5 Things We Learned at CoNexion 2024

Nexion Travel Group’s annual CoNexion conference brought preferred suppliers and a record-breaking 525 travel advisors to New Orleans this week.

The three-day event took place Sept. 8-11 at Hilton New Orleans Riverside, which is just minutes from the famed French Quarter and home to Drago’s, a seafood restaurant beloved for its charbroiled oysters. CoNexion attendees participated in educational workshops, networking sessions and a tradeshow, and smiles abounded amid a few spontaneous dance moments and jokes about American Airlines and bad weather — “Tropical Storm Francine may have grounded some of our planes, but it didn’t ground our spirit.”

Conference workshop topics ranged widely, allowing advisors to opt into sessions of interest, from how to make engaging, short-form video content with online editing platform CapCut to fraud awareness and the lifecycle of a sale. And the entire audience benefited from advisor-led NexTalks, the host agency’s take on the ever-informative Ted Talks format.

Nexion president Jackie Friedman kicked off the conference with a video that encouraged attendees to “help humanity travel better” — a goal CoNexion organizers referred to during the conference’s content.

Following are a few key things we learned throughout the event.

1. Job Satisfaction Is High Among Nexion Advisors

During the conference, Nexion revealed brand-new data around travel advisor job satisfaction: an incredible 88% of Nexion advisors report that they would recommend their line of work to others. Additionally, 83% say that they are optimistic about the industry and what’s to come in the future, according to an August survey of U.S.-based Nexion advisors.

“I’m heartened by the results of this survey showing that our travel advisors have such tremendous satisfaction with their careers and confidence about the future,” said Jackie Friedman, president of Nexion Travel Group. “For our industry to continue to grow, we need to attract individuals who love seeing the world and have a strong desire to help consumers put together their dream vacations. We want more people to become travel advisors and join us at Nexion Travel Group, where we can help set them up for success."

2. Nexion Travel Group Supports Advisors With Abundant Education Opportunities

At numerous points in the conference, advisors and suppliers came back to the words “community” and “family,” and members shared how supported they feel by Nexion in their professional journey. One way the host agency bolsters advisor business is through educational opportunities, including specialized trainings (marketing, social media, etc.) and immersive fam trips that help advisors understand and better sell a destination; recent fam trips brought select groups of Nexion advisors to the Galapagos Islands; Brisbane, Australia; and Tokyo. 

There’s also the Leap Into Luxury summit (designed for advisors looking to up their luxury sales game) and the Travel Leaders of Tomorrow training, which is available to all prospective advisors, not just Nexion members.

“We looked at data from the graduates of the Travel Leaders of Tomorrow program, going back to 2018, and the collective sales of that group of advisors was over $80 million,” Friedman said during a media briefing at CoNexion. “When we saw that number, we were really proud. And we tell these advisors: ‘Don't compare your journey to anyone else’s, but know what ‘X’ is for you; define what success is, and have a realistic path to get there.’"

Additionally, Nexion closely watches sales data and market shifts to bridge the gap between those changes and advisor education. Nexion’s Cruise Group Space program is a prime example; launched in 2022 in response to increasing consumer interest in cruising, the program trains advisors in selling preferred cruise partners and gives advisors and their clients access to incredible stateroom deals. Azamara and Windstar Cruises are new Cruise Group Space partners as of this year, joining brands such as Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard and Regent Seven Seas.

3. Nexion Touts Agent Profiler for Lead Generation, and Applauds Its ‘Super Agents'

While a significant portion of advisors' sales come from friends, family and referrals, some Nexion members are generating leads via Agent Profiler, an online profile system that showcases advisor profiles via Travel Leaders Network, which is Nexion's consortium. On the platform, consumers search for an advisor based on filters including location, specialty and destination of interest. Advisors with complete and comprehensive profiles, including customer reviews, are upgraded to “Super Agents” and rank higher in platform searches.

And Agent Profiler is bringing in customers, making it a valuable marketing and business tool. A semi-recent lead connected a Nexion advisor with a complete stranger who went on to book four trips, including journeys on Holland America Line, Avalon Waterways and Viking.

We teach them how to fish — how to be selective and the various ways to go and build their customer base. We're really developing entrepreneurs.

“When we talk to folks who are brand new, one of their greatest fears is, ‘How am I going to get clients?’” Friedman said. “And that really is the hardest part; it's through a combination of education and marketing. We teach them how to fish — how to be selective, and the various ways to go and build their customer base. We're really developing entrepreneurs.”

4. The Family Bonds Foundation Is One Way Nexion Builds Community In the Industry

All CoNexion attendees were asked to support the Family Bonds Foundation, a nonprofit that distributes grants to people in and connected to the travel industry when unforeseen or challenging circumstances arise in their lives. Travel advisor and CoNexion attendee Kelly Furtado of Anchors Away Travel generously shared her personal story on stage, as foundation funds helped her pay medical bills during her husband’s fight with cancer. Prior to the event in New Orleans, Family Bonds had raised a record-setting $461,000 in 2024; Friedman challenged CoNexion attendees to crowdsource another $130,000 through straight donations, a silent auction and raffle tickets, and reminded them that they also have the power to nominate anyone experiencing financial hardship.

5. Nexion Turns 30 in 2025, and There Will Be Celebrations

Always looking to “surprise and delight” — and especially in its 30th year — Nexion has announced a new annual event: the Cruise Sales Summit. Though the exact date is to be determined, it will take place in spring 2025  in Port Canaveral, Florida. The summit will focus on bolstering advisors’ cruise sales, so ship tours will be a prominent part of the gathering. To keep up to date on the event, advisors should follow Nexion on Instagram.

Another announcement? CoNexion 2025 will take place at Universal Parks & Resorts in Orlando, Florida, Sept. 8-10 — perhaps right on time for attendees to experience the new Universal Epic Universe.

Martin Mussey, business development manager for Nexion, who emceed CoNexion 2024 with wit and humor, announced next year’s location with a wizard wand in hand and a black cape on his back.

"Get ready to make some magic in Orlando,” he said.