Ship Inspections, Home-Based Seminars in Tampa
by Martin Deutsch

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Gary M. Fee, president and founder of OSSN said he applauds this strategic move by TIS to showcase a powerful Home Based program at the co-located Tour & Cruise/Golf & Spa show and conference. "This new seminar/panel addition will fuel and motivate each Home Based travel agent participant, with new ideas that they can bring back home and translate into serious money-making actions."

Chip Caruso, TIS president said that "this added emphasis on the rapidly-expanding Home Based market at these shows underscores our recognition of the importance of this segment of the travel agency distribution system." He added: "this focus in no way diminishes our commitment to those travel agents who work in a brick-and-mortar environment, a commitment that is strengthened by what we do in our many other training sessions and educational programs during the three-day weekend. And let's not forget our blue-ribbon Keynote Speakers on Saturday morning."

On a related front, Convention Chairman Martin B. Deutsch said that the new Home Based track at these shows will complement the reputation that "we have gained with our ground-breaking Home Based Shows the last two years, including the highly successful weekend event last September in Baltimore, which attracted 1,363 agents from 44 states and Canada." He added: "And now we are gearing up for the third annual Home Based Agent Show and Conference in San Jose, California, October 20 & 21."

OSSN President Gay Fee also chimed in: "The San Jose Show will be the most important and informative show in the travel industry for an agent to attend. Top industry speakers and consultants will provide participants an array of topics that will be certain to cater to the needs of this growing and now major distribution channel in the travel industry." The October Home Based Show will be co-located with the 4th annual Honeymoon & Romantic Getaways Show and Conference.

Back to Tampa, travel agent delegates will have many options on the educational front, including a three-hour certification course presented by the Niche Cruise Marketing Alliance (NCMA), which will run concurrent with the OSSN programs on Thursday. On Friday, March 24, an intense day of training will kick-off with accredited modules from The Travel Institute and CLIA, followed by the breakout seminar series highlighting a variety of topics on the packaged vacation and cruise markets as well as relevant topics on the golf and spa specialties and Saturday's General Session will offer insight from key executives in the industry. In addition to these learning experiences, Full Conference travel agents will take part in a sit-down breakfast sponsored by Trafalgar Tours on Saturday morning and the chance to gain first-hand sales knowledge during the ship inspections with lunch onboard such lines as Carnival Cruises, Holland America or Royal Caribbean.

Balancing the educational components will be the direct contacts agents will make during the two-day tradeshow, on Friday, March 24 from 4:00 - 6:30 pm and Saturday, March 25 from 2:00 - 4:30 pm. More than 200 domestic and international travel suppliers will exhibit, showcasing packaged vacations, cruises, golf getaways, spa retreats, destinations, properties and many other commissionable products/services as well as sales, marketing and business solution providers.

The dual shows are supported by an impressive line-up of many of the industry's most influential organizations and publications, including USTOA, OSSN, The Travel Institute, CLIA, CTO, PATA, MailPound, Recommend Magazine, GTI, Modern Agent, Cruise & Vacation Agent Magazine, and Agent@Home Magazine. Most recently confirmed as a major supporter is the Destination Spa Group.

The weekend event will provide travel agents key insights into the scope of these sales opportunities in a cost-effective way. Special hotel rates of $129 at the Hyatt Regency Tampa Bay are available to all delegates on first-come, first-serve basis. With all major airlines and low-cost carriers serving the region and transportation via Amtrak and Greyhound, delegates can easily access the Tampa Bay area. More information on traveling to this resort metropolis will be posted on the event's website.

OSSN travel agent members interested in attending can register for the full weekend at a rate of $25 (rack rate is $49 per agent) and should contact Travel Industry Shows Registration Department at (925) 701-0225 and press 0 or visit www.tourcruiseworld.com or www.golfandspashow.com and reference Group Code: 3044. Please note that there is also a tradeshow and conference only option at a rack rate of $15 per travel agent delegate. Suppliers interested in exhibiting should contact Jim Cloonan, sales manager at (617) 744-1671 or email jim@travelindustryshows.com.