Visit Lauderdale is happy to provide a NEW Partnership benefit for 2023!

Launching in January 2023, partners will have the opportunity to participate in “Inbound Insider: Steps to Success”, a three-part travel trade tourism activation program developed by International Inbound Travel Association (IITA), a national leader committed to growing inbound travel to the USA.

The program is specifically designed to develop a framework of skills for travel and tourism suppliers, to develop and implement strategies tailored for your business to effectively work with and, ultimately, increase ROI and market share from key international travel trade partners across all source markets.

Travel trade collectively refers to both international and domestic third-party resellers of travel. The Steps to Success activation program will focus on how to work with Inbound Operators, who are your gateway to the international market based within the USA.

Date:  Thursday, January 12, 2023
Time: 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Location: Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center

STEP 1: Introduction to Inbound Travel Trade

What You Learn:

Build your understanding of the global network of distributors that make up the international travel trade. Learn the who, what, where, why, and how to work effective with the international travel trade, expanding your business’s reach and visibility to new source markets increasing your customer base. Walk away with set guidelines and resources to enhance your ability to work effectively and efficiently with B2B inbound operators such as:

  • Understand the value of working with the international inbound market and how to harness them as a powerful partner to grow your business
  • Learn step-by-step insights on how to prepare for this market including developing sellable products, services and operational resources that follow the protocols of working with the travel trade
  • Gain a strategic understanding of the travel trade distribution channel and how to position it to your benefit
  • Discover fundamental marketing strategies you can use to promote your products and service via the varied distribution channels of the travel trade

Steps to Success Trainer:  Jennifer Ackerson, President, Alon Tourism Solutions

Panelists:

  • Peter van Berkel, President, Travalco & Chairman, IITA
  • Gabriel Martinez, VP, Distribution & Channel Sales, Brightline

Date: Thursday January 26, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center

STEP 2: Resource Development 

What You Learn :

How to position your products to fit the needs of the travel trade to form B2B partnerships. Develop an understanding of the pricing and resource conventions required to make your products appear attractive to this market, ensuring you gain immediate traction and equitable partnerships.

  • Dive deeper into the various levels of the travel trade and their unique characteristics to begin to shape your inbound tourism development strategy
  • See how to build a dynamic “business profile” that addresses requirements of a 3rd party seller of travel products and gets traction to sell your business more easily
    • Learn what buzz words and influencing points to include in your key documents that will gain the interest of the travel trade
    • Review samples, tips and tricks and take your next step to create your own necessary & useful resources
  • Develop a competitive pricing structure while maintaining industry rate integrity
    • Understand the importance of maintaining rate integrity to build long lasting relationships
    • Obtain repeat business by following the travel trade model and learn how to incorporate rate systems in your business

 

STEP 3: Product and Operational Strategy

What You Learn:

How to effectively develop strategies and systems that not only maximize opportunities for your business but allow international travel trade partners to easily access and sell your product. Walk away with a foundation that will help you develop strategies to build future and repeat base business, and fill off-peak need periods, for consistent year-round volume from the international market.

  • Position your products/services to be sold in advance to maximize sales and marketing efforts
  • Develop operational support documents
  • Ensure you have the product, systems, and operational support in place to accommodate travel trade business effortlessly
  • Learn more about working with the travel trade from a product and policies standpoint
  • How to set up specific operational practices, internal policies, and systems per category of supplier

Steps to Success Trainer:  Jennifer Ackerson, President, Alon Tourism Solutions

Panelists:

  • Peter van Berkel, President, Travalco & Chairman, IITA
  • Gabriel Martinez, VP, Distribution & Channel Sales, Brightline

Learn more about your trainer...

IITA is proud to partner with Jennifer Ackerson of Alon Tourism Solutions to present these workshops. Learn about why Jennifer is your trusted guide to lead you on the steps to success!

JENNIFER ACKERSON President, Alon Tourism Solutions is a 25+ year veteran of the travel industry with experience in working with all supplier business verticals, destinations, and the travel trade. Jennifer founded Alon with a mission in mind to cultivate tourism destinations and supplier businesses to succeed at their tourism goals. Jennifer has an excellent understanding of tourism, the visitor dynamic and the domestic and international buyer/supplier travel trade relationship, which results in a high level of successful tourism business development strategies. Jennifer is well recognized in the industry and has a remarkable reputation, receiving awards by prestigious industry organizations for tourism marketing, travel professionalism, and exuding great leadership. Most notably, Alon spearheads the nationwide ‘Steps to Success’ International Inbound Travel Training program in partnership with International Inbound Travel Association (IITA) and the ongoing ‘Tourism Ready’ program for NYC & Company, the official DMO of New York City. Alon specializes in delivering custom tourism activation programs assisting destinations and tourism businesses to streamline their travel trade partnerships and maximize ROI.

Steps to Success  provides a comprehensive review of inbound travel to the US.  If you are considering entering this market or expand your participation, IITA provides a great place to begin.  

Leslie Womack, Director of Sales, Mayflower Park Hotel

IITA’s Steps to Success will prepare you to take advantage of pent-up demand from coveted international markets which are certain to rebound in 2022 and beyond. Give your destination, hotels, attractions and more the tools to grow their share of international visitation in a post-COVID world.

Malcolm Smith, IPW General Manager, U.S. Travel Association

IITA provides resources for DMOs and suppliers that are invaluable and are not replicated anywhere else within the industry. The Inbound Insider Steps to Success program … provided to hotels, attractions and restaurants in my destination has been a game-changer for these establishments, giving them the tools and knowledge to gain market share of inbound international visitors.

Kelly M. Defebo, CMP, Director of Sales, Visit Sarasota County

IITA’ Steps to Success program has helped to inform our industry about this complicated and important business, how it works and how they can generate additional international business. 

Dave Lorenz, Vice President, Travel Michigan

What are the Benefits of Working with the Travel Trade?

Why Should You Attend?

All businesses can benefit from working with inbound operators, see why your business should attend!

You are the reason visitors want to visit! Learn how to have your business booked in advance.

You are the essence of your destination showcasing your destination’s history and uniqueness! Working with the travel trade will be the way to add visitation, increase global awareness, and attract key markets.

Are there key need periods or room types you want to sell? Would you like to develop relationships with select partners you can rely on for long term repeat business?

Every visitor must eat! Travel trade can bring you visitors for all 3 meal periods and during your off-peak periods. Individuals as well as Groups have an opportunity here!

Shopping is the #1 activity for visitors globally. Learn ways to drive visitors to your retail space as a pre made decision before they arrive while creating fun partner programs.

International visitors travel by all modes and take day and overnight trips out of the host city.

Visitors who arrive from travel trade companies make pre-determined choices on where they will visit. If of interest is pushing visitors into year round periods and changing their visitor habits, then this session is for you.

You can see more bookings in advance and be able to push seats that are harder to sell or time periods when you want to increase your ticket sales!

Have partners who promote your events and festivals fill the space, as well as, assist you in having a successful event!

Help your stakeholder tourism businesses achieve success because you understand what is important for them to be doing. In addition to attending yourself, encourage your stakeholders to learn along with you.