New technology, expanding destination offerings, luxury properties … these were just a few of the topics of discussion at the 2024 Ascend conference in Cancun. ALG Vacations once again gathered travel advisors and suppliers for three days of learning and networking. This year’s event was the biggest yet, with 767 advisors and 149 suppliers in attendance.
“One of my favorite parts of the Ascend conference is getting to connect with other agency owners and advisors,” said Victoria Ogier, founder & owner of Good Trip Travel Co. “It’s so inspiring to learn from one another, share perspectives and see how this profession thrives when we’re all invested in being great advisors. The sense of community and mutual support really makes a difference in this industry.”
New Resources To Meet Travel Demands
ALG Vacations had plenty of new and exciting topics to talk about at this year’s conference, and Ray Snisky, group president at ALG Vacations, kicked it off by announcing Amstar’s rebranding. By spring of 2025, the tour and transfer company will have a new identity displayed on ALGV brands — and while the beloved Hawaiian shirts are being retired, advisors can rest assured the same great service will be in effect.
One undeniable trend in the industry right now is luxury, and while ALGV has always offered luxury products, the necessary components weren’t always there. The brand recently debuted Luxe by ALG Vacations in order to help advisors support their luxury clientele, in addition to Luxe Concierge, an experienced team dedicated to working with Luxe bookings.
“We’ve had over 1000 agencies book that product in a very short time,” said Jacki Marks, global head of trade brands at ALG Vacations. “Our concierge team has been staffed and handling all of these unique requests from bottles of wine to unique excursions, so we’re going to continue to double down on the luxury segment next year as well.”
In addition to growth in destinations like Dubai and the Maldives, ALGV has “more than doubled our business in the last 12-18 months to Europe,” according to Snisky. Europe continues to be on many travelers’ bucket lists, and ALGV offers plenty of products for advisors to choose from. Marks said Italy, France and Greece remain popular, but the brand is seeing other destinations gain popularity as well.
“The areas that I’m most excited about are Spain and Portugal,” Marks said. “We have the new Dreams in Madeira in Portugal. Amazing property; they call Madeira the Hawaii of Europe, the volcanoes, the black sand beaches. We have the Secrets in Mallorca, which gives you the sea stay there.”
In addition to these important travel trends, technology remains top of mind for ALGV, and the two biggest resources the company is focused on for 2025 are Amelia, a new interactive chatbot, and the new interactive advisor dashboard.
Relevant Education for Travel Advisors
The Ascend conference is made up of several different parts: general session, where advisors hear from ALGV executives and guest speakers (this year Laila Ali was the keynote); supplier showcase, where suppliers and advisors can network, and educational workshops.
Resources to help travel advisors learn more about ALG Vacations
In a press conference, Snisky and Marks touched on the feedback that more and more advisors are working with younger clientele in addition to hiring and working with younger travel advisors. ALGV responded to these trends by offering related training sessions such as Elevate Your Instagram: From Content to Edits.
The workshop topics ranged to cover resources such as Luxe by ALG Vacations: All About Our Exciting New Luxury Program and Make More Green Gardening with VAX to relevant business insights like Connecting Across Generations and Let’s Get Focused: How to Boost Your Productivity for a More Organized Day. Other workshops covered public speaking, voluntourism and photography, and there were several supplier- and destination-focused sessions as well.
"A recurring theme I noticed throughout the conference was the encouragement amongst advisors to incorporate planning fees into their service models,” said Ogier. “The planning fee workshop was incredibly valuable, showcasing a variety of business models and perspectives from other attendees. I think standardizing an upfront fee structure across the industry could bring much-needed transparency around how we’re compensated and highlight the true value we bring to clients.”
Ascend is bookended by the welcome and farewell events, and attendees lean into the themes full force. This year’s conference started with a vibrant bang of bright colors at Hyatt Vivid Grand Island and wrapped up with boots, hats and special guest Jeremiah Richey at AVA Resort Cancun. These evening events are just another way for attendees to collaborate, reconnect and meet new faces.
“I look forward to this trip because I get to see the human element of what we do,” Snisky said during the opening general session. “We’re not just a transactional company. We’re here to help you look good. We’re here to help you be successful, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all that we’ve done together.”
Next year’s Ascend conference will take place October 15 – 18, 2025, and early sign-up is key as the conference is known to sell out within days.
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