VP of IT Sandi Szalay announces new augmented groups application and COO Debbie Fiorino delivers a motivational address.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. – On the second full day at sea of the Dream Vacations and CruiseOne National Conference aboard Norwegian Encore, the travel agency franchise announced an innovative technology for booking group cruise and land vacations. This new application is tailored to the needs of its network of travel advisors and gives them a competitive advantage.
The crowd went wild when Vice President of Information Technology Sandi Szalay unveiled the release of Dream Vacations’ and CruiseOne’s new Groups Application. “We know that selling groups is a very profitable opportunity for our travel advisors,” said Szalay. “We worked with travel advisors on our IT Committee to get their perspective throughout the build. The streamlined and more user-friendly Groups Application is going to motivate those who are not booking groups to take that first step while helping the groups experts take this aspect of their business to the next level.”
The new application, which is designed for growing group business, is compatible with multiple devices and browsers. Dream Vacations and CruiseOne franchise owners, veterans, and newcomers provided video testimonials to accompany the announcement. Their testimonials describe how they sell groups successfully and what they most enjoy.
“Since I do a lot of groups, I am really looking forward to the rollout of the Groups Application,” said Stacey Harrington, a Dream Vacations Franchise Owner from Spotsylvania, Virginia. “I love it as a Mac person, it will be a lot easier to book groups. I love having my business portable and, on the go, and this will grant me the ability to use my Mac laptop, desktop, phone, and tablet to book my clients and deliver remarkable experiences.
With the theme of “Forward,” Chief Operating Officer of Owned Brands Debbie Fiorino delivered a powerful message about moving forward despite change. Debbie reminded the audience that change is inevitable and to not let the way things are ‘supposed to be’ or circumstances that can't be controlled get in the way. As part of the presentation, Fiorino said to achieve success, you have focus on you, on your business, not the competition or what others are doing.
“I love how every year we seem to find the exact word for our conference theme that expresses where we are and where we are going,” said Fiorino, chief operating officer of owned brands for Dream Vacations and CruiseOne. “When I use the word forward, I am referring to the meaning, progressing and improving. Our agents are making the most of their learning and networking experiences onboard and I know they will hit the ground running with new ideas for their business when we return to shore.”
Earlier in the cruise, Dream Vacations and CruiseOne travel advisors learned how to focus, declutter their thoughts, and stay on task by practicing mindfulness meditation. The workshop was conducted by Jo-Annye Von Born, a certified professional coach, who helped participants learn simple yet effective techniques for empowering agents to work and live at their best. A mindfulness practice aims to improve self-management, which is the ability to manage your thoughts and emotions to make better decisions both in your personal and professional lives. A calm and focused mind allows you to manage your time and prioritize tasks more effectively.
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.
