For the last three years TFest has been held at Atlantis,The Palm in Dubai, and will make its debut in the Americas with this year’s move to the Riviera Maya.
Christy Kuplic, managing director of Private Luxury Events, which organises TFest, said the event had started to outgrow its former space and was keen to “bring a new type of trade show” to Mexico. “Mayakoba is a destination that embraces and exudes the values that TFest stands for,” she added. “It’s an enchanting, eco-friendly paradise that thrives in complete harmony with nature.”
At the event agents will have 40 individual pre-scheduled 12-minute meetings with exhibitors, spread across three mornings. They can choose which of the 260 suppliers they’d like to meet in advance via the event’s app, which filters suppliers by product, destination and room grades. TFest has global partnerships with XO Private, Marriott International and Preferred Hotels, and exhibitors include Great Plains Conservation, Andaz Amsterdam and Cuba Private Travel.
The event is designed to offer a festival-like atmosphere, and in the afternoon delegates can choose from multiple “pathways”, including creativity, wellness and wellbeing, play and socialisation and active pursuits. Experiences will include sound healing, astrology, Mayan ceremonies and water sports, hosted at the Fairmont Mayakoba and surrounding luxury properties.
Explaining the format, Kuplic said: “We felt there was a big gap in the trade show market for a global luxury show that allowed you to meet each other and collaborate outside of a meeting room. We wanted to do something on a large scale that gave you the meetings, but also allowed you to experience who people are in a really authentic way, so you’re able to recuperate and rest.”
There will also be a pathway dedicated to sustainability, and it will be Private Luxury Events’ first plastic-free event. The Fairmont Mayakoba is a zero-plastic property, and Kuplic’s team are ensuring all materials used to run the event – from signage to lanyards – are reusable or recyclable.
The event is expected to attract 550 delegates, including 260 buyers. Kuplic said the event has attracted “unbelievable demand” from buyers and luxury agents in Europe, but added spaces are still available.
Around 80 UK buyers, concierge specialists and travel designers are expected to attend, and agents can apply for a place at travel-fest.com.
Applicants will be asked to showcase three recent luxury bookings and will have an interview with the TFest team.
Those offered a place are then fully hosted, including all meetings, experiences, accommodation and meals, and will receive a contribution towards their flight costs. Successful agents are also asked to commit to a $200 fee to secure their place.
“By coming to TFest they’re going to be able to see all the new luxury product that’s opening up across the globe, which is huge,” Kuplic said. “And they can also see how wellness and wellbeing is being showcased in each product. They’re able to discover, explore, learn about their business, learn about new luxury travel trends and they’re able to connect with people on a really human level. We’re finding that private travel designers need that, because they’re creating holidays for clients who want to know what experiences are like.”
TFest will focus on evolving and upcoming trends in luxury travel, and Kuplic tipped “epiphany travel” as one to watch in 2023. She said this trend sees clients requesting a trip that can help them make changes in their lives, and requires products with the right experiences and staff.
She explained: “It’s about a moment in your life where you want to change direction, but you’re not really sure how, and maybe you need to do a big trip to define your purpose. Trying to find people that can facilitate that is difficult, because while you can go to a beautiful destination and drink cocktails on the sand, do you have an epiphany there? People want to be guided a little bit, and I think there’s an interesting bubble of people across all ages who are looking for epiphany travel. I think we’ll see a rise in demand for this, and more properties will start to create spaces for it, with facilitators.”
