ASTA Scores Big With Revamped Expo in L.A.
by Maria Lenhart /With a slew of innovative programs, including a show devoted to travel blogging and its first-ever Hispanics in Travel Caucus, ASTA exceeded projected attendance at its Travel Retailing & Destination Expo in Las Angeles last week.
With 1,300 attendees as of Friday, the total already surpassed attendance at ASTA’s annual convention in Las Vegas last year, said president and chair Nina Meyer who was re-elected to her post by the ASTA Board of Directors yesterday.
“And we haven’t yet factored in the drive-in market, which should be huge for Los Angeles,” she told Travel Market Report, during a conversation at Friday afternoon’s trade show. “We may be many more hundreds ahead.”
This year’s additions
Additions to this year’s ASTA-LA conference included tech training sessions conducted by Microsoft executives and an opportunity for
attendees to be interviewed for enrollment in the Global Entry Trusted Travel program. The program provides expedited clearance for U.S. travelers returning to the U.S. from abroad and allows them to use TSA PreCheck lanes when traveling domestically. Doug Hofsass, an administrator with TSA, presented seminars on the program.
Paired with NACTA
Also helping boost participation was staging the ASTA event immediately following a one-day NACTA conference that was held nearby on Thursday. Another tactic was scheduling the conference over a weekend, something that ASTA members had requested, according to Meyer.
“We knew we just couldn’t continue to do what we were doing,” she said. “Travel agents have so many more choices now because of the evolution of consortiums and their trade shows. Many agents are required to attend their consortium’s events.”
Hispanic market
Tapping the burgeoning Hispanic market was the subject of a panel discussion and a Hispanics in Travel Caucus, jointly sponsored by ASTA and NTA. Both were led by Olga Ramudo, president of Miami-based Express Travel and a member of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.
“The Hispanic market represents huge potential for agents – they are one in four of the nation’s population and tend to travel with friends and family,” Meyer said. “Some agents are intimidated because they think you have to speak Spanish, but that isn’t necessarily so.”
CEO search
Meyer, who has been the acting head of ASTA since CEO Tony Gonchar departed on Aug. 1, said the search for his replacement is progressing.
“We will have one or two final candidates by the time our board meets in November,” she said. “We fully expect to have a new CEO ready to go to work on Jan. 2.”
Gonchar’s legacy
Gonchar helped ASTA regain prominence in the industry, Meyer said.
She noted that top agency and agency group executives recently signed on as ASTA board members. They include Jackie Friedman, CEO of Nexion; Roger Block, president of the Travel Leaders Franchise Group, and Roger Hale, CEO of ADTRAV Travel management Group.
“More leaders are coming on board because of Tony’s efforts,” she said. “We will continue to move forward.”
Lobbying on Capitol Hill
Lobbying efforts on behalf of travel agents, which were a priority for Gonchar, continue in earnest, Meyer added.
“I’m in Washington three days a week,” she said. “Advocacy for agents on Capitol Hill is a major focus – no one else is doing it and it’s needed.”