This week, the
industry’s most innovative host agency, Avoya
Travel, held its Million Dollar Showcase at the stunningly sumptuous Waldorf
Astoria Orlando, an event that’s thrown exclusively for its top-producing
travel advisors who are projected to surpass the $1 million mark by year’s end.
Over the course of
the three-day affair, a group of more than 80 elite sellers assembled to
celebrate their successes, learn new skills for to grow their businesses
further and take the opportunity to connect one-on-one with Avoya’s preferred
supplier partners.
As is always the
case at Avoya functions, the atmosphere was supercharged with warmth and
enthusiasm, as these Independent Agencies (IAs) of the Avoya Network
reconnected like members of a very large extended family. Also in attendance
and on hand to lend their support were 16 Avoya staff members and 43 travel
suppliers’ representatives.
Programming
Programming consisted of five general sessions, including two lunch-and-learns,
during which preferred suppliers made presentations and spoke in panel
discussions on stage before an appreciative audience, with some enviable prizes
also being given away over the course of the proceedings.
There were also
several workshops available, which aimed to equip advisors with fresh skills,
such as how to leverage social media, ChatGPT and other AI solutions, or how to
build up a sizeable client base, expand your agency, maximize commissions, enhance
efficiency when using Agent Power (Avoya’s SaaS solution) and more.
Then, there was one
magical evening that was put on purely for the enjoyment of all involved. A
ballroom space at Walt Disney World’s Coronado Springs Resort was completely transformed
into a Haunted Mansion-themed space where attendees were treated to a sit-down
dining experience. Several performers provided the evening’s eerily whimsical entertainment—a
spectral organist, ghoulish Maître d’, the clairvoyant Madame Leota and an acapella
quartet called the “Cadaver Dans”.
Although
educational and networking opportunities constituted the bulk of the event’s
activities, The Million Dollar Showcase is also intended to serve as a sort of
reward for Avoya’s top-tier producers. Executives said that this bunch of folks
represented about $200 million in sales, equivalent to about 30 percent of the
company’s total for last year. “That's a group that deserves to be treated [to]
a little bit extra,” said Steve Hirshan, Avoya’s Senior Vice President of
Sales.
Perks
And, that’s part
of the reason that the Waldorf Astoria Orlando was selected as a venue for this
year’s Showcase. Advisors’ stays at this swanky hotel came at almost no cost to
themselves, while the palatial public and event spaces made every gathering
seem sort of like a soiree.
Of course, the last
night of the event actually did turn into a party. Following a final dinner and
awards presentation, during which various tiers of top-producing IAs were
recognized—for $1 million, $2 million and $5 million or more in sales—attendees
took advantage of an open bar and headed out on the dance floor.
Phil Cappelli,
Avoya’s Chief Sales Officer, said that initial feedback being voiced by
Showcase attendees was overwhelming positive, and that there was a lot of
appreciation for the choice of venue. “It
kind of speaks to, you know…most of those folks are selling at the luxury level
as well. So, to come to a place like this kind of fits in with what they do.”
Purpose
As the Showcase is
only in its second year of existence, we asked Cappelli what the impetus behind
its creation. Largely, he said, it was to provide IAs, “the opportunity to connect
with people, learn from others, meet new partners that you might not have seen
before now. That's how you grow your business.”
When asked what he
hoped IAs would take away from the experience, he answered, “To see how they
can grow their business. Whether that's from an administrative perspective and learning
how to use our technology better…or just making connections with somebody that
they might not have been able [to], or didn't know about selling or a different
product.” He said that, ultimately, it’s all about, “engaging one on one. And,
that's what we're seeing—the smiles on people's faces—they're actively engaged
in wanting to grow, and that's what I love about these folks.”
And, for the
suppliers present, the purpose is to offer them overall and one-on-one access
to the network’s top sellers. “I mean, it's pretty wild to be able to do that,”
Cappelli said. “There's not many companies or host agencies in travel that say,
‘Here's my top 90 people in one hotel for three days, they do $200 million in
sales, go at it.’”
Hirshan said that,
for him, one of the most satisfying parts of attending the Showcase is seeing
how quickly new advisors join the ranks of these $1 million-plus producers. “You
have to remember that, you know, 85 percent of the agents that are joining now
are brand new to travel…Within a year to 18 months, these people that are brand
new to travel are selling as effectively as people that have been here for
years.”
He reflected,
“I have some amazing teams. One, the team that built the Avoya Academy, where
new people go for education, through all the teams that bring them on during
their orientation and matriculation," and added, “It's super exciting all the way
around to see their progress and to see the efforts of my team being successful
enough to get them there.”
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