Secrets of a Great Travel Expo
Travel expos are an important part of the business for many of our personal travel managers (PTMs), creating opportunities to connect with existing and prospective clients, while providing a space in which those clients can talk directly to partner suppliers, asking questions and finding fresh holiday inspiration.
We’ve asked some of our expo-loving PTMs what’s involved in running a great travel expo and why they are a valuable addition to their businesses.
What do your clients like about travel expos?
The relaxed, festive setting of a travel expo lets them engage with suppliers at a personal level, without any pressures to wrap up a sale. They can choose to attend the presentations that interest them, ensuring that they get the information they need without feeling any pressure to commit to something on the spot.
Why do suppliers love being part of a TravelManagers expo?
They value the opportunity to get face-to-face with potential customers, answering questions and sharing their passion for the destinations and experiences they represent.
Is it possible to work with other PTMs in your area to hold a joint expo event?
Yes! By choosing to pool resources and experience, it’s possible to create an event that is much greater than the sum of its parts. This collaborative approach is a hallmark of the TravelManagers’ culture: it enables less experienced PTMs to grow in confidence while learning a lot about what it takes to run a successful travel expo.
Everyone works together, identifies what needs to be done and steps up to make it happen. There’s a lot to do, but everyone plays to their individual strengths. There are no issues with client grabbing – PTMs work together to look after every person as if they were their own client, because the important thing is ensuring that every client feels the love.
Aside from generating new business, are there any other benefits from running a joint expo with other PTMs?
For PTMs who are more used to operating behind the scenes, having such experienced PTMs at their side encourages them not to be shy or anxious about stepping forward and playing their part.
Seeing how other PTMs interact with their clients – and how clients respond to the personalised service they receive – can really help new PTMs to realise their own potential.
What are the hallmarks of a successful expo?
Bigger isn’t necessarily better – we want everyone who comes to our expos to be genuinely engaged and interested in finding information and inspiration rather than a quick bargain. A successful expo should result in new bookings, but just as importantly, it should create and strengthen the relationships our PTMs have with both suppliers and clients. We have clients who travel significant distances to join us because they understand the value in attending our expos.
What support does TravelManagers provide for expos?
The National Partnership Office (NPO) team and our state-based BPMs are always available to offer both practical advice and moral support. We have even created an expo marketing kit which contains important “how-to” information as well as an extensive range of customisable marketing collateral. It covers every aspect of the event, from pre-expo promotional material such as web page and newsletter templates, to on-the-day assets such as video content, flyers and merchandise.
The prospect of pulling together and running a successful travel expo may seem overwhelming at first, especially if it’s your first time, but we can provide all the assistance you could need to create a really great event.
