Find Your Future in San Jose
by Martin Deutsch

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Chip Caruso, president of Travel Industry Shows (TIS), which produces these highly-successful events, points out that more than 350 up-market suppliers, both domestic and international, will be on hand in San Jose to acquaint our travel agent delegates with their latest products and services. "We've also put together one of the most comprehensive training and education gatherings of its kind in the industry, and we are very proud of the support from the major players in our field that this implies," Caruso says.

Among the keynote speakers at the general session on Saturday morning at the convention center are Jeff Drew, senior vice president-sales for Oceania Cruises; Kay Urban, president and CEO of Amadeus North America; and Dan Hanrahan, president of Celebrity Cruises and also incoming chairman of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

These keynote speakers will address a wide range of topics pertinent to travel agency growth and earnings. Jeff will deliver a new version of his famous talk titled "Till Death Do Us Part," in which he asks, "Why go after just the honeymooners when one of the fastest growing markets is divorced couples?" Kay will speak on technology in travel and how travel agents can use today's tools to carve out a profitable niche for themselves and earn their clients' loyalty -- and business -- for years to come. Dan will offer far-reaching comments from a mushrooming role of home-based travel agents in cruise line marketing strategies to the widely-recognized appeal of the cruise experience the honeymooners and clients seek in a romantic getaway. The general session will be hosted by James Shillinglaw, editor in chief of Agent@Home magazine and ModernAgent's Travel Pulse Daily.

The dual show actually begins on Thursday with a three-hour CLIA module, titled "Creating a Cruise Marketing Plan," and a three-hour certification course by Larry Dessler, executive director of the Niche Cruise Marketing Alliance (NCMA). Friday morning highlights include another three-hour CLIA module, titled "Selling to Special Interests-Niche Markets," and two 90-minute presentations by The Travel Institute, titled "Get Engaged! Do You Have What It Takes to be a Honeymoon Specialist!" and "Re-Energize Your Bottom Line by Specializing in Spa Travel." Agents can earn up to 30 certification credits from CLIA and four continuing education units from The Travel Institute.

On Friday afternoon, there will be a full educational program consisting of nine one-hour seminars and panels, including a home-based track with several sessions produced by the Outside Sales Support Network (OSSN), two honeymoon & romance panels, a tour & cruise panel on top sales and marketing techniques, and three proprietary seminar presentations, including one by Brendan Worldwide Vacations and another by Celebrity Cruises.

The all-important tradeshow hours are from 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon and from 2 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. During the last 15 minutes of the trade show on Saturday, travel agents who are present will be eligible in a random drawing for a wide array of attractive travel prizes.

Presentations by host companies will be featured during the sponsored meal functions, including a breakfast Saturday morning sponsored by Contiki Holidays and Insight Vacations, and a Saturday luncheon by Sandals Resorts. Contiki and Insight will offer a presentation on their respective tour programs, while Sandals will focus on its all-inclusive Caribbean packages, including the family-friendly Beaches properties.

Concurrently, OSSN will provide a full-day of training on Thursday at the Fairmont Hotel, including lunch and a reception for a total cost of $79. Travel agents who sign up for this annual OSSN National Conference, will be registered free of charge for the entire Home Based Agent Show and Honeymoon & Romantic Getaways Show.

Also still available is a post-show fam tour coupled with a fam cruise, both put together by OSSN. Travel agents will leave San Jose early Sunday morning, Oct. 22, for a scenic motor coach drive south on the Pacific Highway to the wine country around Santa Barbara, including lunch and a wine-tasting. Then they travel to Los Angeles for a seven-day cruise of the Mexican Riviera on Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas. The tour portion is based on the Oscar-winning movie "Sideways."

For more information about the OSSN conference or the post-show fam tour and cruise, go to this link for the details.

San Jose is conveniently located in the heart of the Bay Area, offering easy access to such superb tourist destinations as the Napa/Sonoma wine country to the north; Monterrey, Carmel, and Pebble Beach to the south; and San Francisco and the magnificent Bay area. Three airports serve the Greater Bay Area: San Jose International, San Francisco, and Oakland.

You can register now for the low rate of $25 if you visit www.homebasedagentshow.com and use code 3057. You can also register by calling the Travel Industry Shows registration department at 925-701-0225 and pressing "0." Special delegate hotel rates are available at the classic Fairmont Hotel for $129. Agents and suppliers can book the hotel by going to either www.honeymoonshow.com or www.homebasedagentshow.com and click on "Hotel/Travel Info" for the special promotional codes.