Travel Weekly and TravelAge West’s seventh-annual Global Travel Marketplace (GTM) West event took place September 20-21, 2020 with attendees participating from their own homes, located all around the world. The virtual version of GTM West was a two-day appointment-based event with top-producing travel advisors and global travel suppliers working together to rebuild their businesses and plan for the resurgence of the travel industry.
"GTM West’s mission has always been to create an environment where the industry can come together and advance,” said Alicia Evanko-Lewis, Senior Vice President of Events, Travel Group, Northstar Travel Group. “That still rings true with the virtual event that took place this year. In fact, the advisor and supplier community was craving connection more than ever.”
This year’s event included 83 travel advisors, many of which are owners of their travel agencies, and 64 supplier companies. Attendees engaged with one another through one-on-one pre-scheduled video appointments, exclusive Boardroom presentations and networking in a virtual ballroom.
With live content, live video meetings and live video networking, the event was able to create a true sense of community. “I felt the energy and excitement as soon as the opening video played,” said Sonya Little, Owner, Sandcastle Wishes Travel, speaking to a creative video of event staff opening the doors to their homes and home offices to welcome attendees to the event. “It was so heartfelt, so warming, and so welcoming, and reminded me that I am a part of something special.”
For suppliers who have participated in the live event year over year, the virtual GTM West did not disappoint. “The GTM team once again achieved greatness by producing a virtual event that feels like a live one,” said Jesus Repetto, Co-Founder & CEO Titanium Tours. “The event structure has been planned to the smallest detail in true GTM fashion. The technology they’ve deployed is seamless and they have definitely surpassed my expectation of what a virtual event could be.”
Advisors took the opportunity during on-on-one appointments to widen their supplier knowledge and make new connections. “When I was making my appointment requests, my focus was on suppliers I was unfamiliar with or had heard of but had never done business with,” said Jami Turner, Owner, The Travel Fanatic. “Our business is relationship focused, so having those 6 minutes to start building relationships was a huge success.”
Supplier participants found great value in one-on-one meetings as well. “My meetings with some of the best travel advisors in the industry prove just how important it was that we moved forward with our plans to participate in this year's virtual event,” said Michelle Bartlett, Executive Director of Business Development, Authentic Vacations. “The excitement for Authentic Vacations that advisors expressed leaves me with no doubt that we will again experience a great ROI following our participation.”
GTM West’s sister event, GTM, will also be held virtually from October 29-30, 2020. Next year, GTM West plans to return to the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona May 3-5, 2021. Qualifying travel advisors must have a minimum of $1 million in annual sales for GTM, reside in the U.S. or Canada, have a global book of business and provide supplier references. For more information, please visit globaltravelmarketplace.com. For supplier inquiries, please contact Emmy Morales at emorales@travelweekly.com or 201-902-1951.