Your Business

Cruise Planners Releases Its 2022 Lineup of Trade Events

By Susan J. Young Apr 14, 2022 10:12am

Cruise Planners, the nation's largest franchise network of home-based travel advisors, released its 2022 lineup of trade and training events—ranging from in-person Boot Camps focusing on business analytics and social media to Tech Days designed to strengthen technology knowledge.Here's a look at the full line-up of this year's events.

Boot Camps

Taking place in cities that are most accessible to Cruise Planners travel advisors, these two-and-a-half-day Boot Camps provide education from Cruise Planners executive team members, business development coaches and travel supplier partners. CP Boot Camps are regional training events that focus on marketing, groups and technology, with the goal of helping advisors grow their business.

Event dates for 2022 are April 4-6 in Connecticut; May 11-13 in Dallas, TX, May 23-25 in Orlando, FL, and June 23- 25 and Las Vegas, NV.

Elite Summit

Each year, Cruise Planners hosts two Elite Summits to reward and recognize its top producers. Cruise Planners recently completed the first Elite Summit trip in 2022 on AmaWaterways' AmaMagna in Europe. More than 170 top producers, suppliers and executives attended. Ports visited included Vilshofen, Germany; Budapest, Hungary; and Vienna, Austria.

Due to the number of top producers in the Cruise Planners network, there are two Elite events held annually. The upcoming Elite Summit will be May 1-5 at the Sandals Royal Bahamian in Nassau, Bahamas.

Tech Days

Cruise Planners hosts three two-day workshops titled Tech Days that are dedicated to in-depth training on Cruise Planner’s technology tools, website customization, mobile productivity, social media programs and more. Tech Days are held at Cruise Planners’ home office in Coral Springs, FL. Event dates for 2022 are April 20-21, July 13-14 and October 12-13.

Land and Luxury Forum

Cruise Planners is a top seller for luxury travel brands, and the group says that even through the pandemic, it's continuing to grow that luxury segment. The group's niche training sessions—designed to help travel advisors expand their luxury knowledge and achieve a higher average sale—include the annual Land and Luxury Forum, an event that always sells out.

This year's Land and Luxury Forum is scheduled for August 3-7, 2022 at Hyatt Zilara in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Sales Academy Seminars at Sea

Scott Koepf, Cruise Planner's senior vice president of strategic planning, offers his insight and best practices on how to sell travel, as Cruise Planners advisors sail aboard a cruise ship. Earlier this year, a Sales Academy Seminar at Sea course was conducted on MSC Cruises' MSC Seashore, and the next seminar at sea will be September 25 to October 1, 2022 on a "Seven-Day Inside Passage" sailing aboard Holland America Line's Nieuw Amsterdam.

Participants can expect at least 10 hours of sales training. Upon completion, advisors will be a certified as a sales specialist with Cruise Planners.

STAR University

STAR University, which stands for "Sales Training to Accelerate Results University," gets underway several times a year in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The goal is to train new franchisees and agents in sales, marketing, and travel systems to help them grow a successful business.

The STAR University program provides one-on-one instruction, access to top suppliers and executive presentations. Upcoming 2022 dates are May 16-21, July 25-30, September 12-17 and October 24-31.

Annual Convention

New and seasoned travel advisors often attend the annual Cruise Planners' Annual Convention, where travel industry executives, suppliers and industry professionals learn, network and collaborate. On November 11, 2022, this year's convention will kick off at the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami, FL, and will subsequently include three nights aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Prima. The convention runs through November 17.

For more information on Cruise Planners, visit www.cruiseplanners.com.