THE TRADE SHOW Program
The 3-day travel show conference program is designed specifically for you. It offers comprehensive education and training to enrich your career and increase your sales. By attending THETRADESHOW, you will gain the essential knowledge and expertise to make your travel business more profitable.
Add this meeting to your Outlook Calendar
Unless otherwise indicated, all events will be held at the Orange County Convention Center.
 
Dollar Rent a Car and Thrifty Car Rental is a sponsor of THETRADESHOW education and complimentary travel educator registrations.
 Cyber Café and Technology Pavilion
Courtesy of Sabre Travel Network
Delegates will be able to check email accounts and Web sites from the Cyber Cafe in the Technology Pavilion on the show floor. Please note that computer access will be limited to 15 minutes per session during peak occupancy. Cyber Café will be used for Technology Seminars during exhibition hours each day. The Cyber Café will be cleared 15 minutes prior to these seminars to allow seminar participants to enter.
Registration Hours:
Saturday, September 6 9:00am - 5:00pm
Sunday, September 7 9:00am - 5:00pm
Monday, September 8 8:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday, September 9 8:30am - 2:00pm
| Saturday, September 6th |
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Orlando Experience - Attending agents can choose from a variety of Orlando specific options to enhance their TTS experience. Take advantage of complimentary sightseeing, hotel inspections, theme park passes and a variety of attraction tickets.
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| Sunday, September 7th |
| 8:30am - 11:30am |
 The Travel Institute Certification Testing
- The Travel Institute is thrilled to offer certification testing to attendees of THETRADESHOW in Orlando, September 7, 2008. CTA, CTC and CTIE candidates are encouraged to reserve their place in the testing room by August 1, 2008. Check-in for this single-seating event will begin at 8:00am – and testing will begin promptly at 8:30am. For additional information click here.
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| 11:30am – 1:00pm |
Educational Sessions
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| 2:00pm – 5:00pm |
Trade Show
THESHOWSTAGE Presentations
- Recession: Does it manage you or do you mange it?
Presenter: Arnie Weissmann, Editor in Chief, Travel Weekly
There’s no doubt that the recession and high fuel prices are hitting the travel industry hard. How long will this cycle last? What are the short-, medium- and long-term implications? Does this environment present opportunities as well as challenges?
Panel Moderated by Arnie Weissmann, Editor in Chief, Travel Weekly. Panelists: Michael Batt, Chairman, Travel Acquisitions Group, Julius Robinson, Vice President, Global Sales Intermediaries, Marriott International; Ellen Bettridge, Vice President, US Retail Travel Network, American Express; Maurice Zarmati, President and CEO, Costa Cruise Line- North America
Technology Pavilion
Presentation Pavilions
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| 4:30pm – 5:30pm |
ASTA Annual Meeting on THESHOWSTAGE
Join your fellow ASTA members as you gather to hear the latest information on ASTA’s initiatives and mission.
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| 7:30pm |
Opening Event: Celebrate Endless Summer in Orlando!
Location: BB King’s Blues Club at Pointe Orlando
Courtesy of Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc., Busch Entertainment Corporation's Worlds of Discovery, Disney Destinations, Universal Orlando® Resort, BB King's Blues Club-Orlando, Pointe Orlando, VISIT FLORIDA®
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| Monday, September 8th |
| 9:00am - 1:30pm |
Retail Travel Leadership Summit
Separate Registration Required
- Brought to you by ASTA, this innovative event will bring together industry leaders and executives from top-tier travel companies, foster open discussions and debates on pressing travel industry issues.
"The Retail Travel Leadership Summit will be an intimate, exclusive meeting," said William Maloney, CTC, ASTA executive vice president and COO. "Topics will be debated by us, for us and in front of us; new ideas will be expressed and solutions to industry challenges explored. This will be the must-attend event of the year for those who feel they have been called to actively lead this industry in a positive, new direction."
Lunch and Featured Speaker JOE SCARBOROUGH, host of MORNING JOE, courtesy of Auto Europe/Destination Europe
For complete schedule, list of speakers and to register please click here
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| 9:00am – 9:45am |
Home-Based General Session
Product Seminars
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| 10:00am – 10:45am |
Education Sessions
Product Seminars
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| 11:00am – 3:00pm |
Trade Show
THESHOWSTAGE Presentations
- Will the Real Travel Professional Stand Up?
With multiple industry numbering and ID card programs, how can real sellers of travel be truly identified? Can such programs also help to counter the growth of card mills and multi-level marketing programs? Is there a solution that can help consumers and suppliers accurately determine who the real travel sellers are?
Moderated by: James Shillinglaw, Editor in Chief, Performance Media Group LLC. Panelists, Bob Sharak, EVP, Marketing & Distribution, CLIA; Scott Koepf CTC, MCC, President, NACTA; Gary Fee, President & Founder, OSSN; Bert Rivero, Regional Director The Americas, IATAN; John Pittman, Vice President, Industry & Consumer Affairs, ASTA
- International Destination Expo 2009 South Africa Presentation Sthu Zungu, President, South African Tourism North America
- Samantha Brown’s Passport to Travel - Brought to you by The Travel Channel - Samantha Brown, host of Travel Channel’s Passport Series
As a Travel Channel host for almost a decade, Samantha Brown brings new experiences and destinations to life for the audience. Most recently, she filmed amazing weekend getaways in dozens of domestic and international locations for Passport to Great Weekends, spent a month in China shooting a three-part special Passport to China that aired prior to this Summer’s Olympic games, and traveled to Europe and Latin America for previous installment of her Passport series. Samantha will address her time on the road, the importance of travel, and what she loves most about her job.
Technology Pavilion
Presentation Pavilions
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| 3:00pm – 5:00pm |
ASTA Premium Member Session - Invitation Only Event |
| 3:15pm – 4:15pm |
Educational Sessions
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| 3:15pm – 4:45pm |
National Tourism Organization Summit
- For the third year, THETRADESHOW will host an important networking opportunity for National Tourism Organizations (NTO). The NTO Summit will provide an environment to discuss the best practices in marketing destinations. For full program information click here. All national tourism offices and convention bureaus are invited to attend. Contact Robin Costanza at rcostanza@asta.org to participate.
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| 4:30pm – 5:30pm |
Educational Sessions
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| 7:00pm |
ASTA's 5th Annual Advocacy Dinner
Tickets required
Location: Portofino Bay Hotel |
| 9:30pm |
YP Rocks
Location: The Red Coconut ClubSM at Universal Citywalk
Courtesy of Universal Orlando® Resort and Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority |
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| Tuesday, September 9th |
| 8:30am - 10:00am |
International Travel Agent Summit
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| 8:30am - 10:30am |
ASTA CAC Meeting - Invitation Only Event |
| 9:00am – 9:45am |
Product Seminar Sessions
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| 10:00am – 12:00pm |
Trade Show
THESHOWSTAGE Presentations
- Samantha Brown’s Passport to Travel - Brought to you by The Travel Chanel - Samantha Brown, host of Travel Channel’s Passport Series
As a Travel Channel host for almost a decade, Samantha Brown brings new experiences and destinations to life for the audience. Most recently, she filmed amazing weekend getaways in dozens of domestic and international locations for Passport to Great Weekends, spent a month in China shooting a three-part special Passport to China that aired prior to this Summer’s Olympic games, and traveled to Europe and Latin America for previous installment of her Passport series. Samantha will address her time on the road, the importance of travel, and what she loves most about her job.
- Grow Your Business by Reaching New Markets
Are you mostly a Corporate Agency looking to grow your leisure business? Or a Leisure Agency wanting to expand your corporate share? Hear from successful agencies that have insight on strategies to grow your market share.
Moderated by John DeJesu, Publisher, Business Travel News. Panelists: Wendy Burk, CEO, Travel Dynamics Group Inc.; Mike Weingart, President and Managing Director, Carlson Wagonlit Travel/World Travel Agency; Peter Klebanow, Chairman & CEO, Ultramar Travel Management, Worldwide Chairman, GlobalStar Travel Management; Kate Murphy, President, Uniglobe Wings Travel
Technology Pavilion
Presentation Pavilions
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| 12:30pm – 1:45pm |
 Lunch – Brought to you by Turkish Culture and Tourist Office |
| 2:00pm – 3:15pm |
Educational Sessions
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| 2:00pm – 6:00pm |
NACTA Member Meeting
NACTA Members Only
- Attend an exceptional program of workshops, roundtable discussions, keynote sessions and more. This will be an in-depth learning program for NACTA members only. So, if you are serious about selling more travel you do not want to miss this!
For additional information click here.
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| 3:15pm – 4:30pm |
Educational Sessions
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Interested in presenting at THETRADESHOW? Review the call for papers for more informaiton.
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