The Global Travel Marketplace (GTM) conference hosted by Northstar Travel Group at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale proved to be filled with opportunities for travel advisors, allowing them to showcase their qualifications and engage in sales pitches. From Mary Pat Sullivan’s encouragement to set up tables that truly represented the individual travel agency, to Kelley Lord’s pink neon flamingo, Tonya Matthews’ blue guitar, 2-day teambuilding activities, and other fun decorations, GTM was a remarkable success.

At the annual Global Travel Marketplace conference in Fort Lauderdale, travel advisors were rigorously vetted and given a table in the Diplomat Beach Resort‘s massive ballroom. This allowed them to meet with cruise lines, attractions, DMCs, and resorts in a series of six-minute visits throughout two days. Mary Pat Sullivan, Northstar executive vice president of marketing, saw how much time the advisors spent at their tables, and encouraged them to make it their own space, reminding them that they owned the appointments. GTM is proudly owned by Northstar Travel Group.

The event was a resounding success, with 140 travel advisors showcasing their qualifications and engaging in sales pitches and networking. Many of them took Sullivan’s advice to heart and made their tables truly their own, decorating them with globes, suitcases, signs, furry rugs, candy bowls, business cards, mottoes, snacks, string lights, and agency-name banners. The Northstar Travel Group is proud to have hosted such an impressive event, which saw attendees from all sorts of backgrounds come together and collaborate in an effort to further the travel industry. The event featured keynote speakers who shared their insights on the latest trends and innovations in the travel industry. Attendees also had the opportunity to network with industry leaders and participate in interactive workshops.

Most notably, Kelley Lord of Vacation Ever After in Orlando brought a pink neon flamingo to her table, which she said was chosen by her 16-year-old son to represent the agency’s Florida base. Tonya Matthews of Starstuff Travel proudly displayed a blue guitar, representing her hometown Hazlehurst, Mississippi. The two entrepreneurs further engaged with their peers through teambuilding activities such as “Star Wars” Jedi training and personal travel stories.

These decorations served as an excellent conversation starter and were a hit amongst the Travel Weekly editor who was roaming the floor.

The Global Travel Marketplace conference was a tremendous success and showed how deeply vested travel advisors are in the industry, represented by Kelley Lord’s pink neon flamingo and Tonya Matthews’ blue guitar. Northstar Travel Group could not be more proud of how the event brought various members from the travel industry together to engage, learn new information, communicate tips and ideas, and build an ever-expanding network that serves both travelers and the tourism industry as a whole. This valuable experience demonstrates a bright, interconnected future for all those in attendance in the years to come.

The Global Travel Marketplace (GTM) is one such event that brings together travel professionals from around the world. It offers a unique opportunity to learn about new destinations, travel trends, and industry innovations while networking with peers and suppliers.