Avoya Travel concluded Part One of its annual Avoya Conference—the first time Avoya has hosted the annual conference virtually—which spanned four days from October 19-22, 2020. The event focused on Avoya’s position of strength moving into 2021 and the resumption of leisure travel post-COVID-19 with an emphasis on “Embracing the Change” and capitalizing on recent technological advancements designed to amplify the selling efforts of the Avoya Network of Independent Agencies.
The Avoya Conference: Part One was highlighted by live panels with senior level executives from suppliers spanning the travel industry, including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, AmaWaterways, Oceania Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Globus family of brands, Carnival Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and more. In addition, keynote speaker Nancy Friedman, the “Telephone Doctor,” educated attendees on telephone sales skills, client retention and customer service in a virtual world.
In a reimagining of classic FAM trips and ship inspections, Avoya introduced virtual “Days at Sea/Days on Land.” Independent agencies were able to explore products via recorded videos that included virtual tours, explanations of the product and conversations with key shipboard staff members.
The virtual event was also geared toward providing extensive networking opportunities for Avoya’s Network of Independent Agencies and Avoya’s Preferred Suppliers, specifically featuring one-to-one opportunities and small-group settings.
In addition, Avoya shared a number of compelling statistics during the general sessions, including Avoya’s 40 percent conversion rate of Future Travel Credits. Also of note is the fact that Avoya has retained independent agencies that made up 95 percent of its 2019 sales volume during a time when attrition rates have escalated for agencies and networks across the rest of the industry due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Avoya also recapped many of the recent enhancements it has made to its patented, proprietary technology and SaaS offerings during the pandemic, including the new optional Marketing Resource Center, optional Avoya Smart Leads and additional optimizations designed to increase efficiency and collaboration for the Avoya Network.
The Avoya Conference: Part Two will take place virtually December 1-4, 2020 and is centered around helping independent agencies in the Avoya Network get prepared to sell travel during the 2021 Wave Season and beyond with an emphasis on enhancements to health and safety practices, updates on products and protocols, and the “new normal” of life while traveling in a post-COVID-19 world.
Visit www.avoyanetwork.com.
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