michal Itzik

10:00am – 10:45am

Educational Sessions – Focus on Home Based Agent

·         Should I Go Solo or Work Through a Host Agency? (Panel) – Moderator: Gary Fee

·         Secrets to Establishing and Growing an At-Home Agency – Brought to you by Agent@Home – Scott Whitley

·          How to Write and Execute an Effective Business Plan That Can Grow Your Sales 20% per Year! – Mark McMullen, CTC

Product Seminar Sessions

·        Book Air Greenland – Exciting and Unique Adventures for Your Clients and Profits for You – Jesper Kunuk Egede  

·         China - Best Selling Destination in Asia – Brought to you By China National Tourist Office and China Travel Services – Zhang Xinhong and Lily Shum

11:00am – 3:00pm

Trade show, including:  

·         THESHOWSTAGE:
o        What Are The Technology Needs for the Home-Based Agent (Panel)

            - Moderator: James Shillinglaw, Editor in Chief, Agent@Home Magazine

            - Jesse Mackey CTA, ACC, DS, Owner/Travel Consultant, J & L Travel

            - Alishah Kier, Independently Owned and Operated Affiliate, America's Vacation Center/American   Express

             - Robbi Jumaa Hamida, CTA, DS, Travel Advisor, TUR Travel

             - Penney Rudicil, ECC, DS, President, The Travel Planner

       o   Together We're Stronger: Alice O. McQuade, Director Travel Agency Sales & Marketing, InterContinental Hotels Group

    o        How to Sell Packaged Vacations to Increase Profits (Panel)

            - Moderator: Robert E. Whitley, President, USTOA

            - Randy Julian, President, Julian Tours

            - Brian Stack, President, CIE Tours International

            - Sherri Guiborat, Vice President of Marketing, Mayflower Tours 

            - Jimmy Murphy, Chairman, Amadeus Waterways

·         VacationStudio – Vicki Sullivan (Tech Pavilion 11:15am – 12:15pm)

·         TripTailor – Todd Johnson (Tech Pavilion 1:15pm – 2:15pm)

·         Presentation Pavilions

     o    Cuba Now – Brought to you by Fund for Reconciliation and Development – John McAuliff – Pavilion 1 (11:30am – 11:50am)

     o     Discover Asia Now Gameshow – Brought to you by Asia Now – Jamie Sumi – Pavilion 1 (1:00pm – 1:50pm)

     o    Experience Jordan Now!– Brought to you by Jordan Tourism Board North America - Malia Asfour and Gisele Abrahao – Pavilion 1 (2:00pm – 2:20pm)

     o        There is a Jamaica For Everyone - Brought to you by      Jamaica Tourist Board – Philip Rose – Pavilion 1 (2:30pm – 2:50pm)

        o        Hotel & Resort Insider (HRS) eTurbo News &  TravelMole – Brought to you by eTurboNews – Juergen Thomas Steinmetz – Pavilion 2  (11:30am – 11:50am)

        o        TravelAgentAcademy.com – Brought to you by TravelAgentAcademy – Jonathan Cooper – Pavilion 2  (1:00pm – 1:20pm)

o     Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern – Brought to you by the Travel Channel – Andrew Zimmern – Pavilion 2 (2:30pm – 2:50pm)

o    Advances in Travel Distribution – Brought to you by Worldspan – Pat Hochstein and Jessica Horne – Pavilion 3 (11:30am – 11:50am)

o    The World of Accessible Travel – Brought to you by Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality – Steve Mydanick –
Pavilion 3 (1:30pm – 1:50pm)

o    Southwest Airlines Vacations-Nuts About Agents, Opportunities Galore and So Much More! – Brought to you by Southwest Airlines Vacations – Sonia Mura-Bonilha –
Pavilion 3 (2:00pm – 2:20pm)

Make your business appointments for Monday and Tuesday now and make the most of your show experience!

3:15pm – 4:15pm

Educational Sessions

·         Home-Based Travel Agents – Your Tool Chest to Success – Joanie Ogg, CTC, MCC

·         The Home-Based “Agency” – Taking Your Business to the Next Level – Gary Fee

·         Building Your Business and Building Your Brand – Kate Koziol

·         Why Would Anyone Want to Work For You? Motivating Employees in Today’s Travel Office – Thomas Hudgin

·         Profiting From Travel Agency Finance Benchmarkers – Courtesy of The Travel Institute – Scott Ahlsmith, CTC

·         “All Welcome” – Gay Travel Educational Seminar & Discussion – Courtesy of IGLTA – Tom Nibbio (session runs till 4:45pm)

·         IMAGE-ination – Carol Fullmer (Tech Pavilion)

3:00pm – 5:00pm

ASTA's Premium Member Meeting - Invitation Only

4:30pm – 5:30pm

Educational Sessions

·         Home-Based Travel Agents – Your Tool Chest to Success – Joanie Ogg, CTC, MCC

·         How to Write and Execute an Effective Business Plan That Can Grow Your Sales 20% per Year! – Mark McMullen, CTC

·         How to Make Money in the Travel Industry (Panel) – Kate Koziol

·         Why Would Anyone Want to Work For You? Motivating Employees in Today’s Travel Office – Thomas Hudgin

·         Profiting From Travel Agency Finance Benchmarkers – Courtesy of The Travel Institute – Scott Ahlsmith, CTC

·         Sabre Cruises – Tina Shaffer (Tech Pavilion)

6:30-9:30pm

The Big Event!
Party & Reception courtesy of NACTA & Vegas VIP
Location: Platinum Hotel

7:00pm 

ASTA's 4th Annual Advocacy Dinner 
Tickets required
Location: Caesar’s Palace

Evening

Complimentary Show Tickets!*

Enjoy an evening out on the town in Las Vegas and attend a terrific Vegas show:

Le Rκve - 9:30pm - The Wynn

Stomp Out Loud - 8:00pm - Planet Hollywood

Defending the Caveman - 8:00pm - Golden Nugget

(OTHER SHOWS ARE AVAILABLE ON TUESDAY, SEPT 11, please see schedule below)

9:30pm

YP Rocks
Location: LAX Nightclub, Luxor Hotel
Sponsored by MGM Mirage, LAX Nightclub, Thrifty Car Rental, Universal Orlando Resorts and Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority

Tuesday, September 11th - Business Travel/Technology

9:00am – 9:45am

Product Seminar Sessions

·         Mailpound – Utilizing Your Most Valuable Resource – YOU! – Brought to you by Mailpound – Debbie Maier

·         CuisineCraft: Hot Alternative of the Peruvian Culture – Brought to you by PromPeru – Elisabeth Hakim

·         You Too Can Break Through the Clutter and Satisfy Your Customers Every Time by Introducing Them to New Exciting Brands – Brought to you by Starwood Hotels & Resorts – Chris Austin

·         Berlin – The Place To Be In Central Europe! – Brought to you by Berlin Tourism Marketing – Ralf Ostendorf

·         Puerto Rico – Explore Beyond the Shore, No Passport Required for US Citizens! – Brought to you by The Puerto Rico Tourism Company – Yolanda Figueroa

·         EXCEL FUNdamentals – Carol Fullmer (Technology Pavilion 9:00am – 10:00am)

10:00am – 10:45am

Product Seminar Sessions  

·         Alaska Destination Training: Raising Your Profit Margin When Booking the Last Frontier! – Brought to you by Anchorage CVB – Tania Hancock, DS, ACC

·         The Region of Madrid - Brought to you by Tourism Madrid - Estefania Gomez Garrido

·         Maximize Your Marketing! – Brought to you by Jurni/Nexion – Scott Koepf, CTC, MCC

·         Where The Baltic's Gold Glows - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland - Exciting Destinations in Europe - Brought to you by B-4 - Jan Rudomina

·         PowerPoint for Travel Agents – Advanced – Dottie Sutherland (Tech Pavilion 10:15am – 11:15am)

11:00am – 3:00pm

Trade show, including:

·         THESHOWSTAGE:

        o Travel Tech 2020: What the Future Holds for Agents & Their Customers, Robert Lowry III, Senior Vice President, Products & Support, Amadeus North America

        o Hotel Rate Programs in a Sellers Market: The Secrets of Success, panel moderated by Business Travel News

              Fred Miller CTC, Vice President, Travel Industry Relations, Marriott International

           o Anastasia Mann, Chairman/CEO, Corniche Group Inc. & Anastasia's Africa 

       o Keep'em Coming Back for More...10 tips for maintaining and building your customer base - Chris Kroeger, Senior Vice President, North America, Sabre Travel Network

       o Contented, Disgruntled or Careerist: What Agent Personality Type Do You Fit?, Arnie Weissmann,   Editor in Chief, Travel Weekly

     o Is the Unbundling of Airline Services the Next Shoe to Drop? How will a la carte pricing affect you, your GDS contract, and more importantly, your customers, if widely adopted in the US? (Panel)

           o Arnie Weissmann, Editor in Chief, Travel Weekly, Moderator

                  o Ellen Lee, Vice President, Business Development, G2 SwitchWorks

           o Frank Morgan, VP Sales & Marketing, AMT/American Express Travel

           o Eric Jeffries, Regional Sales Manager, AirTran Airways

           o Richard Esman, Co-President, Rich Worldwide Travel

·         EXCEL –erate – Carol Fullmer (Tech Pavilion 11:30am - 12:30pm)

·         VacationStudio – Vicki Sullivan (Tech Pavilion 12:45pm - 1:45pm) 

·         Front Page for the  Travel Agent – Advanced – Dottie Sutherland (Tech Pavilion 2:00pm – 3:00pm)

·         Presentation Pavilions

o Book Something You'll Never Forget! – Brought to you by Funjet Vacations – Tom Brussow – Pavilion 2 (11:30am – 11:50am)

o Travel Impressions – Brought to you by Travel Impressions – Bob Perri – Pavilion 2 (2:00pm – 2:20pm)

o Discover Wynn Las Vegas – Brought to you by Wynn Las Vegas – Jeff Gloeb – Pavilion 3 (11:30am – 11:50am)

o Grow Your Travel Business with Email Marketing – Brought to you by Got Corporation – Melanie Attia – Pavilion 3 (1:00pm – 1:50pm)

Make your business appointments for Monday and Tuesday now and make the most of your show experience!

3:15pm – 4:15pm 

Educational Sessions

·         ASTA Annual Meeting

·         Employment Laws and Regulation – Wendy Christie

·         Corporate Travel –  Learn to Develop Reports that Match or Exceed your Customers’ Expectations – Kyle Moser

·         How To Make $$$ Selling Travel Insurance – Bill Dismore

·         Corporate Travel – The Myth of Online Adoption: How to Use Technology to Improve the Bottom Line – James Dargan

·         Go Go Google – Carol Fullmer

·         Using Blogs and Websites to Attract New Clients – Courtesy of The  Travel Institute – Scott Ahlsmith, CTC

4:30pm – 5:30pm

Educational Sessions

·         Marketing to the Global Consumer – Dottie Sutherland

·         Corporate Travel –  Learn to Develop Reports that Match or Exceed your Customers’ Expectations – Kyle Moser

·         Corporate Travel – Learn the Fundamentals of Business Travel – Courtesy of National Business Travel Association - Kristi Long, CCTE (session runs until 5:45pm)

·         Corporate Travel – The Myth of Online Adoption: How to Use Technology to Improve the Bottom Line – James Dargan

·         Using Blogs and Websites to Attract New Clients – Courtesy of The Travel Institute – Scott Ahlsmith, CTC

Evening

Complimentary Show Tickets!*

Enjoy an evening out on the town in Las Vegas and attend one of these  terrific Vegas shows:

Jubilee! - 7:30pm - Bally's Las Vegas

Blue Man Group - 8pm - The Venetian

The Rat Pack is Back! - 7:00pm - Greek Isles Hotel & Casino 

Stomp Out Loud - 8:00pm - Planet Hollywood 

Defending the Caveman - 8:00pm - Golden Nugget

(One show is available Monday, Sept. 10 - see schedule above)

Make sure you register early to ensure you receive your complimentary ticket to a great Vegas show!

*Tickets will be distributed to travel agents according to registration date, based on availability for each show.

 Daily Shuttle Schedule

NOTE: Conference sessions and/or instructors subject to change without notice. THETRADESHOW reserves the right to rearrange, reschedule, or cancel any session for any reason without prior notice. All sessions are filled on a first come, first-served basis.