Hybrid virtual and in-person events celebrate the Avoya Network, historic growth, and announcements of new evolutions in sales, marketing, and technology.
FT. LAUDERDALE, FLA. – Avoya Travel, one of the travel industry’s most innovative brands, celebrates the success of its 2023 Avoya Travel Conference onboard the Discovery Princess from September 24 – October 1. With over 500 attendees, the conference was Avoya’s largest at sea and received rave reviews from both travel advisor and supplier attendees on the networking and collaboration opportunities, keynote and workshop topics, innovative social elements, and the news and announcements surrounding Avoya’s future as a host agency and what it provides to its Network members.
During the conference, Avoya made several extremely well-received announcements regarding new technology within its suite of proprietary SaaS offerings, including enhancements to Live Lead information in the Agent Power CRM; an upgraded version of the Avoya Connect app allowing for increased customer communication capabilities optimized for crossover between desktop, phone, and tablet; and groundbreaking changes to its booking software Cruise Explorer. It was also unveiled that Avoya Flights will be upgraded with new features to streamline and simplify the booking process, and that the highly anticipated Avoya Travel Insurance app is entering beta.
Carmen Roig, Vice President of Sales at Princess Cruises, kicked off the event with a presentation celebrating the Avoya Network’s continually growing partnership with Princess, as well as Avoya’s commitment to innovation and providing its Network members with resources and technology to help them continue to build even more successful businesses.
“We were thrilled to host the 2023 Avoya Travel Conference onboard the Discovery Princess as we continued to strengthen our relationship with Avoya and its Network members,” said Carmen Roig, VP of Sales at Princess Cruises. “It was so inspiring to see the enthusiasm and engagement from the Independent Agencies and the innovation that Avoya consistently brings to the table. The impressive growth that Avoya is experiencing and its dedication to suppliers, Network members, and support staff keep me very optimistic about the future of our partnership.”
Other major advancements included increased marketing capabilities through a dynamic new interface for The Avoya Traveler quarterly eMagazine, the ability for Independent Agencies to further utilize direct mail, and the upcoming launch of Avoya Trusted Advisors profiles, which will provide a compelling view/story of each advisor’s unique expertise, experiences, reviews, and much more in a detailed and engaging way.
Networking opportunities onboard included Avoya support staff and supplier “office hours,” cocktail parties, and multiple group dinners with entertaining themes like Lumberjack and Lumberjill night and Oktoberfest. The Avoya Flowerfly Award, given to an Independent Agency that displays outstanding integrity, professionalism, and character acting as an ambassador for Avoya, was presented to Penny Rushing, Owner of Four Points Travel, a member of the Avoya Network.
“This was definitely the best conference that I have attended in the past six years. It was very informative, with new innovations and exciting things that are happening with Avoya Travel,” said Rushing. “However, the greatest benefit of the Avoya Conference is twofold: renewing or establishing relationships with fellow agents and exchanging thoughts and ideas about growing our businesses with the various suppliers – especially those in my specialty areas. As the recipient of this year’s Flowerfly Award, it was an unexpected, but very gratifying, surprise. There are many within the Avoya family that could have been selected and I am truly grateful to have been chosen for this award.”
The 2023 Avoya Conference was immediately preceded by Avoya’s first-ever Million Dollar Showcase from September 22 – 24 at the Hilton Bellevue in Bellevue, Washington, which was an exclusive event for Avoya Network members who reached the sales threshold of at least $1 Million from July 2022 – June 2023.
Avoya’s Million Dollar Showcase was a tremendous success, providing top-producing Independent Agencies with opportunities to enhance their business practices in engaging and innovative ways. Attendees had access to educational opportunities including one-on-one appointments with suppliers, workshops filled with content specifically curated for top producers, as well as supplier panels discussing white-glove customer experience, niche markets and specialization, and more. Networking events throughout the Million Dollar Showcase encouraged idea sharing and relationship building amongst the Avoya Network’s top-producing Independent Agencies.
Part one of the hybrid Avoya Conference was held virtually from August 28 – 31, 2023 and served as a precursor to both events, concentrating on brand education and networking. Avoya announced its 2024 Conference will be held on the Norwegian Joy from September 25 – October 2, 2024.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
