Virtuoso Travel Week Kicks Off with 4,800 Attendees from 107 Countries

Virtuoso Travel Week is underway for the 37th year, with thousands gathering in Las Vegas for a “dynamic week of human connection, collaboration and innovation.”

 Taking place August 9-15 across Bellagio Resort & Casino, ARIA Resort & Casino, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Vdara Hotel & Spa, the annual gathering helps attendees cultivate relationships, expand product knowledge across the network and lay the groundwork for future revenue growth in the luxury travel segment.  

Virtuoso says it continues to evolve the event format to maximize networking opportunities for attendees. This year, those participating in networking will have over 40% more matched appointments than in 2024 – totaling over 100,000 meetings – allowing them to focus their efforts where they see the greatest opportunity. 

The week-long program started on Saturday, August 9, with a full day of Community Globetrotting sessions, which continued into Sunday. Over 600 advisors and 120 partners participated this year, with sessions exploring passion-point travel categories reflecting Virtuoso Communities — cruise, adventure, family, culinary, wellness, ultraluxe and sustainability. 

Another highlight of the Virtuoso Week kick-off is the Travel Tech Summit. Led by tech entrepreneur, investor and Virtuoso board member, Gilad Berenstein, the fourth annual Summit focused on the latest developments in travel technology within the Virtuoso network. Virtuoso almost doubled the capacity of this year’s Tech Summit, attracting an audience of more than 500. 

All attendees gathered for the official welcome at Sunday’s Opening Session where they heard from various Virtuoso executives, preferred partners and keynote speaker Will Guidara. 

The event kicked off with Senior Vice President, Global Events Jennifer Campbell emphasizing the value of in-person networking and the community found at Virtuoso Travel Week. Campbell shared that, based on network feedback, Virtuoso is adding 30% more events to its calendar next year for a total of 90 across the globe. 

“Virtuoso Travel Week is no longer one event, but multiple events allowing attendees to plan how they spend their days,” said Campbell. 

“We have agency executives who choose to have longer and more intentional meetings. We have top producers and veterans who may not sit at the networking tables but instead spend their time in more strategic conversations or mentoring their attending advisors. We have many who are in the midst of building their careers or are first-time attendees and do it all.”

Virtuoso Chairman and CEO Matthew D. Upchurch also took the stage. 

“We’ve always believed that human connection would be the key to sustained competitive advantage – not in opposition of technology, but in concert with it – especially in the hands of skilled Virtuosos,” he said. “I believe our futures depend on how we live in two rapidly changing ecosystems – technological and human – not just coexisting but actively blending and enhancing the two.”  

Upchurch continued, “We’ve been investing in scaling human connection for nearly four decades because travel advisors don’t just sell experiences; they are part of the experience. The relationships our advisors nurture with our partners enhance the travelers’ experience, ultimately making them feel something special. The world is changing faster than ever, but what’s exciting is the head start we have in the human connection business – one that is global and a competitive advantage in luxury.”