Travel Agent Networking Events
Where advisors meet each other and their suppliers, and how to make every conversation count.
Get Free Cruise QuotesTravel Agent Networking Events: Where Sellers Meet
Selling cruises can be solitary work. Travel agent networking events are where advisors trade tips, meet the sales managers behind the brands they sell, and find the colleagues they will call when a booking goes sideways. Here is where they happen and how to make the most of them.
Where Advisors Network
Association chapters
ASTA and other advisor associations run national events and local chapters.Host-agency and consortium conferences
Often the most practical: you meet the suppliers who support your agency and the peers who sell the same products.
Trade show receptions
The evening events around the big trade shows, where conversations are easier than on the floor.
Supplier events
Ship visits and roadshows mix advisors from many agencies; see travel agent events.
Local business groups
Chambers of commerce and referral groups introduce you to clients and group leaders, not just other agents.
Online communities
Advisor groups and professional networks, best used to continue conversations started in person.
How to Network Without Feeling Like a Salesperson
- Go with a goal: three real conversations, not fifty business cards.
- Ask people what they sell and what is working for them. Most will ask you back.
- Listen for ways to help: a supplier contact, an article, a referral.
- Write a note on the back of every card before you forget.
- Follow up within a week with something specific from your conversation.
Networking With Suppliers
Sales managers from cruise lines and tour companies meet hundreds of agents. Stand out by being specific: tell them which of their ships you sell, what your clients like, and what would help you sell more. Ask how they prefer to be contacted, and respect it. A short, well-timed email after the event is better than a long one sent the same night.
Networking With Other Advisors
Fellow agents are not only competitors. An advisor who specialises in river cruises may refer a client who wants an ocean voyage, and the colleague you met at a chapter meeting may be the one who knows how a particular line handles a missed embarkation. Be generous with what you know, keep in touch between events, and say thank you when a referral arrives.
Our directories, the Official Cruise Directory and the Official Travel Directory, are also a year-round way to see who is active in cruise and travel, and Best of the USA covers local businesses that may become partners for group trips.
Networking Questions
Where can a new travel agent find networking events?
Advisor associations such as ASTA have chapters and events; host agencies and consortia hold conferences for members; and local business groups meet monthly almost everywhere.
Is online networking enough?
It helps, but face-to-face contact at events builds the trust that gets you a reply from a busy sales manager later.
How do I start if I am not in travel yet?
Read how people get started on our Be a Travel Agent site; many networking events welcome newcomers.
Need Help With a Client’s Cruise?
Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise can quote and book cruises for travelers you meet along the way. Free and personal.
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