Avoya Travel Pivots to Online Platform for 2020 Conference
by Jessica Montevago /Avoya is moving its annual conference online.
Following the recent success of their first-ever Avoya Mastermind Virtual Land Forum, the 2020 Avoya Conference will now feature two separate events spanning eight total days, October 19-22, 2020 and December 1-4, 2020. It was originally scheduled to take place onboard the Celebrity Equinox October 20-26, 2020.
The two-part Conference was adapted to an online platform to protect the health and safety of the Independent Agencies in the Avoya Network, staff, and preferred supplier partners due to the continuous threat of COVID-19.
The agenda is centered around understanding how the experience of travel is changing and what the “new normal” will be for a variety of travel types – from cruising to escorted tours to all-inclusive resort stays – and having a relationship with the suppliers that an Avoya Independent Agency wants to specialize in selling, understanding who each supplier is, the relationship they have with Avoya, and developing a relationship with Avoya’s specific supplier representative to help grow their business and provide an incredible customer service experience.
“With the unprecedented challenges our industry is facing, it’s more important than ever for travel agents to be informed and up-to-date on the changes and enhancements happening in the travel industry. By pivoting to an online conference we’re now able to provide even more valuable content to a larger group of Independent Agencies than we could with a traditional in-person event,” said Steve Hirshan, SVP of Sales at Avoya Travel.
The Avoya Conference: Part One, held Oct. 19-22, is geared toward providing extensive networking opportunities for Avoya’s Network of Independent Agencies and Avoya’s Preferred Suppliers, focusing on relationship-building through 1:1 and small group settings with communication made possible by cutting-edge technology, both during and after the event.
Part Two, taking place Dec. 1-4, prepares Independent Agencies in the Avoya Network to sell travel during the 2021 Wave Season and beyond with a specific emphasis on enhancements to health and safety practices, updates on products and protocols, and the “new normal” of life while traveling in a post-COVID world.
“Avoya Travel has always been known for staying ahead of the curve and evolving with the current times; adapting their Conference to not just one but two online events is just another example of Avoya’s ingenuity and imagination,” said Nikki Upshaw, Senior Vice President, Sales for Oceania Cruises.
The conference will also feature keynote speaker Nancy Friedman, the “Telephone Doctor,” who will be presenting in a General Session as well as a dedicated workshop focusing specifically on telephone sales skills and customer service, as the vast majority of Avoya’s Network operates their independent businesses virtually.
The host agency said it already has more registrants signed up for the two-part conference than the original headcount for the in-person Avoya Conference.