OSSN San Jose Conference A Huge Success

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Enough can not be said about OSSN’s great Allied Suppliers and sponsors who helped make this conference a reality. A gracious thank you to, India Tourist Board for hosting a fabulous luncheon for OSSN members. OSSN thanks NCL, TravelSafe and Travel Professionals Insurance Network for hosting the OSSN reception and we urge our members to support these suppliers to demonstrate our thanks for being there.

After the OSSN conference segment, OSSN members and other homebased agents totaling 850 participants gathered for the HomeBased Show held October 20th in the San Jose, CA Convention Center. 180 suppliers greeted anxious agents to network and forge new business relationships as well as rekindle existing ones.

If you missed the OSSN conference here is a special link for your review: http://www.ossn.com/conferences/2006nationalconference/index.asp. Also, here is a special collage of members, speaker and panelist for your enjoyment associated with this article.

OSSN will be sponsoring a new show that will be coming up at the Charlotte, NC convention center on April 12th, 2007. Mark your calendars Now! This event will have a special theme that will focus on Golf, Spa, Honeymoon markets with a new theme of “Technology.” Technology will be integrated throughout this event for our speakers and members to capitalize upon. OSSN asks members to bring your laptop if you have one, as Wi-Fi access will be used for training and demonstration purposes. High speed access will be a major conduit for this event as OSSN brings you into the 21st century for this exciting trade show in Charlotte, NC.

The 2006 OSSN Annual Conference: San Jose in Pictures

Anita Balamane -- OSSN’s Western Regional Manager and the 2006 conference organizer!
-- welcomes her fellow home-based agents to San Jose.

Kathleen Ronald gives a big wake-up call to OSSN agents.

As the “Queen of Business Networking,” Kathleen shared her secrets for
growing a company one contact at a time.

Pat Dando (2nd from left), president of the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce,
gives her city’s greetings to OSSN leaders Gary M. Fee, Anita Balamane, and Melody Fee.

Patricia Bannister (far right), OSSN’s chapter director in Memphis,
explains the world of travel to these guys.

John Dalton moderates the morning’s panel on money-making travel niches.

Marlene Caracalas describes how she built her booming home-based travel agency from
scratch in a new town where she barely knew anybody!

Patrick Toal with Open Seas Travel tells why seniors usually make
the best travel agency clients.

Kelly Rubingh applied the lessons learned from her own children to
build a thriving specialty in family travel.

These OSSN agents enjoy the hospitality of India Tourism during the conference lunch.

OSSN Vice President Melody Fee thanks the generous lunch hosts with India Tourism.

Venkatesan dhattareyan (Venkat), Assistant Director, India Tourism

These OSSN members compare notes before the afternoon sessions start.

Chris Aves (the director of OSSN’s North Carolina chapter) shares a laugh with
OSSN President Gary M. Fee.

If these agents didn’t know how (or why) to sell travel to India before this year’s conference,
they left with lots of reasons after India Tourism’s lunch!

Nancy Baxter (OSSN's chapter director in Missouri) and Kathleen Ronald
(OSSN's conference keynoter on "Growing Your Net Worth by Growing Your Network")

Rita Hittler, a honeymoon specialist with Ticket to Travel in San Jose,
talks about weddingmoons and honeymoon registries.

Three travel experts -- (l to r) Theresa Mazek (editor and writer for Agent@Home magazine),
Kate Koziol (K Squared Communications),
and James Shillinglaw (editor-in chief, Agent@Home magazine)
-- tell OSSN agents how to publicize their home-based travel businesses.

James Shillinglaw tells why local and trade media coverage
can really boost your credibility as a home-based agent.

Mike Daly, Margie Weider, and Kristy Rogers (l to r) help OSSN members
make profitable connections by talking about the best networking and prospecting techniques.

Ellen Downey, Memorable Travels.com Is The Winner of 3 Night Couple Resort stay.
Thanks for coming to the conference Ellen!