Carnival Cruise Line has launched its "Your Winning Plan" program, which is intended to help travel advisors grow their business. What can you expect? The eight-part event and competition series will bring together experts in small business and entrepreneurship to help advisors build winning business plans to fast track sales and income.
Experts from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and SBA's resource partner, the America's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, will provide business advice at each event. Advisors will also hear from representatives from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) and Carnival’s business development team with special training on social media, Carnival booking tools and the importance of developing a strong business plan, including the opportunity to create and enter their business plan in Carnival’s competition to be "Your Winning Plan’s" champion.
Daymond John, respected entrepreneur, author and star of ABC’s “Shark Tank,” will take part in a fireside chat to share his business expertise during the final event in Houston and will present the grand prize to the program’s competition winner.
"Your Winning Plan" is open to all travel advisors across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico—with events taking place in seven cities, plus an all-virtual event (the grand finale will also be simulcast virtually). The series kicks off in June and spans the summer months with events on June 23 in San Jose, CA, and Detroit, MI; Las Vegas, NV, on July 7; Nashville, TN, on July 14; Denver, CO, on July 19; Richmond, VA, on July 28, a virtual event on August 5; and the grand finale event in Houston, TX, on September 27.
Travel Agent spoke with Adolfo Perez, Carnival Cruise Line’s senior vice president of global sales and trade marketing, who told us that SBA has been involved in the new program in several ways. “They helped us put some of the curriculum together and also worked to create a business plan template,” he says. SBA experts will also “speak at the events and talk about the services they can provide to help small businesses”—even programs outside Carnival’s specific focus.
The goal, he says, is for travel advisors, whether part of a host group or consortia, owner of a small, mom-and-pop agency, or even a big business to have a great business plan. At times, Perez says, some advisors who do agency work part-time, perhaps having recently retired from another profession, “may not take it as seriously as they should.” He believes this new program will give them a greater opportunity of being successful in their travel advisor career.
In terms of the new program’s assistance with social media tips, Perez explained that during one past program with advisors, “we got a lot of questions from agents really trying to use the best approach when using social media for business. People don’t understand.” For example, he says that this new program will give tips for how small investments in boosting one’s posts can make sure social media posts are seen by many more people.” It’s not simply about posts, it’s about content, the calendar and being well-prepared, he explains.
"Your Winning Plan’s" competition will choose seven semi-finalists, one from each event, judged by a panel of experts from Carnival, CLIA and ASTA. In addition to a $2,500 prize to use toward implementing their winning business plans, each semi-finalist will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the grand finale event in Houston to compete to be named "Your Winning Plan’s" champion and receive a $5,000 grand prize.
At the program finale in Houston, attendees will also hear from Carnival President Christine Duffy, Perez and members of Carnival’s leadership team.
Much of the new program will deal with “setting targets,” says Perez. “You have to set targets, so you know how you’re doing versus your plan,” such as tracking sales by quarter. Advisors need to ask themselves if they’re getting to the targets they’ve set, and if so, maybe they need to adjust the target upward for the next quarter.
Perez says it’s also important to track expenses and set aside money for things like social media boosting or other kinds of advertising, direct mail, SEO marketing and so on.
Just because Carnival is a big company and does that type of projecting, goal setting, adjustments, revenue setting, expense setting and so on, “it doesn’t mean a smaller company shouldn’t go through the same exercise every year," says Perez, adding that it's important to make sure advisors are hitting their targets, making adjustments and seeking even higher performance goals.
To register, travel advisors should visit www.GoCCL.com. Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis. For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line, visit www.carnival.com.
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