Colleagues from the Niagara Falls region at breakfast together: Lori Reed (left), manager international tour & travel trade, Niagara Parks; and Kelley Colville, associate director of sales, Hornblower Niagara Cruises.
Anthony Liu (left), general manager, American Holidays, Inc., and Rick Xi, director, international services, for the Rotary Club of Orlando Dragons, take a break in their conversation to accommodate the photographer.
Jorge Rodriguez, account manager for 7M Tours, told us that he had a full appointment schedule with suppliers for the upcoming day.
Following a morning presentation before the day’s business appointments are two colleagues from Pennsylvania: Audrey Bialas (left), director of sales for the Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau; and Greg Edevane, director of sales, The Countryside of Pennsylvania.
The first receptive operator to set up for business, Tereza Reis, president of Personal RGE Tours, which specializes in the markets of South America, Central America and Portugal, told us that 2016 has been a challenging year for doing business in Brazil.
By the time the bell rings for the first appointment session, some buyers and suppliers are already busy at work.
Business was brisk at the table of Danielle Boukai, product manager for the Orlando-base Kaluah Tour Operator.
Yasuhito “Ty” Inomata is Orlando branch manager for IACE Travel, which has more than 20 branch locations in the U.S.
Our photographer catches up with Eric Hoogstins, vice president, product development, Fly2America, during one of the few moments when someone was not at his table.
If you were able to look close enough, you would see that BillyJo Clark, ancillary product manager, Tourico Holidays, does not have a single available open session on his appointments calendar
We catch Gabby Padilla, groups manager who also handles incentive travel for Meeting Point International, between appointments.
New York City colleagues meet up to discuss how the day is going: Gisel Vidals, head of global sales, Americas, for Big Bus Tours; and Benjamin Maddy, director of travel & tourism sales at the Madison Square Garden Company.
Renee Wilson, director of sales for New York’s THE RIDE, previewis for us virtual reality Timelooper videos that are part of THE DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCE Powered By THE RIDE
New York City colleagues meet up to discuss how the day is going: Gisel Vidals, head of global sales, Americas, for Big Bus Tours; and Benjamin Maddy, director of travel & tourism sales at the Madison Square Garden Company.
Adam S. Magyar, executive director-brand partnerships, Bonotel Exclusive Travel, made the trip from Las Vegas to Orlando to take part in the RTO Summit.
Izumi Goodwin, office manager for JTB’s Orlando operations, shows us a brochure featuring part of the company’s USA product line.
We learned from Sanjeev Gupta, CEO of Bethesda, Maryland-based Ujala Enterprises, that there is increased interest in USA product on the part of travelers from India.
Gisa Kusserow-Hanson, general manager, Florida, for AlliedTPro, was busy both days at the RTO Summit. On day one, she was a panelist in one of the RTO Summit’s educational sessions.
Business appointments were so intense that those involved in discussions were unaware that a photographer was nearby.
We say hello to Edecio Habibe, market manager USA, HotelsPro.
Our photographer had to wait until just the right moment to snare this photo of Denise Cunha of Orlando-based My Vacation Tours.
After observing the activity at the North America Destinations table, where German Ortiz, manager, Latin sales; and Freedom Stephane, product manager, were constantly busy, one got the feeling that there is a resurgence taking place in the market from Brazil.
Possibly the busiest place in the hall that served as the venue for buyer and supplier business meetings was the table of TrendTravelUSA, which was staffed by Michelle Perez-Frainha (left), who handles business development; and Janete Beaghley, who handles receptive operations.
Jennifer Edwards (left), senior sales manager, Midway Attractions North America Merlin Entertainments; and her colleague, Lauren Paffenback, travel trade sales executive-international, Merlin Entertainments, steal a few minutes outside to update information from their business appointments.
A not uncommon sight later in the day at many travel industry trade shows: Here, Sabine Chilton, international sales manager for The Florida Keys and Key West, is ready to head home after two more afternoon business appointments.
The non-stop appointments at Abreu Tours, represented by Maria Contreras, product development, seemed to reinforce the notion that business from Brazil—it is one of the key country markets for Abreu—is going to pick up next year
Visit Orlando’s Deb Melnick (left), senior planner, trade shows &events; and Libby Anderson, trade show and events planner, showed off their skills in staging a flawless luncheon for RTO Summit delegates.
Speaking the day’s luncheon sponsor and host city are: Chris Ellis (left), director, global trade development, for Brand USA and Visit Orlando’s Patrick Yvars, travel industry sales director, Latin America, respectively.
An avid chess player, the NAJ Group’s Florian Hermann, moderator for International Digital Day—the first day of the RTO Summit—hopes that someone will join him following the close of business on Day Two so they can play chess on the rather large board outside the B Resort Hotel in Orlando.
BillyJo Clark (center), ancillary product manager, Tourico Holidays, took advantage of the venue to present the company’s Supplier of the Month award to Hornblower Cruises and Events. Accepting the award are Estelle Miller (left), director of tourism development, Hornblower Cruises and Events; and Kelley Coville, associate director of sales, Hornblower Niagara Cruises.
