Our agents were on the edge of their seats learning from some of the top minds and suppliers in the travel industry at the 2019 EDGE Conference hosted by Travel Leaders Network. This year’s conference took place just outside of Washington D.C. from June 7 through 10. Over the four-day event members of the KHM Travel Group team had the chance to reconnect with our agents and learn about new trends and resources.
In addition to the 78 agents in attendance, Chantelle Nye, from our Education and Programs Team, Brigett Gerber, our Supplier Relations Assistant, and Geoff Cox, our Vice President of Sales participated in the conference. Chantelle was surprised to see how much this event has grown and was thrilled to be back again after attending last year.
The day before the EDGE Conference officially began, the KHM Travel Group Team held a meet and greet for our agents. They were able to hand out KHM Travel Group t-shirts and connect with one another before the event. The team updated agents on the exciting changes happening within our host agency, including our new corporate office location and our expanding teams like our newly formed Group Team. They also made sure agents were keeping on an eye on their mailboxes for the just-released issue of The Compass Magazine.
The next morning began bright and early as members of the KHM Travel Group family gathered to take a group photo before heading off to their first sessions of the day. Through the variety of workshops offered and suppliers represented, there was something for every agent, no matter their level of experience or their travel niche. Agents were able to focus in on the areas of travel they are most passionate about, and this year, attendees implemented a tiered system to help agents choose their workshops based on their sales and experience. This ensured that agents received information that is practical to them, their current business, and the ways in which they can continue to grow.
Chantelle said that the variety of classes to choose from was extensive and that the speakers each brought something interesting to the table from their various backgrounds. One such speaker was Mike Marchev, CTC who represented The Travel Institute. Marchev uses his background in marketing and refreshing straightforward style to reach audiences through candid stories and advice.
“I personally love hearing the speakers like Mike Marchev! He really makes his classes enjoyable and relatable!”
-Chantelle
Agents also heard from Connie Podesta, a leading speaker on sales, communication, and finding your competitive edge. She walked the audience through different personality traits and gave examples for working with and selling travel to each of these personality types. Agents noted that Podesta’s address was engaging and humorous, leaving them with many takeaways to apply to their travel businesses.
During the 13th annual Power of the Partnership (POP) Awards held during the conference, KHM Travel Group was also recognized with the Top Distinctive Voyages Sales award. Distinctive Voyages are exclusive cruises that KHM Travel Group agents can host and book clients into as a part of the Travel Leaders Network consortia. These voyages include over 3,500 specialty departures around the world. Thank you to our agents who, through their collective hard work, have earned this award.
We were thrilled to connect with our agents at this fantastic event, and we’re already looking forward to the 2020 EDGE Conference in Orlando, Florida!
KHM Travel Group is dedicated to supporting our agents as they start and grow their businesses. With industry connections like our consortia, Travel Leaders Network, we provide agents with a wealth of resources to dive into the travel industry. To learn more about becoming a KHM Travel Agent, you can fill out the form to the right or call
1-888-611-1220.