Questex Travel Group has announced the impressive lineup of speakers who will lead panel discussions during the fifth annual Luxury Travel Advisor’s ULTRA Summit, being held May 21-23, 2017 at The Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC.
Presented by Questex's Luxury Travel Advisor magazine, the event will bring the country’s most elite luxury travel advisors and suppliers together for an exclusive discussion about the latest research and trends in luxury travel.
Ruthanne Terrero, vice president of content and editorial director for Luxury Travel Advisor will open the event with “A Look Inside Your Business,” an analysis of a survey distributed to the attending advisors in advance of the event, in order to capture current trends experienced and the state of their business.
Terrero will also lead a second session along with 37-year industry veteran Anne Morgan Scully, president of McCabe World Travel. Together they will offer advisors new ways to work with suppliers in an effort to make the most of office visits and turn presentations into selling opportunities.
The keynote address, “The State of Our Industry Today and How It Is Reshaping the Needs of Affluent Travelers,” will be presented by Craig Compagnone, senior vice president of business strategy for MMGY Global. Compagnone will present key findings from the 2016-17 Portrait of American Travelers report, focusing on the luxury sector, how it is changing, and the expectations of the new affluent traveler.
On a more practical note, digital consultant and luxury travel advisor for Elite Travel International, McLean Robbins will present “Content & Social Media Marketing for Travel Advisors,” a straightforward, tangible opportunity to leverage social media for today’s advisors.
New to the ULTRA lineup will be a special presentation called “Tourism with Purpose: Travelers Vote with Their Wallets on the Future of Destinations,” which will be presented by John Francis, former vice president for research, conservation, and exploration, National Geographic Society and executive board member, Sustainable Travel International.
Finally the much-lauded General Managers Interactive Panel will feature luxury hotel general managers who will engage the audience in a frank discussion regarding current consumer trends and what to expect going forward beyond 2017. Panelists will include Steven André, general manager, Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa, Claudio Catani, general manager, Hotel Brunelleschi Firenze & Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte Viareggio, and Jeff David, managing director, The Watergate Hotel.
In between conference sessions, The Dominican Republic Tourism Board and Turismo de Tenerife will offer breakout sessions for advisors in an effort to focus on luxury travel in those destinations.
“I’m so pleased with the caliber of speakers we have lined up for this year’s conference,” said Terrero. “The diversity in subject matter and expertise will make for an optimal educational experience for all our attendees, both advisors and suppliers alike.”
ULTRA Summit brings some of the world’s most prestigious suppliers together with a cross-section of ultra-luxury advisors who drive hundreds of millions in luxury travel revenue annually and represent independent and affiliated agencies with membership in the top consortia, including Virtuoso, Travel Leaders Group, Signature Travel Network, Ensemble Travel Group and American Express.
Intimate one-to-one appointments will be intermixed with lively panels, engaging presentations and elegant networking functions including the prestigious Awards of Excellence, which will be held at the exquisite residence of the Belgian Ambassador and hosted by VisitFlanders.
For more information, visit www.ltaultrasummit.com.