President's Message
We're 60 days away and counting from the next Original Home Based Travel Agent Show & Conference!

Join Us in ACY!
Gary M. Fee

article continued

Here's the biggest news of the event for OSSN: We'll announce our plans for celebrating OSSN's 20th anniversary next year! Our association was founded in 1990, and we've been working for the past year to set up new projects and programs for 2010 to mark the occasion. If you attend the Atlantic City show, you'll be the first to hear about what's in store ...

Meanwhile, we have a huge lineup of speakers and seminar leaders to help you grow your home-based travel business and maximize your profits (despite the tough economy):

• Keith Powell - the "Business Revivalist" - will kick off the conference's opening session with his presentation on taking off our blinders and seeing our businesses in brand-new ways.
  
  
• Anita Pagliasso (OSSN's West Coast Regional Director) will share her secrets for growing your business into a powerhouse (including 30-second marketing tips and building a sales force of 30 for under $500 a year).
  
  
• I'll moderate keynotes featuring Rick Sasso (president of MSC Cruises), Adam Stewart (chief executive of Sandals & Beaches), and James Shillinglaw (editor in chief of Performance Media Group).
  
  
• You'll also find specific seminars on selling faith-based travel, working with airline consolidators, growing your travel insurance sales, using social media networking tools like Twitter and Facebook, tapping into the gay and lesbian travel markets, doubling your commissions with Azamara and Celebrity Cruises, dealing with host agencies, planning fundraising cruises and trips, understanding what OSSN offers you as a member agent, profiting with packaged vacations, broadening your portfolio with Club Med, cashing in with honeymoons and destination weddings, and many other topics ...

Just for OSSN members, we'll host a special reception on Wednesday night sponsored by our colleagues at the Globus Family of Brands and TravelSafe Insurance. Don't miss this event!

And, the Cruise Lines International Association and the Niche Cruise Marketing Alliance will again offer certification classes for agents as part of this conference, while Sandals will sponsor a special lunch for the attending agents.

Don't miss this amazing event! Go to www.HomeBasedAgentShow.com today to reserve your spot (and book your hotel rooms at the group rates before the block closes). I look forward to seeing you in Atlantic City - and sharing what OSSN has in store for 2010!

Gary M. Fee is president and founder of the Outside Sales Support Network (OSSN), North America's largest trade association for home-based travel agents. He may be reached at info@ossn.com.

(Credits: OSSN; Trump Taj Mahal)