Client events can be incredibly lucrative for travel agencies but grand projects can easily swallow up your marketing budgets and resources – so how can you make sure you’re planning wisely and getting the biggest bang for your buck? Three agents reveal the secrets of their successful client events.
CELEBRITY MAGIC
Blackpool’s Travel Village has an annual Travel Show, which has brought in as much as £400,000 per event. What works particularly well is the inclusion of talks by suppliers and staff.
Last year, the agency scored a coup by having former Race Across the World winners Cathie Rowe and Tricia Sail sharing anecdotes from their epic Canada journey. Canadian Affair then produced sample itineraries, which overlapped with the TV race route.
“They talked about their experiences, how easy it was to travel around and how friendly the people were… they then stayed for the day on the Canadian Affair table. We did more than £50,000 worth of Canada bookings, and lots more enquires came in months after the event,” says branch manager Carolyn Markey.
One of the Race… contestants booked with the agency and agreed to attend the event for free, though the pair were given their train fares plus an overnight hotel and taken out for dinner.
Presentations by agency owners Phil and Paula Nuttall and client favourite Wendy Wu have been similarly successful. Wendy Wu herself gave a presentation in 2023, helping the operator sell “fantastically well” for the agency.
Time-sensitive supplier offers also boost an event. Deals have included onboard credit with Celebrity Cruises, a Jet2holidays discount and a free premium upgrade from Marella Cruises.
Around 1,000 people attend the Travel Show and are encouraged to register for free tickets. They’re invited in a variety of ways from leaflet drops to radio advertising, but surveys show the best response comes from Facebook posts, e-shots and the team hitting the phones.
Travel Village has honed the format recently, reducing the number of suppliers and capping presentations at four.
So, what makes a good talk? “They’re engaging and bring the product to life,” says Markey. “With Wendy Wu on China, they’ve done it… they make you want to do it… it’s high revenue and it sells itself.” She adds: “Phil is so engaging with people, he tells it like it is. He’ll say ‘this is what I wear on a river cruise, this is the wonderful food we enjoy…’”
SHOWCASING SPECIALISMS
Homing in on one destination has worked well for Sam Smith Travel. The Welsh agency, part of Ocky White Travel, netted £200,000 worth of bookings from a Japan-themed client dinner, then around £500,000 from an in-agency Australasia weekend.
The Japan evening saw VIP bookers and customers who’d expressed an interest in the destination treated to a meal at Ivy Asia Cardiff. It was sponsored, at the agency’s request, by Japan National Tourism Organisation, which even sent its Tokyo head. A Wendy Wu representative also attended.
After some “short, sharp and sweet presentations, the vibe was prosecco and talk about Japan”, says sales and commercial manager Suzanne Cumpston.
Knowing there would be a buzz around Australia thanks to the British and Irish Lions rugby tour this year, Sam Smith later held three fizz-fuelled social drop-in days to talk holidays down under. A BBC radio interview on the topic helped alert listeners to the agency’s tailor-made expertise.
Ahead of the event, Sam Smith staff updated their knowledge of products and trends by completing Aussie Specialist Program modules. They also primed Australasia experts at several operators to take enquiries during the weekend, with Prestige proving particularly helpful.
“It’s not just about the event and it’s not just about the revenue you do on that day or the halo effect within a week or two; you become famous for a destination. Maybe months down the line they remember us as an Australia specialist,” explains Cumpston.
Sam Smith deliberately showcases destinations that suit the tailor-made strengths of independent agencies. Similar events highlight how it can book individual cruise lines face-to-face. Results from a Celebrity Cruises event included a group booking.
“I think people need more hand-holding with cruise,” Cumpston points out. To further raise the agency’s profile, the venue for next year’s key event will be a castle.
Analysing favourite and trending holidays is important for picking a theme, Cumpston advises. “Know your audience, know your market, and go in heavy with the marketing side of things. Be switched on inviting the right people to the event.”
INCENTIVISING BOOKERS
Magic Vacations in Kinsale, Ireland is in the sixth year of its Big 10 travel event. Each September more than 1,000 attendees meet 10 of its core tour operator, theme park and cruise line suppliers. Prizes are up for grabs and upgrades are given to those booking within a certain time window.
The event now generates around €250,000 worth of sales in the following fortnight alone. Codes for Big 10 sales help the team track what’s working and what can be built on for the following year. The agency also gains marketing opt-ins from those who reserve free tickets to the event.
“Really, September for us is as big as January,” says managing director John Barrett.
Keeping the event “tight and relevant” is the key to its success, he explains. “We’re actually turning suppliers away – we need them to tie in with our core product.”
The theme park and cruise specialist knew it was originally a big ask to get suppliers such as Disney, Universal and Legoland to an event beyond Dublin, but its close relationships helped and now “they have the belief that the event is going to be a success”.
In a similarly ambitious move, Magic Vacations spent a year-and-a-half negotiating a significant cruise embarkation from Cobh (Cork) which it was able to sell at its 2024 Big 10 event.
The agency had an allocation of 50 cabins on MSC Virtuosa, which sold out in 48 hours. “We could have sold 200!” says Barrett, who now has his sights set on having a major ex-Cork cruise to sell at each Big 10. It comes down to “thinking outside of the box”, he says.
