As the two-week countdown to the 2023 Advantage Conference begins, Julia Lo Bue-Said spoke to Travel Bulletin about what agents can expect at the conference and Advantages impressive financial results for 2021/22.
Kicking off the two-week countdown, Julia gave agents plenty to look forward to for 2023's iteration.
"The conference is all about experiencing, immersing yourself in the full end-to-end experience of what a conference destination can provide."
On the choice to bring 2023's Conference to the Melià Villaitana, in Benidorm, Advantage Travel Partnership's CEO explained: "One of the key decisions we undertake when it comes to Conference is to make sure we pick the right destinations for all the right reasons. We have to keep our feet close to the ground, make sure we know exactly what our members' expectations are and the wider direction of travel.
"We always plan 11 to 12 months in advance. The members' feedback last year was that they want somewhere with good airlift that they can get to quickly and easily. At that point, short-haul was instantly something we looked at. They also wanted us to pick a destination that's investing in sustainability at the forefront of its evolution and transformation."
These discussions fuelled the earliest discussions about 2023's venue.
"We started engaging with the Spanish Tourist Board, and they were really keen to host us. It felt like a launchpad as travel has come back; what a great place to go, where package holidays almost started: in Benidorm?
"Business is coming back, trading is coming back. Benidorm really ticks all the boxes, and we've got a fantastic venue."
Business is well and truly coming back for Advantage, with last year's financial results, published earlier this week, reflecting an almost 300% increase in 2021's figures. Total global sales turnover across the membership grew to £4.5 billion from UK members, with £1.5 billion of that from leisure travel.
On that note, Julia elaborated: "During the year, Advantage also continued to raise its profile across business, government and the media, as well as creating a public affairs and lobbying arm to champion the UK Outbound Travel sector. In doing so, Advantage has maintained its position as the leading voice for outbound travel with government and policymakers and created greater visibility and recognition for all travel agents operating in the UK Outbound travel sector."
The Conference itself will host a prestigious roster of speakers, along with interactive breakout sessions to engage agents in the Advantage Conference experience.
"Everyone wants to come away with really key takeaways from our breakout sessions. They'll cover all areas, from running a travel business successfully, recruiting and retaining talent, and seizing the day in a post-pandemic era. We've got a real spectrum and lots of different workshops, which is really important.
"In terms of speakers, we like to bring it up a level every year and showcase the macro-impacts that affect us all and our sector, and learn from different sectors. We've got Trevor Williams, an economist, who'll give a real macro, topline sector overview of how different economic sectors are performing. That'll be really useful for attendees.
"We have Kate Nicholls, the CEO of UK Hospitality, and we're really keen to hear from her from a lobbying point of view. One of the things that Advantage has invested heavily in over the past couple of years is lobbying, and we're really clear on that direction of travel. It's a really important part of what we do and part of our growth as we take the organisation forward. Kate Nicholls is a lobbyist, she's done a phenomenal job and hit the headlines over the last couple of years. There's a huge amount we can learn about managing and engaging with the government, politicians, and stakeholders.
"Mark Palmer, the travel editor at The Daily Mail, will provide a great opportunity to hear about consumer journalism, what the public wants to hear about, and how Advantage agents can best represent themselves.
"Our final keynote speaker is Dave Fishwick. For us, he really resonates with us about driving change. No matter how big that barrier is, no matter how high that wall us that's come up in front of you, Dave inspires people to never give up. He's very charismatic and entertaining, and I think for a lot of our members he'll really touch a nerve."
"Aside from the speakers, we've got a number of my senior leadership team members who will be updating delegates on what we've been doing and what more you can expect from Advantage."
On a final note, Julia celebrated the trajectory that has brought the Advantage Travel Partnership to its 2023 Conference: "I'm really proud of what we've achieved, given the backdrop of the last few years. We've been really clear, really focused on our business, and how we make sure that we leverage every opportunity.
"Throughout the past 12 months, we've changed how we operate. We've implemented a remote workforce now. 75% of everyone we've recruited over the last six months is not based in London or the South East. All of a sudden, we can recruit the best talent, and increase the business through the remote workforce. We've invested in our own people, and they are my biggest asset."
2023's Advantage Travel Partnership Conference is set to take place from May 20th to 23rd at the Meliá Villaitana, in Benidorm.
