Cruise Planners recently hosted its Land and Luxury Symposium at the Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic. The event began as two separate conferences in 2014 and in recent years merged, with eminent land and luxury suppliers offering training and resources to help advisors sell their products successfully. Cruise Planners has evolved from being a cruise-dominant company to a leading sales contender in the luxury and land sector in the past years.
The Land and Luxury Symposium shared best practices when it comes to boosting travel sales, and how to attract, service and retain luxury clients. “The demand for luxury travel is at an all-time high, especially after the last few years,” said Michelle Fee, CEO and co-founder of Cruise Planners. “Our advisors are ready to hit the ground running and want to be able to offer the best vacations for their clients and we want to equip them with the knowledge and products that will take their sales to the next level.”
Cruise Planners continues to develop immersive and upscale training opportunities for travel professionals to drive more high-end sales. The four-day event was hosted by Fee, Scott Koepf, vice president of Strategic Planning and Laura Blanco, director of sales.
“This event gave me the opportunity to further solidify my relationships with some of my key suppliers as well as learn about other suppliers,” said Kelley Austin, a franchise owner who also presented to fellow advisors. “Relationships are key in this industry and being able to spend a few days creating or strengthening relationships is immeasurable.”
Executives from leading travel partners showcased what made them unique and met with Cruise Planners travel advisors in one-on-one networking meetings. Mark Conroy, managing director of the Americas, Silversea Cruises, made the keynote speech while Dawn Campbell, Visit Anchorage; Tim Behn, Allianz; Olivia Hernandez and Liz Purkey, Sandals; and Susan Lang, AMR all participated in fireside chat sessions titled “Supplier Hot Seats”.
In addition to trade shows, the Land and Luxury Symposium comprised of several panel discussions with topics such as "Destinations In Depth;" "River;" "Hot Trends in Resorts;" "Think Outside the Box;" and "Unique Cruise Experiences."
Advisors also heard from fellow franchisees who are top producers for both land sales and luxury sales. They shared their advice and first-hand knowledge on how they became successful in these niche markets.
While the main event was held at the Hyatt Zilara, Cap Cana, the “Night Out” was sponsored by the new Margaritaville Island Reserve by Karisma resorts. Advisors were able to experience a walk though of the resort as well as a dinner with music and dancing. In addition, advisors also brought supplies for local charities to distribute to children before the schoolyear begins.
“The CP Land and Luxury Forum is the go-to conference to grow your business,” said Nick Pena, a top-producing luxury franchise owner. “Having one-on-one appointments with our partners and listening to our speakers for updates is invaluable. I am back and energized to grow my luxury sales.”
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