A motivational speaker and former contestant on NBC TV’s “The Biggest Loser” will be among the high-profile speakers at the Well-Being and Medical Travel Conference, June 20-21, at the five-start Phoenician resort in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Just three weeks away, the first-ever Well-Being and Medical Travel Conference 2012 will provide travel sellers with the tools, in-depth education and contacts they need to profit in this rapidly growing niche.

The conference, which is co-sponsored by Travel Market Report and Well-Being Travel, has been certified by the Travel Institute as part of its continuing education program.

Top speakers
An exciting lineup of movers and shakers has been confirmed for the conference.

Among them is Sione Fa, a contestant in season seven of "The Biggest Loser." Now a trainer at the Biggest Loser Resort in Southern Utah, Fa will share his inspiring story and his passion for wellness and training and be on hand to meet with travel sellers, along with representatives from the Biggest Loser Resorts, award-winning fitness destinations in Utah and California.

Time is right for agents
Recent developments make it clear that opportunities for travel agents in medical and wellness travel will only continue to grow, said Anne Marie Moebes, executive vice president at Well-Being Travel.

Moebes noted that consumer confidence is trending upward. On the corporate side, several large firms recently expanded employee benefits to include coverage of medical travel, and others are likely to follow.
 
“This is a great time for travel sellers to learn how to add a medical and wellness specialty to their travel offerings,” Moebes said.

Meet with industry leaders
Conference attendees will have opportunities to interact with an array of top-level executives from key organizations, including: medical travel facilitators, internationally accredited hospitals, corporate wellness programs, tourism ministries, destination spas, resorts and other travel suppliers.

Along with educational sessions, a trade show will give attendees the chance to network with and learn more about the key suppliers serving the medical and well-being travel industry.

Tools for agents
Participants will leave the event with tools and resources for developing and servicing the medical and wellness travel market.

Among them is “How to Sell Medical Travel,” a step-by-step guide from Well-Being Travel that includes advice on finding clients and partnering with medical travel facilitators, as well as answers to questions about insurance and liability.

Real-life experiences
Medical travelers living in the U.S. will share their firsthand experiences during a panel discussion led by David Boucher, president and COO of Companion Global Healthcare. The participants will talk in detail about what worked and what didn’t and address questions from travel sellers.

Advice on meeting the demands of medical travelers, some of whom may be traveling overseas for the first time, will be addressed during a panel of medical travel experts led by Moebes.

Qualify for CEUs
Members of the Travel Institute who attend the conference are eligible to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Certified Travel Associates (CTA), Certified Travel Counselors (CTC), or Certified Travel Industry Executives (CTIE) – will earn five CEUs for each day they attend. CTAs, CTCs and CTIEs are required to obtain a minimum of 10 CEUs per year to maintain their certification.

Register today
To register for the Well-Being Medical Travel Conference 2012, click here.

The registration cost for agents is $199.