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The best one yet

April 19, 2022

When we set our sights on Anchorage for NTA’s annual buyer retreat, Contact, we knew it was going to be good. But it was better. Buyers gave the event in the bayside Alaska city a 4.9 rating on a 5-point scale, according to the Contact ’22 evaluation completed by attendees. 93% of tour operators were happy with the 1:1 ratio of buyers to sponsors, and the same percentage felt the time alotted for quality networking was just right for the four-day event in March. On the flipside, 100% of responding sponsors were pleased with their Contact ’22 experience, citing affordability, visibility, copious speaking opportunities, and connections with operators. Most who responded to the survey said they favored Contact’s relaxed setting, which allowed for easier, more valuable networking and relationship-building.  

NTA President Catherine Prather welcomes the record-breaking positive feedback from the event.

“I’m so gratified to see the fantastic evaluations of Contact ’22. The event is a testament to the diligence and creativity of the NTA staff and our friends at Visit Anchorage—as well as the NTA members who enjoyed spending time and creating solutions with their colleagues,” Prather said. Here are some specific things we heard back from Contact attendees:

Buyers

  • Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Contact is the best value in NTA. It is the place where real friendships are cultivated, real business relationships and partnerships are formed, education is provided, and treasures are found. Yet it is far more than that! Contact is where you want to be! – Paul Larsen, Ed-Ventures
  • Contact is a very special gathering. It is small enough to feel like family, but large enough so that the interactions between tour operators and the generous sponsors who underwrite the experience always lead to a deepened understanding of our roles in the industry. – Chase Poffenberger, Academic Travel Abroad
  • The one-to-one ratio at Contact is the best in the business. You have time to make those connections and marinate on how to move forward together. Also, by doing the pre-Fam, we met more people to do business with and share ideas. Contact is my favorite thing NTA does! – Angie Varner, Making Memories Tours
  • The intimacy of Contact allows for longer, more in-depth conversations than is possible at larger events. I closed new business with both suppliers and vendors at Contact! – Philip Sheldon, Hanns Ebensten Travel
  • I would highly recommend attending Contact! Because it is a smaller event, I find it much easier to network and really get to know people. It is the perfect event for making lasting connections with new colleagues and strengthening business connections. – Kerrie Neimeier, Wells Gray Tours

Sponsors

  • NTA Contact is my favorite show all year. The setting is smaller, more intimate, and networking events are so fun and … valuable. I feel there is more time to spend with the operators I want to meet with, and I get to know many other operators that may not come to my area, but once you start building that relationship, you never know what might happen! Or what you might learn in the process. Love this industry event. – Dawn Burns, Deadwood Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau
  • From our initial planning to onsite execution, our NTA Contact sponsorship was a seamless process, thanks to the experienced and caring NTA staff members. The opportunity to speak to the entire group, followed by loads of individual networking encounters, made NTA Contact our most successful external sales event of 2022! – Bill Wright, Fairbanks, Alaska – Explore Fairbanks
  • The one-on-one conversations with decision makers and peers in the industry is invaluable. The relaxed nature of the retreat lends to letting guards down and building real relationships! – Andi Jaspersen, Visit Cheyenne
  • NTA Contact is the retreat everyone needs! It allows sellers and buyers to learn in a relaxed environment and provides time for powerful networking. – Chacara R. Harvin, Charlotte
  • The ROI on our sponsorship at NTA Contact is incredible in that it gave me the opportunity to really sit down with tour operators and hear what is important to them. – Amy Larsen, Wyoming Office of Tourism

With no shortage of natural beauty, exciting attractions and adventures, and cool people in Anchorage, 87% of buyers said the location influenced their decision to attend Contact. So make note that Contact ’23 will take place in another exceptional locale: Cheyenne, Wyoming, March 29–April 1. To talk sponsor ideas in the Cowboy State, email NTA’s Beth Engel.

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