Earlier this month, the KHM Travel Group team welcomed 39 agents from across the country to Ohio to attend our second Boot Camp event of 2019. From May 7-10, our agents dove into the travel industry to better their businesses and connect with each other.
On the first day, our agents arrived and settled in for a busy few days. To kick off the event, KHM Travel Group’s President Rick Zimmerman welcomed our agents and assured them of the values and support our host travel agency is here to provide them. Later the Education team presented our agents with information and resources for our Preferred Suppliers. These top travel suppliers offer KHM Travel Agents additional resources, programs, and incentives to help them find success in their travel business.
That evening our agents attended a social hour hosted by Norwegian Cruise Line. Through this event, agents had time to get to know one another, our team, and our Norwegian Cruise Line BDM, Jane.
Day two began bright and early with a focus on interacting with clients and finding the vacation to best match their wants. The team walked agents through popular resort brands and key geography for domestic and international locations in Mexico and the Caribbean. Agents also had the chance to learn about working with Apple Leisure Group and their booking engine, VAXVacationAccess. Through this instruction, agents felt better prepared to work with clients.
“Even though you can ‘hit the ground running’ with the initial sign up package and support from KHM Travel, Boot Camp will show you which way to run!” said William, an agent from North Carolina.
The focus for day three was cruising. Since over 70 percent of cruisers book their sailing through travel agents, it’s important for our agents to understand the benefits of cruising and the basics to book cruises for their clients. Royal Caribbean was with us to share what their cruises offer to clients and how agents can best sell them. Charles Sylvia joined us later in the day to speak about Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and why cruising is the right option for many clients. As a Premier Agency member with CLIA, KHM Travel Group can offer our agents additional resources and connections to the cruising industry, which Charles also discussed.
That evening, our agents joined us at our the KHM Travel Group Corporate Office for a social hour. Agents toured our offices and met with members of our team to learn more about the tools and resources we offer and how they can connect with the different teams. Our BDMs from Vacation Express and Blue Diamond Resorts were also available to speak with agents about what sets them apart.
On the final day of Boot Camp, our agents focused on their business development. During our Compliance session, our team shared the essentials to maintaining a reputable business and the measures agents should take to protect themselves and their clients. To help agents grow their client base, the team discussed basic marketing and social media strategies to spark agents’ creativity and help them get the word out.
As the day ended, we were sad to say goodbye to our Boot Campers. But having seen their confidence grow over the past four days, it was also exciting to see them leave energized about their travel businesses. We are always here to support you and answer your questions!
“Attending Boot Camp was so totally worth it,” said Debbie, an agent based in Maryland. “It reinforced the decision I made to join KHM Travel was a great one and it proved to me they are there for the long term! They really are team players.”
Check out our Flickr album to see more photos from May Boot Camp. We still have two more Boot Camp sessions this year. If you are a KHM Travel Agent interested in joining us, visit TravelAgentMeeting.com to find out all the details and register.
KHM Travel Group is a leading host travel agency supporting over 4,000 travel agents across the United States. To learn how you can join our network of independent travel agents, fill out the form to the right or give us a call at 1-888-611-1220.