The TTA Worldchoice conference has 200 agents signed up to its first joint event and is on target for 350 delegates including suppliers.
The first day of the conference, which is being held at the Sheraton Skyline Hotel near Heathrow on November 21-22, will focus on industry challenges. The first session of the day will see TTA Worldchoice managing director Simon Hargreaves and operations director Gary Lewis update members on the strategy for the group.
This day will also include presentations from Jewellery tycoon Gerald Ratner, motivational speaker of the year Steve McDermott, and body language expert Richard Newman. Ascent MI managing director Sarah Smalley will also share some exclusive research on the market with delegates.
On the first evening the TTA Worldchoice Bluey Awards will be held.
Day two will see an all-day showcase where suppliers and members hold meetings to discuss plans for 2010 campaigns. A series of smaller workshops will also be held on specific product areas, including a seminar for the TTA Worldchoice Cruise Club. Other sessions include marketing, internet, business travel and green tourism.
Managing director Simon Hargreaves said: “Last year we said that the recession would change the industry – I think we are seeing the signs of that. We will be talking about different ways of running a travel business, and what we TTA Worldchoice need to offer to make those viable options for our members.
“We are well aware of how tough a year it has been – we have some really good external speakers with relevant skills and experience to help us all over the coming months.
“The marketing sessions were very popular last year – we have followed this up with several workshops covering day to day marketing, the internet and, of course how to make money in the green market. We will also be describing some of the work we have done in the past year about increasing what we do for members to support their marketing campaigns – such as our new cruise website.”
Registration for the two-day event costs £86.25 for TTA Worldchoice members and £343.85 for suppliers. Accommodation at the Sheraton Skyline Hotel costs £74.75 per night.