On Location: “We are stronger than ever”: TravelOnly kicks off 2022 conference

“Perseverance is a huge part of success,” said Gregory Luciani, president and CEO of TravelOnly, “and the only way to persevere is to keep learning, keep travelling, and keep moving forward no matter what the circumstances.”

After more than two years of navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, TravelOnly advisors are stronger than ever – and there’s a major industry event happening this week to substantiate that claim.

TravelOnly’s 2022 national conference, “Stronger Than Ever” – TravelOnly’s first in-person conference to take place during the pandemic – kicked off Thursday morning (June 9) at the Bellagio Boutique Event Venue in Vaughan, ON.

PAX is on location covering the fun and informative gathering, which runs until Friday (June 10) and welcomes 100 TravelOnly advisors and 80 others representing 40 suppliers from all corners of the biz.

The symposium picks up where TravelOnly’s 2019 conference, “Better, Stronger, Faster” in Las Vegas (which also marked the host agency’s 45th anniversary) left off – albeit in a transformed marketplace following more than two years of pandemic-related restrictions.

“Yes, we are in recovery. Yes, we are resilient. But most importantly, we are stronger than ever,” said Ian Elliott, TravelOnly’s vice-president of sales and marketing, at Thursday morning's opening session.

The conference, as Gregory explained in his opening remarks, is an opportunity for advisors to commit to learning, acquire new skills and gain a new sense of motivation.

“We’ve been in this business for a long, long time and to go through what we did over the last two years is clearly unprecedented,” Gregory told attendees. “The fact that we’re all here today shows that every single one of you is successful.”

“Success is not just a number. It’s about perseverance and being able to take life’s challenges that are thrown at us and still be here.”  

TravelOnly’s roster of home-based advisors (many of whom come from various business backgrounds outside of the travel industry) live in communities across Canada.

And this week’s conference attendees reflect that regional diversity.

“Success in sales isn’t easy – even for people who love it,” he added. “It takes a lot of work, time and energy. Our goal is to help you realize your potential.”

Awards and recognitions

The exciting two days – supported by platinum sponsor Norwegian Cruise Line – will also include TravelOnly’s fifth annual Achievement and Distinction Awards, which will unfold Friday evening (June 10) with a glam gala and awards ceremony, where advisors will be honoured by preferred partners. (Top suppliers, too, will also be recognized).

The night will also see the TravelOnly head office team recognize top sellers from 2020 and 2021, as well as President’s Club inductees.

And, new to TravelOnly’s ceremony this year is the Patrick Luciani Legacy Award, which recognizes individuals who embody the sense of community and industry advocacy that was once held by Patrick Luciani, TravelOnly’s founder and chairman, who sadly passed away in April of 2020.

“We work in the best industry in the world, and as Patrick liked to say, we make people’s dreams come true,” noted owner and CFO Ann Luciani, who joined her son Gregory on stage Thursday morning to welcome participants.

“Dig in and learn deep”

Rounding out the jam-packed program will be supplier presentations, a cruise panel (featuring Norwegian Cruise Line, AmaWaterways, Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean and TravelOnly Mentors Tammy Durocher and Pat Probert), one-on-one sessions, a TravelOnly advisor panel (featuring Sarah Boville, Jennifer McPherson, Amanda Beaver and Ian Elliot) and helpful training seminars and workshops.

“People are booking more travel today, in the last two months, than over any time in human history,” Gregory told attendees. “If you put that into perspective, we are now well positioned to capitalize on two years of pain.”

“We want you to look at the opportunity and go after it.”

“Dig in and learn deep. We’re here to help you grow your business and take it to the next level.”

TravelOnly’s 2022 conference “Stronger Than Ever” runs until Friday, June 10. Stay tuned for more on-location updates! 

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