Virtuoso Travel Week returns to Las Vegas this weekend, with thousands of luxury travel professionals from more than 90 countries gathering at Bellagio Resort & Casino, ARIA Resort & Casino, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Vdara Hotel & Spa for the 36th annual event. VTW commences on Saturday 10 August, running through to Friday.
Billed as “the ‘must-attend’ gathering” for the world’s best travel companies and the industry’s most influential travel agencies and advisors, who come together to exchange ideas, strengthen relationships and determine what’s new and next in luxury travel.
Subscribe to LATTE Cruise’s free eNewsletter to keep up to date with everything in the luxury cruise space.The week long spectacle features a dedicated press program that will see attendance by more than 50 journalists from eight countries around the globe. LATTEis proudly the Australian travel trade’s sole media representative at this year’s event, returning for the third successive year.
On the agenda at Virtuoso Travel Week 2024 are VIP speakers, elite entertainment, powerful professional development sessions and invaluable opportunities for exchanging ideas and forging new connections. The week will kick off with an Opening Session featuring guest speaker Simon Sinek, returning to Virtuoso Travel Week for a fourth time. Sinek will join Matthew Upchurch, Virtuoso Chairman and CEO for an exchange of impactful ideas and advice on leadership and purpose-led business development. Founder of The Optimism Company, as well as a best-selling author, speaker and host of the top-rated podcast A Bit of Optimism, Sinek is perhaps best known for his TED Talk on the power of WHY, viewed over 60 million times. His influential books include global bestseller Start with WHY and The New York Times bestsellers Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game.
Virtuoso continues to innovate around its flagship event, with new additions this year including enhanced personalisation of the famed one-on-one appointments, which are vital to the luxury travel sales strategy for Virtuoso members, advisors and partners. As flagged by LATTE in June, these appointments are now self-selected and matched, instead of assigned, giving attendees greater control over the efficacy of their meetings. 95 percent of requests submitted by both advisors and partners have been accommodated through a proprietary matching system designed for optimal connections.
Another exciting learning and networking opportunity introduced this year comes with the addition of Braindate, offering one-on-one or small-group conversations on topics posted by attendees before and during the event. This platform allows participants to brainstorm, tackle challenges and gain insights with like-minded individuals. Held daily Monday through Thursday, Braindate fosters deeper connections through purposeful discussions, offering valuable knowledge that goes above and beyond event programming.
A highlight of Virtuoso Travel Week is the third annual Travel Tech Summit, a one-of-a-kind event focused on utilizing smart technology to elevate and enhance human connection, rather than replace it.
A Virtuoso Week favourite – Community Globetrotting – will now extend to two days on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 August, due to its high success in engaging participants and driving sales. As in previous years, Globetrotting will spotlight the Virtuoso Communities – cruise, adventure, family, culinary, wellness and ultra-luxe travel. This year’s event will also introduce a new Sustainability pavilion, highlighting the network’s long-held commitment to furthering sustainable tourism.
Globetrotting provides Virtuoso members and partners with structured time to discover new product offerings in an immersive environment. Additionally, the new Hotel Showcase will offer advisors a unique chance to engage with Virtuoso preferred properties, boosting brand visibility and deepening their understanding and enthusiasm for luxury offerings.
LATTE will be reporting exclusively to the trade from VTW – stay tuned here for updates.
