Travel Leaders Network hosted their annual conference and trade show on June 12-15, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The EDGE Conference, which stands for Educate, Discover, Gather, and Evolve, is one of the biggest events of the year for members of Travel Leaders Network, like KHM Travel Group. Every year, Travel Leaders’ annual conference offers our agents the chance to learn what’s new in the world of travel, attend educational workshops and speaker sessions, and network with their fellow KHM Travel agents and other members of the travel industry.
This year, 70 KHM Travel agents and four KHM Travel Group team members attended the EDGE conference at Caesar’s Palace.
Ashley Jacin, from our events team, noted that there were educational opportunities for every level of agent, from those just starting out to the most seasoned of agents. She attended two of the Power Speaker sessions, one on how to stand out in the travel industry called, “Stand Out…Or Step Aside,” with Larry Mersereau. The other Power Speaker session was, “Putting Loyalty Back in the Business,” in which Stuart Cohen focused on building customer loyalty and in return, how to be loyal to your customers. She felt that these sessions were impactful and resonated with agents in attendance.
Our Agent Development Specialist Chantelle Nye thought it was remarkable how many CEOs, CFOs, and Vice Presidents of large tour suppliers spoke, including Vicki Freed from Royal Caribbean who encouraged agents to stand out with simple but effective ways to strengthen their client relationships and grow their businesses. With such high-level speakers, the event drew a large crowd, but Chantelle noted how well organized the event was and that the event ran “like a well-oiled machine!” When asked what she took away from this event, she said,
“I think it is a great investment in your business to attend and to make the most of the 4 days while you are there. I now have a first-hand feeling of how our Boot Campers feel…There were some sessions that related to me more than others, but I tried to take something away from each one.”
Bri Greathouse, our internal operations specialist, reflected on the speech given by Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos, who discussed the responsibility a business has to its customers, to its community, and to fostering a positive culture within the company. He explained his view on how people should treat one another with kindness and how that should carry over into business practices. She felt that the conference offered a balance of industry-related topics and business-building topics that agents could benefit from.
Rick Zimmerman, KHM Travel Group’s CEO and President was also in attendance. He and the other attendees from the corporate office were invited on stage at the 12th Annual Power of Partnership Awards to accept the 2018 President’s award. This award was given to KHM Travel Group in honor our agents’ sales growth experienced in 2017. Though the award itself now resides in the home office in Ohio, Rick Zimmerman said,
“This award truly belongs to our agents who put in a tremendous amount of work this past year. This recognizes their achievements, as well as dedication to booking preferred suppliers of Travel Leaders, and we are honored to accept it on their behalf.”
The EDGE conference was a fantastic learning experience for both our agents and our staff members. Thank you to the agents that joined us for this valuable experience and to our partners at Travel Leaders Network for putting on such a rewarding and fun event!
View more of our photos from Las Vegas and the EDGE Conference in our Flickr album.
We can’t wait to see what next year’s conference will hold!
Have you ever thought about starting your own travel business? KHM Travel Group is here to help. With our network of agents, dedicated staff, and affiliates like Travel Leaders Network, we can provide you with the resources and information you need to run a successful business. For more information, fill out the form on the right or call us at 1-888-611-1220.