Get More Appointments, Starting Thursday | Welcome to NTA’s Newest Members
January 8, 2013
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TODAY’S ARTICLES
Appointments to be Posted on Thursday. Here’s How to Get More
Final Insights from Your Chair
Catch a Mini-presentation (or Two) at Stage 1
ALERT: Early Bird Rates for Contact ’13 End in Two Weeks!
Don’t Let Your Member Benefits Lapse
Two Sunday Sessions Include Something Extra
Know Your App: Join the Free Webinar Next Wednesday
Saturday Shuttle Service from Orlando Airport
The Student Market Is at Your Fingertips. Don’t Let it Slip Away!
Welcome to NTA’s Newest Members
Industry News and Updates
Appointments to be Posted on Thursday. Here’s How to Get More
Your customized appointment schedule will be posted at NTA Online.com on Thursday, Jan. 10, and Direct Request Scheduling will open that day at noon ET.
The Direct Request system allows you to fill in your schedule by requesting appointments with colleagues who have the same open times as you. If your request is accepted, it will be automatically added to your schedule before you arrive in Orlando. Visit the Direct Request page often (starting Thursday) to review, respond
to and make your requests. A few tips:
- Sellers:When the system opens, be sure to log in and begin making requests. Check your “shopping list” after your customized appointment schedule has been posted. The names of companies you requested but with whom you did not receive a prescheduled appointment will be saved there. Download that list to an Excel file to use as a starting point for operators you want to target.
- Buyers: You’ll receive e-mail notifications that you have requests waiting to be reviewed. Log in and check your requests often.
- Print your final schedule out and bring it with you to Orlando.
New this year:
- Now when someone submits a request, there’s an option to add comments that will be included in the email notification.
- A link to the company profile has been added to the email notification.
- Within the direct request section, we added calendar icon for an approved request.If you downloaded/imported all the appointments at the start, you can click the icon to add your direct requests as you approve them.
Is your profile up to date? Your company profile is an important tool in the appointment-scheduling process. Is it current? If not, take some time to update it now. Your profile is a powerful, year-round marketing tool.
For more information on getting the most out of Travel Exchange business appointments, read “What You Need to Know” in the December issue of Courier or visit the appointment-scheduling website.
Final Insights from Your Chair 
Travel Exchange will mark a number of new beginnings, but it will signal the end of Jim Reddekopp Jr.’s term as chairman of the NTA Board of Directors. For his final Chairman’s Update, which includes preliminary results of the NTA 2012 Business Survey and a look ahead to Orlando, follow this link.
Catch a Mini-presentation (or Two) at Stage 1
New this year, you can attend 15-minute mini-presentations on the Travel Exchange floor to get a quick dose of helpful, relevant education. It’s learning on the go!
Look for Stage 1 in the NTA Mall, and drop in for any or all of these sessions. You’ll get practical tips and useful information on a variety of topics including the NTA Travel Exchange app; your iPad; social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest; and NTA’s strategic partners. Here’s the schedule:
Monday, Jan. 21
- 2:30 p.m. Tips for Using your iPad; Paul Nakamoto
- 3 p.m. NTA Travel Exchange App: Using it to its Fullest; Chris Reed
- 3:30 p.m. Pinterest for the Travel Industry; Lisa Itel
- 4 p.m. Online Video: How to Get Started & Why You Need It; Kim Orlando with travelingmom.com
Tuesday, Jan. 22
- 8:30 a.m. NTA Travel Exchange App: Using it to its Fullest; Chris Reed
- 2 p.m. Discovering Destination Africa-Africa Travel Association; Sharon Roling
- 2:30 p.m. Developing new Business with Independent Consultants-National Association of Career Travel Agents; Ann van Leeuwen
- 3 p.m. Tapping into the LGBT Travel Market-International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association; Emilio Collyer
- 3:30 p.m. How to Successfully Sell the Holy Land: Featuring Israel Ministry of Tourism
Wednesday, Jan. 23
- 8:30 a.m. NTA Travel Exchange App: Using it to its Fullest; Chris Reed
- 9 a.m. 5 Things You May not Know about Facebook with Chris Reed
- 9:30 a.m. Twitter Terminology for the Travel Industry; Chris Reed
- 2 p.m. Discover Today’s Growth Travel Markets of Europe: Featuring LutherCountry and Terra Lu Travel
- 2:30 p.m.Tips for Using your iPad; Paul Nakamoto
- 3 p.m. Discover the Growth Markets of Turkey & Middle East: Featuring Meander Travel
Thursday, Jan. 24
- 8:30 a.m. 5 Things You May not Know about Facebook; Doug Rentz
- 9 a.m. Pinterest for the Travel Industry; Lisa Itel
10 a.m. Working with Bloggers; Rachelle Lucas with TheTravelBite.com
ALERT: Early Bird Rates for Contact ’13 End in Two Weeks!
That’s right: The Early Bird rate for our exclusive tour operator retreat, Contact ’13, ends on the last day of Travel Exchange, Thursday, Jan. 24.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to spend quality time with your colleagues in 
Hawai‘i, the Big Island, for an unforgettable weekend in paradise, Aug. 15–17! You’ll save $50 on the registration rate by registering by Jan. 24.
This is your opportunity to join NTA colleagues and immerse yourself in a tropical resort setting at the Hilton Waikoloa Village for three full days of in-depth education, conversations, partnerships, intimate networking and amazing Hawaiian cultural experiences. Visit the Hawai‘i Pinterest page here for exciting photos of the Big Island.
Hurry! Registration for sightseeing tours and pre-event Fam tours opens soon; make sure you register for Contact ’13 today so you can be first in line to reserve your spot!
Sightseeing tours for this Hawaiian getaway include:
- Dolphin Quest
- North Kohala Adventure
- Mauka Adventure
- Makai Adventure
Pre-event Fam tours include:
- Three-day adventure through the Big Island exploring Kona and Hilo, Monday through Wednesday, Aug. 12–14.
- Four-day cruise through the pacific on Norwegian Cruise Line, Saturday through Wednesday, Aug. 10–14. (This tour is already open for registration and you can visit this link for more invitation and to register!)
What are you waiting for? Lock in the Early Bird rates of $195 now! You can register on the Contact Web site here or if you’re attending Travel Exchange ’13, swing by NTA Central on site in Orlando to register. We hope to see you this summer!
NOTE: August in Hawai‘i is the peak season for tourism, so make sure you register and book your flights soon, before it’s too late!
Don’t Let Your Member Benefits Lapse
It’s a new year, which means it’s time to start planning your business goals. You can start by renewing your NTA membership for 2013! Don’t miss a minute of your member benefits and the opportunity to increase business this year. Your 2012 membership ends Jan. 31.
You can use your NTA membership to improve your bottom line for years to come. Check out these 10 Steps to a Profitable New Year in the current issue of Courier to help get you started!
You can renew online here or process the membership invoice you received via mail and email. Contact NTA Headquarters at +1.859.264.6540 or 800.682.8886 if you have any questions!
And make plans to attend these upcoming Business Builder events:
- Travel Exchange ’13, Jan. 20–24, 2013, Orlando, Florida
- Destination: Capitol Hill, April 10–11, 2013, Washington, D.C.
- Contact ’13, Aug. 15–17, 2013, Hawai‘i, the Big Island
- Travel Exchange ’14, Feb. 16–20, 2014, Los Angeles, California
- Travel Exchange ’15, Jan. 18–22, 2015, New Orleans, Louisiana
We hope to see you at Travel Exchange ’13 in Orlando (less than two weeks away!). It’s not too late to register now.
Know Your App: Join the Free Webinar Next Wednesday
After you’ve downloaded the Travel Exchange ’13 mobile app, you want to make the most of it, right? Well, have we got a webinar for you!
To get you comfortable with all the features, NTA is hosting a special Travel Exchange 2013 mobile app webinar scheduled for two different times next Wednesday, Jan. 16: 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. EST.
This is your chance to learn the ins and outs of a great convention tool. (For a list of what you can do with this app, click here.) If you’d like to attend the webinar, please click on a link below to reserve your spot:
If you haven’t downloaded this free app, now is the time! Search for “Travel Exchange 2013” on the iTunes App Store or on Google Play and then register to join your colleagues at the webinar on Jan. 16.
Saturday Shuttle Service from Orlando Airport
In an article last month about the complimentary shuttle service that runs from the airport to Travel Exchange hotels, we left out Saturday! Service is available on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Here’s how to find the shuttles: When you arrive at Orlando International Airport,
follow the airport signs to baggage claim; a tram shuttle will take you to the main terminal. After you exit the tram in the main terminal, follow the airport signs again to baggage claim for the airline on which you arrived. You’ll take an escalator from Level 3, the tram level, to the baggage claim area on Level 2. (Click here for a detailed airport arrival map.)
While descending the escalator, look for Florida Coast to Coast greet staff; they’ll be wearing red polo shirts trimmed in white and holding a Travel Exchange sign. Identify yourself to the staff person before retrieving your luggage. After you get your bags, the staff person will direct you down to Level 1, where you’ll board a shuttle.
If you don’t see the staff person during shuttle hours, feel free to call the Arriving Guest Hot Line: 407.802.3444.
Two Sunday Sessions Include Something Extra
Education at Travel Exchange has a lot to offer, and two Sunday sessions have a bit of a bonus:
“Packaging Canada has Never Been Easier!” features a panel of experts who will reveal their secrets of successful development of group and FIT travel to Canada. Moderated by Dawn Rueckl of Wells Gray Tours, the 2:45 p.m. session has an added value: Tour operators attending this session will be entered into a drawing for a complimentary trip for two from Toronto to Vancouver (or vice versa) from VIA Rail Canada!
At 4:15 p.m., “Tour Operator Risk Management,” conducted by Aon Affinity/Berkely Travel, will offer practical content on managing risk and developing a crisis management plan for your business. For those Berkely policy holders in attendance, premium credit up to 5% can be earned by attending this session on risk management. The credit will be applied each year for the next two annual policy renewals, and the availability of premium credit is subject to state insurance regulations. Attendance is mandatory to receive a premium credit.
For more details on these sessions and the entire education line-up, follow this link.
NOTE: We still need volunteers to introduce and assist speakers. It’s a great way to get in front of an audience! Go here to sign up.
The Student Market Is at Your Fingertips. Don’t Let it Slip Away!
You can reach NTA’s 1,500 qualified tour operators, plus qualified student trip planners, for a total distribution of 20,000 by advertising in the 2013-14 NTA Trip Planner for Student Travel.
To be included in this March 2013 publication, email NTA Services Inc. or call +1.859.264.6559. But hurry! Space deadline is Friday, Jan. 18.
Welcome to NTA’s Newest Members
As 2012 drew to a close, 30 organizations joined NTA in December, including tour
operators, DMOs, hotels and attractions. They come from 15 different U.S. states and seven countries: Armenia, Canada, England, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and the United States.
There’s a good chance you’ll see them at Travel Exchange, so click here to see your newest potential business partners.
The Office of Travel and Tourism Industries released three updates concerning international travel to the United States:
- The Canada traveler market
- International visitation statistics, through July
- U.S. travel and tourism exports, through October
Click here for the Tuesday archive.
