Let’s bring an end to the conference merry-go-round

There is no doubt that conferences have value. They allow agents and suppliers to meet face-to-face, build partnerships, and exchange ideas in a way that emails and video calls can never fully replace.

 

A good conference can motivate teams, improve product knowledge, and create stronger commercial relationships. The problem is not that conferences exist; the problem is the sheer number of them and the growing pressure attached to attending and supporting them all.

 

In many cases, large travel groups now operate multiple conferences across different divisions of the business. You may have a managers’ conference, an assistant managers’ conference, a homeworking division conference, and a top-sellers event, all within the same organisation.

 

Add consortium conferences, overseas conventions, and member-run events into the mix, and the industry calendar quickly becomes crowded. Suppliers and partners are often expected to attend most of them in order to maintain visibility and relationships.

 

That is where many in the industry are beginning to question whether the balance has been lost.

 

There is nothing wrong with different divisions having focused events that are genuinely useful to the people attending them. Managers should attend leadership-focused conferences. Homeworkers may benefit from events tailored to their own business model.

 

Top-performing agents deserve recognition and reward. But there comes a point where the volume of conferences starts to feel excessive rather than productive.

 

Instead of three or four well-targeted, high-value events, the industry increasingly appears stuck in a "conference merry-go-round" where the same suppliers, operators, and agents are expected to show up repeatedly throughout the year.

 

The costs involved are enormous, particularly for suppliers. Exhibition stands, travel, accommodation, sponsorship packages, and entertainment budgets quickly add up, and there are now reports of some operators paying upwards of £50,000 simply for headline sponsorship slots at major conferences.

 

That inevitably raises an uncomfortable question: could this money be better spent elsewhere?

 

At a time when many travel businesses are facing rising costs and tighter margins, it is fair to ask whether the industry is prioritising the right things. Independent agencies continue to battle increasing overheads, recruitment challenges, and fierce competition, while frontline agents are under pressure to deliver more sales with fewer resources. Against that backdrop, the growing scale and extravagance of conferences can feel disconnected from the realities many agents are facing day-to-day.

 

Imagine what some of these budgets could achieve if redirected into more practical forms of support. Better training programmes could help agents become more knowledgeable and confident sellers.

 

Educational trips could give frontline staff first-hand experience of destinations and hotels, leading to stronger customer recommendations and higher conversion rates. Increased marketing support could help agencies compete more effectively in an increasingly digital marketplace. 

 

Improved commission structures or meaningful incentive schemes could provide direct financial benefits to the agents actually generating revenue.

These are investments with clear and lasting value. A well-trained agent sells more effectively.

 

An agent who has personally experienced a destination speaks with greater authority and enthusiasm. Better marketing drives enquiries and bookings. Better rewards improve morale and retention. Those benefits continue long after the conference stage has been dismantled.

 

There is also a growing risk that conferences are becoming more about image than substance. Bigger venues, elaborate staging, gala dinners, and celebrity speakers may look impressive, but they do not necessarily improve businesses or support agents in practical ways. Too often, conferences can start to feel repetitive, with the same discussions, the same networking circles, and the same presentations appearing year after year.

 

The industry should be careful not to confuse visibility with value. Being seen at the right conference or sponsoring the biggest headline slot should never matter more than genuinely supporting the people who drive sales and customer relationships every day.

 

None of this means conferences should disappear altogether. Face-to-face interaction remains important in travel, and there will always be value in bringing the industry together. But perhaps the sector needs to rediscover some sense of proportion.

 

A smaller number of focused, well-run events with meaningful content and clear business outcomes may ultimately deliver far greater value than a packed calendar of increasingly extravagant conferences.

 

Travel is built on relationships, but it is also built on people. The agents and frontline teams speaking to customers every day are the ones who ultimately keep the industry moving.

 

At a time when commercial pressures are growing, the industry should ask itself a simple question: are we investing enough in the people generating the sales, or are we spending too much trying to impress each other?