Thousands gather in Las Vegas for 36th annual Virtuoso Travel Week
Thousands of luxury travel professionals from more than 90 countries have gathered in Las Vegas from August 10-16 at Bellagio Resort & Casino, ARIA Resort & Casino, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Vdara Hotel & Spa for the 36th annual Virtuoso Travel Week.
It is the must-attend gathering for the world’s best travel companies and the industry’s most influential travel agencies and advisors, who come together to exchange ideas, strengthen relationships and determine what’s new and next in luxury travel.
Dubbed the Fashion Week of Travel, Virtuoso Travel Week focuses on increasing sales through the latest and best industry practices and shapes the future of luxury travel.
About Virtuoso Travel Week
This year’s event is poised to create a buzz within the industry, featuring VIP speakers, elite entertainment, powerful professional development sessions and invaluable opportunities for exchanging ideas and forging new connections. The week will kick off with an opening session featuring guest speaker Simon Sinek, returning to Virtuoso Travel Week for a fourth time.
Sinek will join Virtuoso Chairman and CEO Matthew D. Upchurch for an exchange of impactful ideas and advice on leadership and purpose-led business development. Founder of The Optimism Company, as well as a best-selling author, speaker and host of the top-rated podcast A Bit of Optimism, Sinek is perhaps best known for his TED Talk on the power of WHY, viewed over 60 million times. His influential books include global bestseller Start with WHY and The New York Times bestsellers Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game.
New additions & innovations
Virtuoso continues to innovate around its flagship event, with new additions this year including enhanced personalization of the famed one-on-one appointments, which are vital to the luxury travel sales strategy for Virtuoso members, advisors and partners.
These appointments are now self-selected and matched, instead of assigned, giving attendees greater control over the efficacy of their meetings. An impressive 95 percent of requests submitted by both advisors and partners have been accommodated through a proprietary matching system designed for optimal connections.
Another exciting learning and networking opportunity introduced this year comes with the addition of Braindate, offering one-on-one or small-group conversations on topics posted by attendees before and during the event. This platform allows participants to brainstorm, tackle challenges and gain insights with like-minded individuals.
Travel Tech Summit
A highlight of Virtuoso Travel Week is the third annual Travel Tech Summit, a one-of-a-kind event focused on utilizing smart technology to elevate and enhance human connection, rather than replace it.
Led by tech entrepreneur, investor and Virtuoso board member, Gilad Berenstein, the Summit will address key trends and developments in travel technology, including AI, among other topics. In addition to panels and presentations from technological innovators, a Startup Showcase with 15 tech businesses will provide a deep dive into what innovation looks like in real time, allowing attendees to be early adopters and advocates of future technologies.
A Virtuoso Week favourite – Community Globetrotting – was held on Aug. 10 and Aug. 11.
Globetrotting spotlights the Virtuoso Communities – cruise, adventure, family, culinary, wellness and ultra-luxe travel. This year’s event introduced a new Sustainability pavilion, highlighting the network’s long-held commitment to furthering sustainable tourism. Globetrotting provides Virtuoso members and partners with structured time to discover new product offerings in an immersive environment. Additionally, the new Hotel Showcase will offer advisors a unique chance to engage with Virtuoso preferred properties, boosting brand visibility and deepening their understanding and enthusiasm for luxury offerings.
Additional highlights from the event are forthcoming.
For more information on Virtuoso, visit www.virtuoso.com.
