The end of January I attended the Virtuoso South Central regional meeting.  Our very own Barbara King, co-owner of Great Getaways Travel, my host agency, is the board member representing this region and host of the event.  Anything Barbara touches is a ton of fun and well done, so I was looking forward to the event.  The regional meeting is a mini Travel Week, our big national conference every August in Las Vegas.  After attending my first Travel Week last year, I was excited about attending regionals and getting to see my travel partners again.

This regional event was hosted by the Four Seasons Las Colinas in Dallas.  I will have a write up on the property itself as the next post.

At this event, I spend the morning in seminars, learning how to better my skill set for working with clients. The afternoon was spent exchanging information and knowledge with 5 minute meetings between advisors and hotel properties/travel companies/etc (also known as suppliers).  When I tell my clients I am part of a network in which suppliers and advisors collaborate, get to know each other, and work together to make the experience better for the client, it is events like these that make that statement true.  I am able to meet with suppliers to discuss clients trips and experiences.  I get ideas for future trips and be inspired to create unique and amazing experiences.

These events are not all work – we do take time to have some fun! And Virtuoso knows how to throw a party! The weekend was short, just Friday night and all day Saturday, and the event came to a close with a private evening at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.  We started at the top and worked our way down through the floors.  The museum is amazing!  I would love to go back, especially with my kids.  One thing I really appreciated about it was it’s size – it had a lot of exhibits, yet was no so big you couldn’t get through it in a timely fashion, which is so important with young kids who will tire out.  The evening was fantastic.  I sat with two suppliers I had not met before and left the meal with two new friends.

Making travel connections with my suppliers.

A peak inside the Perot Museum. It is really special!