Avoya Travel successfully hosted the 2023 Avoya Travel Conference onboard the Discovery Princess from September 24 to October 1. With over 500 attendees, the conference was Avoya’s largest at sea.
During the conference, Avoya made several well-received announcements regarding new technology within its suite of proprietary SaaS offerings, including enhancements to Live Lead information in the Agent Power CRM; an upgraded version of the Avoya Connect app allowing for increased customer communication capabilities optimized for crossover between desktop, phone and tablet; and changes to its booking software, Cruise Explorer. It was also unveiled that Avoya Flights will be upgraded with new features to streamline and simplify the booking process, and that the Avoya Travel Insurance app is entering beta.
Carmen Roig, vice president of sales at Princess Cruises, kicked off the event with a presentation celebrating the Avoya Network’s continually growing partnership with Princess, as well as Avoya’s commitment to innovation and providing its Network members with resources and technology to help them continue to build even more successful businesses.
Other major advancements included increased marketing capabilities through a dynamic new interface for The Avoya Traveler quarterly eMagazine, the ability for Independent Agencies to further utilize direct mail, and the upcoming launch of Avoya Trusted Advisors profiles, which will provide a compelling view/story of each advisor’s unique expertise, experiences, reviews, and much more in a detailed and engaging way.
Networking opportunities onboard included Avoya support staff and supplier “office hours,” cocktail parties, and multiple group dinners with entertaining themes like Lumberjack and Lumberjill night and Oktoberfest. The Avoya Flowerfly Award, given to an Independent Agency that displays outstanding integrity, professionalism and character acting as an ambassador for Avoya, was presented to Penny Rushing, owner of Four Points Travel.
The 2023 Avoya Conference was immediately preceded by Avoya’s first-ever Million Dollar Showcase, held September 22–24 at the Hilton Bellevue in Bellevue, WA, which was an exclusive event for Avoya Network members who reached the sales threshold of at least $1 million from July 2022 tbrough June 2023.
Avoya’s Million Dollar Showcase provided top-producing Independent Agencies with opportunities to enhance their business practices in engaging and innovative ways. Attendees had access to educational opportunities, including one-on-one appointments with suppliers, workshops filled with content specifically curated for top producers, as well as supplier panels discussing white-glove customer experience, niche markets and specialization and more. Networking events throughout the Million Dollar Showcase encouraged idea sharing and relationship building among the Avoya Network’s top-producing Independent Agencies.
Part one of the hybrid Avoya Conference was held virtually from August 28–31, 2023 and served as a precursor to both events, concentrating on brand education and networking. Avoya announced its 2024 Conference will be held on the Norwegian Joy from September 25 to October 2, 2024.
To learn more, visit www.avoyanetwork.com
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