Agenda - ASTA Global Convention

Join us at the  Caribe Hilton for a memorable evening during ASTA Global Convention to celebrate ASTA's influence in shaping the policies affecting the retail travel business today. 

The ASTA Advocacy Dinner is an invitation only, annual black-tie event brings together exclusive industry leaders and travel professionals for an inspiring evening in an elegant setting.



 

You'll hear from key industry executives on pressing industry issues.

Sponsored by

You'll hear from key industry executives on pressing industry issues.

Sponsored by

Your business is growing and you can’t handle any m ore business. You want to expand your team but don’t know when and how to do it. This session will cover some tried and true approaches that will help you take your business to the next level. Key learning objectives include:

• What considerations should you look at when expanding your business?
• How do you determine whether adding an employee, a virtual assistant or independent contractor is right for you?
• How do you attract and qualify the right candidate(s) for your business?
• How do you support and develop your team, especially if you are working in a virtual environment?

Communication is key. But what happens when the people communicating are speaking different languages? Learn what type of communicator you are and how to reach across the divide to influence others who communicate in a different way. You’ll walk away with new skills and understanding to make sure your message is heard, effective and productive. Whether between co-workers, team members, bosses or in front of an audience, this session will up your game and allow you to accomplish more with less misunderstanding and confusion.

We will party the night away at La Plaza at Distrito T-Mobile with all the best local food, drinks and entertainment San Juan has to offer.

Sponsored By




 

With the new year came a new Congress, new committee leadership and new priorities. ASTA is here to help you navigate these changes, in addition to a wide variety of regulations coming from the White House affecting your business. In this session, the ASTA advocacy team will provide an overview of ASTA’s priorities in 2023 and bring to light the power of collective action to ensure the travel agency community is well represented on Capitol Hill. You’ll also hear about the external forces that challenge an advisor’s and agency’s ability to work effectively, and ways you can get involved.

Want to up your online presence? This session will provide you with a plethora of online tools that can be used to create better blog posts, website pages, photos as well as important tips on who to write better posts using “high-value keywords.”

Our Learning Luncheons give you the opportunity to choose from five different partner presentations focused on destination training and product updates.

This session will help you understand the key motivators in making a decision and then how to quickly identify the motivator in each person and how that may cause friction in sales and service. You’ll then acquire techniques to speak to a client or potential client’s motivator, quickly.

Join this session to learn more on the fixed vs. growth mindset. The travel industry is in a constant state of change and requires agility for a person to operate from a place of proactivity vs reactivity. When you’re grounded in a growth mindset you can find new ways to solve problems, stay grounded and source from a state of abundance vs. lack. This is important for growth, staying calm in the chaos, being open to new opportunities, and knowing when to ask for help. You’ll walk away with a sense of purpose and knowledge that if you’re feeling stuck there is hope for change.

You'll have the opportunity to network with and pre-schedule appointments with over 180 industry partners.

Location: Exhibit Hall C

Location: Meeting Room 209

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Travel marketing expert Sandra McLemore, founder of Travel Marketing & Media, will be hosting an exclusive marketing and conversion training in Puerto Rico right before ASTA Global Convention. The training is geared toward travel advisors specifically, and is designed with both new-to-the-industry and seasoned advisors in mind. This is an excellent opportunity to improve your sales and marketing skills before joining us at AGC for additional education sessions. Learn more and register below.



Location: Meeting Room 209 ABC

Travel marketing expert Sandra McLemore, founder of Travel Marketing & Media, will be hosting an exclusive marketing and conversion training in Puerto Rico right before ASTA Global Convention. The training is geared toward travel advisors specifically, and is designed with both new-to-the-industry and seasoned advisors in mind. This is an excellent opportunity to improve your sales and marketing skills before joining us at AGC for additional education sessions. Learn more and register below.



Location: Meeting Room 209 ABC

Travel professionals often have to deliver bad news to clients and if these conversations go badly, they can ruin a client relationship. But if handled carefully and effectively, relationships can be enriched. Message management is critical, it takes still to effectively avoid arguments, clarify misunderstandings, deal with disputes and repair relationships. This session will help you successfully have “bad news” conversations. You’ll develop strategies for changing the conversation from negative to positive, from disrespectful to appropriate. Learn how to turn bad news delivery into an opportunity to provoke learning and enrich relationships.

Join us to meet your local chapter representation and learn how your chapter can support you!

Location: Ballroom B

Sponsored by


Global Convention Welcome Lounge sponsored by 



Location: Convention Center Level 3

Wellness tourism is the fastest-growing sector of the travel industry. Yet most advisors (and their clients) likely think solely of spa vacations when considering wellness getaways. But the category is so much broader now, and advisors who understand what’s available will have ample opportunities to grow their wellness tourism business. The aim of this session is to help you learn about the nuances of the wellness travel sector, the variety of vacation types available (including medical tourism in Europe) and more.

 

Sponsored by


Global Convention Welcome Lounge sponsored by 



Location: Convention Center Level 3

It is estimated that a lawsuit is filed every 30 seconds in America and there are more than 100 million lawsuits pending. In this session you will gain valuable insights about several subjects that will increase the likelihood of a favorable outcome should you be sued or even help you avoid a lawsuit altogether. 

You can’t afford to miss this session! It will help you understand how fraud can affect a travel agency and what to do once fraud occurs to mitigate loss. You’ll also get valuable information on how to train and educate staff to identify fraud as well as tools to use to help in fraud prevention.

Do you want to stay focused on what really matters in a busy and confused world? The digital age can sidetrack us, get us sideways and rattle our game. This session will center on keeping the main thing the main thing – and focusing on what really matters in our industry, selling travel!

Sponsored by


Global Convention Welcome Lounge sponsored by 



Location: Convention Center Level 3

Location: Sheraton Bar and Lounge

Sponsored by

You'll have the opportunity to network with and pre-schedule appointments with over 180 industry partners.

Location: Exhibit Hall C

In an increasingly interconnected world, the travel industry has the power to bring people of different cultures and backgrounds together. But to truly embrace the benefits of travel, we must also prioritize diversity and inclusion. This session will explore why diversity matters in the travel industry, and how it can enhance the experiences of both travelers and locals. From highlighting the economic benefits of diverse tourism to examining the cultural and social impact of inclusive travel, we'll discuss the ways in which a more diverse industry can help build stronger connections between people from around the globe. You’ll walk away from this session with an understanding on how to incorporate diversity and inclusion to reach a more diverse customer base, enhance loyalty by better brand reputation and image, and discover opportunities to improve decision making, creativity, and innovation. Join us as we explore the power of travel to connect us all.

Location: Meeting Room 204


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During this session and orientation our panel of experts are going to discuss how best to use your ASTA Membership whether you are a brand-new travel advisor and new to ASTA or you just need a refresher, this session is for you. We will review the Verified Travel Advisor Program, our consumer awareness initiatives and how to make the most of our chapter network and how to navigate ASTA Global Convention and learn all that you can during the next few days.

As an added bonus and to highlight one of the many benefits available in our Member Advantage Program, moderated by Andrea Caulfield, Director of Membership we will have a 30 minute “Ask a Travel Lawyer Q & A” discussion with Tom Carpenter, VTA owner, Huckleberry Travel and attorney.

Location: Meeting Room 208

Sponsored by

Our Learning Luncheons give you the opportunity to choose from five different partner presentations focused on destination training and product updates.

Today’s traveler is faced with a never-ending stream of information: social media, ads, email blasts, ads, articles, videos and commercials to name a few. How do you cut through the distractions and reach our audience of existing and potential clients? Get insider tips about how to create content that will get you noticed by using your passion for travel as well as a variety of tools and techniques to build excitement and boost your business. This session will help you tap into your own passion and expertise to create fresh content – both written and visual – to truly engage your target audience.