The final General Session of the 2016 Cruises Inc.®, CruiseOne® and Dream Vacations National Conference aboard Carnival Vista featured closing remarks from Adolfo Perez, vice president of sales and trade marketing for Carnival Cruise Line, as well as World Travel Holdings’ Co-CEO/Chairman Brad Tolkin; Senior Vice President Debbie Fiorino; and General Manager of Network Engagement & Performance Drew Daly.
Daly, who served as the master of ceremonies all week, gave an inspirational closing speech that reminded attendees of the ability they have to change their customers’ lives by encouraging them to live for today. With a theme of “One Day I Will,” his presentation reflected on the positive impact a dream vacation has on one’s life – both personally and professionally.
In addition to changing their customer’s lives, Cruises Inc., CruiseOne and Dream Vacations agents are changing the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through Make-A-Wish®, the signature charity of parent company World Travel Holdings. Fundraising is a core component of National Conference every year when franchisees, agents, staff and suppliers all come together through a variety of fundraising activities such as guessing next year’s conference date, silent auctions, the fourth annual “Zumba@Sea – Dance For Wishes” and exclusive access to the Skyride and sports deck. This year’s fundraising activities raised $100,000, which will help grant 20 wishes.
“Our travel agents are the best in the industry and are truly invested in building their knowledge so they can better serve their customers. It is no surprise to me that conference attendees who have spent a week immersing themselves in the cruise experience and participating in educational workshops historically experience a 23 percent sales increase after attending our annual National Conference,” said Fiorino. “The enthusiasm onboard this week reached record levels and I am confident attendees are disembarking with a strengthened belief in themselves, their affiliation with our brands and our supplier relationships.”
