FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Andavo Travel, a Virtuoso Member, Attends Exclusive Networking Summit, Travel Mart

DENVER – (Sept. 10, 2007) – Brenda Rivers, president and CEO of Andavo Travel, recently attended Virtuoso’s Travel Mart conference in Las Vegas. Recognized industry-wide as the ultimate networking opportunity in luxury travel, Virtuoso’s Travel Mart provides attendees with the opportunity to establish and strengthen relationships that enable and enhance the world’s most extraordinary travel experiences. As a member of Virtuoso, Rivers joined 2,800 travel professionals from 102 countries for a week of meetings, networking and education. 

The conference allowed the best in travel to celebrate the world’s premiere travel opportunities by showcasing products and destinations to the network’s elite travel advisors.  As a result, events throughout the week included whisking away top producing travel advisors to a secret location via private jet, to Explora Lodges featuring native dancers from Easter Island, to Micato Safaris bringing in the Boys Choir of Kenya to inspire participants. 

Virtuoso CEO Matthew Upchurch remarked, “This is what it’s all about, bringing together people and experiences.”

To reinforce the importance of travel advisors in the Internet age, Terry Jones, the former head of Travelocity and a Virtuoso client himself, served as a keynote speaker.  Jones explained that the Internet has not been successful in replicating the one-to-one, buyer-to-seller relationship.  He went on to explain that while information is free, consumers are looking for advice and consultation. “Virtuoso agents deliver experiences and that’s where they’re different,” he said.

Virtuoso president, Kristi Jones, reinforced these sentiments by pointing out that in 2006, Virtuoso’s sales growth ranked 21 percent higher than Expedia.com. 

About Virtuoso
Virtuoso is the industry’s leading luxury travel network.  This by-invitation-only organization comprises over 300 independent agencies with more than 6,000 elite travel specialists in 22 countries in North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, as well as over 1,000 of the world’s best travel providers and premier destinations.  Travel agencies receive sales, marketing and technology support, as well as exclusive services and products, as a result of their membership in Virtuoso.  The network’s member agencies generate over $4.2 billion annually in travel sales, making the group the most powerful in the luxury travel segment.  Their relationships with the finest travel companies provide the network’s affluent clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access.  Virtuoso is the exclusive luxury travel network provider for World Elite™ MasterCard®.  For more information, please visit www.virtuoso.com. 

About Andavo Travel
Andavo Travel, headquartered in Denver, with offices in Larkspur, California, is a $100 million travel management firm. The company is uniquely structured to provide integrated business, leisure/adventure, and meeting & incentive travel solutions through a powerful family of companies that operate independently yet completely collectively.  Andavo is the 25th largest independent travel management firm in the United States, and the largest in Colorado and in the San Francisco North Bay area. For more information, visit www.andavotravel.com.

 

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