RETAIL ROUND-UP: Ensemble marks milestone, plus TLN and TDC
Coinciding with the one-year anniversary since its acquisition by Navigatr Group, Ensemble held its first Summit event for owners and managers at the Stein Erikson Lodge in Park City, Utah, earlier this month.
Under the theme ‘Champion Mindset,’ owners and managers gather at the lodge from June 4 to 78 to focus on the next stage of the consortium’s evolution,
David Harris, Executive Chairman of Ensemble, opened the conference and reflected on the theme of the Summit – championing success.
“We’ve come out from one of the most devastating crises for our industry and have taken a 180-degree turn and gone into overdrive,” he said. “Travel has surged and our members’ businesses are busier than ever as consumers are excited to be spending on travel that inspires, invigorates, and fulfills their desires to meaningfully expand their lives. We are not seeing signs that the pace will diminish any time soon as long as we continue to fuel consumer interest and drive value through our very strong relationships and an expanding, impressive lineup of diverse product offerings.”
In his remarks, Michael Johnson, President of Ensemble, provided a recap of the transformation Ensemble has undergone in the past year and what’s next as part of its evolution.
“This past year has been about rebuilding and reimagining what Ensemble could be and how it could transform our business, our members’ businesses and the consortium model,” he said. “Having successfully created that foundation, we are now focused on growth…”
The rebuilding of the brand included expanding the team, a comprehensive brand refresh that included a new logo; new print and digital publications including new consumer magazines, new FAM and marketing programs; new hotel and DMC programs; enhanced training and development; and a partnership to enhance data collection and monetization.
The three-day Summit agenda also included opportunities for networking with partners as well as for fun activities – some of which were Olympic themed in keeping with the location – such as bobsledding, cycling, exploring Park City and a dine-around to the some of the area’s top restaurants.
Summit is one of the newly branded annual events Ensemble announced in January and follows on the heels of the success of Uncharted, an advisor-focused virtual event that took place in April. Next up is Horizons, the annual event for the entire consortium that will take place at Paris Las Vegas from Nov. 2-6.
Travel Leaders Network
Travel Leaders Network (TLN) continues to increase its global product offerings with the addition of 19 new travel suppliers to its network in the past year over the past year.
The organization says the expansion of diverse travel supplier partners aims to meet the growing needs of its member agencies while providing members with excellent sales support, new technology and enhanced benefits to directly improve their clients’ overall travel experience.
New preferred suppliers include luxury service provider Micato Safaris; South Korea’s leading full-service carrier Asiana Airlines; National Geographic Expeditions; newly reinvented cruise line Crystal Cruises; On The Go Tours; RIU Hotels & Resorts; all-inclusive Marival Resorts; concierge-style service provider 5Continents; Core Travel Technologies; itinerary builder Travefy; as well as several destination partners including Travel Alaska, Experience AlUla, Dominican Republic Tourism Board, Jordan Tourism Board, The Nordics, Qatar Tourism, Saudi Tourism Authority, Switzerland Tourism, and Visit California.
TDC
After nearly 14 years at Transat Distribution Canada (TDC), Kimberley Wood has resigned from her position of Director, Franchise and Affiliate Members at TDC to take on a new challenge. A recruitment process is under way to replace her; until then her functions will be maintained by Dana Glover and Karine Gagnon and the national support team.
First published at Travel Industry Today
