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Vacation.com, North America’s leading travel services marketing organization, will welcome more than 1,000 attendees this week at the 11th International Conference and Trade Show at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Attendees will enjoy a comprehensive Conference agenda that includes power speakers, world-class entertainment, product demonstrations, a packed trade show, twice as many supplier sessions as the year before and 175 hours of classes.
“Everyone understands the unique challenges this year has presented,” said Lauraday Kelly, Vacation.com’s vice president of Conference & Corporate Communications. “But our members know that to survive a year like this, they need to work smarter, dig deeper and learn more. That’s why they come to Conference -to develop the tools they need to thrive in any economy.”
Conference will take flight on day one with the official launch of EZair- the air-booking functionality for its revolutionary leisure sales platform, EZguider -that allows members to make stand-alone and add-on bookings from more than 400 airlines without a GDS contract, monthly fees or productivity goals.
EZguider’s cruise-booking functionality will be put to the test during Thursday morning’s “Book-Off Contest.” To prove that an agent can shop and book a cruise on EZguider at least five times faster than going through supplier channels, volunteers will be recruited to race against a member using EZguider.
Key enhancements to Engagement, Vacation.com’s direct mail and email marketing program, will also be on display. Improvements include QuickEmail, a new convenience that allows members to opt into numerous e-Engagement promotions at one time, and Vacation.com’s unique ability to send offers only to customers with the discretionary income to travel.
Attendees and non-attendees alike can easily follow many Conference events online, thanks to Vacation.com’s new social media initiative. Using Twitter, Facebook and a blog, Vacation.com will post, update and tweet Conference highlights throughout the week, all while educating members on the how to leverage social media tools to their advantage.
One topic that will surely be tweeted about will be the eco-friendly changes at Conference. Vacation.com reduced its overall use of paper by printing smaller program books on recycled paper and limiting handouts, while class tickets were replaced with bar codes on name badges.
Attendees will also enjoy several exclusive social events, including a night at the Oasis at Lake Las Vegas, which will feature hotel tours and a wine tasting, and discounted shopping and food at the Miracle Mile Shops, along with free tickets for the V Theatre.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
