AGENT@HOME EXPO PROGRAM

The pages of Agent@Home magazine come alive with sessions by industry leaders and our regular columnists. Agent@Home magazine's own travel agent readers are the source of two great panels offering case studies on home-based agent success stories as well as how to select a great host agency. Visit and Learn!

KEYNOTE SPEAKER


Ilise Benun

"The Art of Self Promotion"
Ilise Benun, founder of the New Jersey-based consulting firm "Marketing Mentor", author of 7 books, and publisher of the eNewsletter "Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor", which has a readership of more than 12,000, shares simple strategies and practical tips for developing and nurturing relationships. Attendees will learn the art of networking:

  • How to start (and end) conversations in a friendly, professional way
  • How to talk about yourself and your work without bragging
  • How to transform forgettable encounters into blossoming friendships
  • How to transcend the trivialities of polite chitchat
  • Each day 5 winners will be selected at random from travel agents visiting the event that day to win "The Art of Self Promotion" by Ilise Benun
The keynote speaker address will be available for viewing both days.

Day 1 - Tuesday, June 28, 2011 2pm-6pm EST

Workshops:

Stuart Cohen

"Three Powerhouse Sales Concepts That Will Work for You."
Stuart Cohen, a veteran travel industry executive and sales expert, chief motivation officer for Exclamation Points, Inc., a business coaching company, and host of the Stuart Cohen Show on radio. His column "Sales Skills" appears regularly in Agent@Home magazine. In this session Stuart will provide you with ways to sell more by motivating and inspiring your customers.

Stuart is a 23 year veteran travel industry executive and entrepreneur. He is Chief Motivation Officer at Exclamation Points, Inc., where he is a speaker, trainer, and business coach. Stuart is the producer and host of the Stuart Cohen Show, a web-based talk radio show for travel professionals. He is also operates ResortForaDay.com, a niche shore excursion company offering commissionable day passes for Caribbean cruisers.

In 2010, Stuart launched the Travel Agent Success Series with four other top industry trainers, where he has released a Group Success Training DVD. In 2005 he co-founded the travel industry’s highly acclaimed training program, The Home Based Success Series.

Most recently vice president of group travel with World Travel Holdings, Stuart launched Vacation.com as their vice president of marketing, was creator & senior vice president of the Network of Entrepreneurs Selling Travel (N.E.S.T.) and directed the Eastern U.S. key account sales team with Celebrity Cruises.

Stuart is among the industry’s most popular motivational speakers and is featured at conferences throughout the industry. A Master Cruise Counselor and Rising Star recipient (2000), his articles are published regularly in trade magazines and he is currently writing a comprehensive book on group sales, due out in the fall of 2011. Stuart lives on Long Island, New York.

Jeff Miller

"The Rights and Obligations Between Hosts and Agents."
Jeff Miller, Agent@Home's resident travel law expert, and a regular columnist for Agent @ Home magazine, gives you a primer on what to consider when choosing a host, including what kind of agreement you should have with the host. He details what the host is obligated to do for you, and what you are obligated to do for the host.

General Session:

PANEL

Success Stories

"How to Succeed in Your Home Based Travel Business By Really Trying!"
Three case studies of home-based agents who have traveled the journey to success. Panelists include:

  • Elizabeth Gordon, Extraordinary Journeys
  • Leah Smith, Tafari Travel
  • Jennifer Doncsecz, Travel by VIP
  • Moderated by Kate Rice, executive editor-travel agents and travel technology for Agent @ Home magazine
Jennifer Doncsecz is a nationally recognized travel expert, specializing in Caribbean vacations, destination weddings and honeymoons. As owner and president of VIP Vacations Inc., Jennifer has distinguished herself as one of the top travel agents in America. Having received numerous industry awards, Jennifer uses her position to educate consumers as well as travel professionals about how to make vacations possible, affordable and easy for everyone.

Interviews with the Experts

Larry Pimentel

"Learn the Life of Luxury Travel Sales!"
Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises, is Agent @ Home's resident luxury travel expert (he's had a regular column in the magazine since it began in 2004). In an interview with James Shillinglaw, editor in chief of Agent @ Home magazine, Larry reveals the secrets of how you can become successful selling luxury travel.

Larry Pimentel, President & CEO of Azamara Club Cruises, is a high profile, international travel and tourism industry figure who is widely known for his acumen in marketing up-scale travel products. His unique body of knowledge on the subject complements exceptional skills as a forceful and compelling educator, speaker, writer and frequent lecturer. Pimentel has a well-earned reputation as one of the foremost experts on the topic of selling and marketing to discriminating travelers.

Prior to joining Azamara Club Cruises in January 2010, he was President, CEO and Co-Owner of SeaDream Yacht Club (2001-2009). Earlier he served as President & CEO of Cunard Line and Seabourn Cruise Line (1992-2001) and before that as President & CEO of Classic Hawaii, a tour operating company (1983-1992).

Michelle Fee

"A Story of Success."
Michelle Fee, president and CEO of host agency Cruise Planners, talks about how she built up her business into a powerhouse of cruise sales. In an interview with James Shillinglaw, editor in chief of Agent@Home magazine, Michelle tells you what it takes to succeed in a highly competitive market...and why Cruise Planners has achieved such success.

Michelle Fee co-founded Friendship Travel, a full-service travel agency, in 1981 with friend Lynn Korn. After several successful years in business, Michelle and Lynn joined forces with industry veteran Marvin Davis to co-found Cruise Planners in 1994. What started out as a small business with only five students in the first training class has now grown into the nation’s largest homebased travel agent franchise network in the cruise industry with more than 700 franchise owners across the nation.

Recently honored as a Stevie Awards Top Women in Business finalist in the “Best Entrepreneur” category, Michelle sits on the advisory boards of Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises and the Cruise Line International Association, as well as the Executive Forum for Carnival Cruise Lines. In 2003, Michelle was named one of Travel Agent magazine’s most “Powerful Women in Travel,” and in 2006, named “Travel Agent of the Year” by Travel Trade magazine. In 2009, Michelle was also honored as one of the “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds” in sales and marketing by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), and in 2010, was also named one of the “Top 25 Most Influential Business Women” by the South Florida Business Journal.

Day 2 - Wednesday, June 29, 2011 4pm-8pm EST

Workshops:

Jack Mannix

"How to Market Yourself Before Marketing the Product."
Jack Mannix, president of Jack E. Mannix & Associates, a travel consulting firm, and former president of Ensemble Travel Group and The Travel Institute, details the basics about how to market yourself and your services. His recommendation: You need to make your own services even more valuable than the products you sell. Jack is a regular columnist for Agent@Home magazine.

Jack Mannix is the principal of Jack E. Mannix & Associates. With 30+ years of travel industry experience, he’s uniquely equipped to advise industry executives on achieving business goals and the consumer on all things travel.

Mannix is the former President and CEO of Ensemble Travel Group, a New York-based cooperative of approximately 800 North American travel agency locations. Previously, he was President & CEO of The Travel Institute, an international organization that educates, tests and certifies travel industry professionals at all stages of their careers and spent six years as Managing Director of Travel Related Services, Marketing and Industry Relations at AAA’s national headquarters in Orlando. During 16 years with American Express, he held several sales, marketing and general management positions.

Mannix holds a BA from American International College and an MBA from Western New England University. He’s a fully rated Commercial Pilot, holds Multi-Engine and Instrument ratings, and has completed initial training on the Boeing 737-800/900 at Continental Airlines, where he also earned the FAA’s “High Altitude Endorsement”. He owns his own airplane and flies it for pleasure and occasionally on business.

Jeff Miller

"How to Start Charging Service and Consulting Fees."
Jeff Miller, our resident travel law expert, and a regular columnist for Agent@Home magazine, gives you his recommendations and best practices on how you can start charging service fees and consulting fees -- and not lose customers. Learn how these fees can be help you earn money for your expertise.

General Session

PANEL

Host Agencies

"How to Choose the Right Host Agency That Best Fits Your Business."
A panel of top hosted agents reveals how they decided on what host agency to affiliate with...and how you can too! Panelists include:

  • Jacquie Peticolas, Avoya Travel
  • Donna Abbene, Cruises Inc.
  • Toni Lanotte-Day, Nexion
  • Maria Tilton, Cruise Planners
  • Moderated by James Shillinglaw, editor in chief of Agent @ Home magazine
My Agency is an Independently Owned and Operated Affiliate of Avoya Travel / American Express.

I have more than 30 years experience selling travel and planning dream vacations for clients around the globe. I have always had a passion for all aspects of the travel industry and specialize in selling cruises, resorts and escorted tour vacations.
Toni has been in the travel industry for 27 years and is an Independent contractor Travel Consultant with Nexion, Co-Chapter Director of Long Island NACTA, CLIA Master Cruise Counselor and cruise specialist for RCCL, NCL and Oceania.

Toni attended Pan American Travel School in Manhattan in 1984 and started working as an Outside Sales agent at Don-Bar Travel. Started arranging group ski trips to Europe then branched out to cruise groups for Paramedics from New York City Fire Department where I worked full time. My business grew from referrals of my group clients. I retired from the fire department in 2006 and ramped up my travel business full time, where my business now consists mostly of cruises and soft adventure custom FIT small group tours called Adventures With Toni Tours.
I joined Cruise Planners / American Express with NO travel agent experience at all, just travel experience. I sailed 15 cruises and fell in love with cruising and knew I had to get into the industry.

As the economy worsened and my current job was coming to an end, I knew I had to make a decision soon. After researching a few host agency's, it was clear that Cruise Planners was the one that fit my needs.

I knew NOTHING!! i had no experience i was so nervous and asked myself how can i be a travel agent and run a business of my own, Cruise Planners was amazing they held my hand from beginning to end, coached me in the right direction and gave me the positive reinforcement i needed to succeed. My 1st year as been a whirlwind. I've had so many wonderful opportunities to get my name out there, I have been in magazines, invited on free trips—the possibilities of my success are endless.

Interviews with the Experts

Chris Austin

"A Hotel View of the Home-Based."
Chris Austin vice president-global retail leisure and luxury sales, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, tells you how his company and hotels in general view the home-based market. Starwood Hotels has developed specific programs designed for the home-based agent community. Interviewed by James Shillinglaw, editor in chief of Agent @ Home, Chris tells gives you his view of the future for the home-based agent channel.

Chris has been recognized by Travel Agent Magazine as one of the industry’s shining stars and previously won the ITT Sheraton President's Award and Starwood's Sales Award of the year. In September 2008 Chris received the Allied Member of the Year Award from the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) recognizing his outstanding contributions to the travel industry, which have positively impacted the travel agency community. Chris has a passion for travel and a passion for the retail travel professional. He has been recognized by leading groups as a true advocate for the travel professional and works hard each and every day with his global team to grow the value and recognition of travel agencies today.

Edie Bornstein

"A Cruise Line View of the Home-Based Agent Market."
Edie Bornstein, vice president, sales and marketing for Azamara Club Cruises, and a veteran cruise line sales executive, offers her views of home-based agents and how they remain critical to cruise line distribution strategys. Like its sister lines Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, Azamara has built up its marketing program for home-based agents over the years. Edie has been working with home-based agents for years and is a keen observer of the market. In an interview with James Shillinglaw, she tells you about how her cruise line's program evolved and what she sees as the future for home-based agents.

Brought to you by