More than 50 Advantage members met in Majorca earlier this month for the Partnership’s Managed Services Conference.
The 3-night event, hosted at the 5-star Kimpton Aysla Mallorca in Santa Ponsa, was hosted by Classic Collection, with Fred Olsen, Expedia TAAP, Exodus and Vertical Systems as supporting sponsors.
Topics discussed at the event included an update on Advantage’s growth goals for its Managed Services model (AMS), its technology investment plans, a workshop on ‘Unleashing Potential’ and a marketing surgery hosted by the Partnership’s Head of Marketing David Forder. A panel debate also took place where members shared their business journeys so far and their plans for the future.
Kelly Cookes, Chief Commercial Officer, The Advantage Travel Partnership said:
“The vast majority of our members who operate under our Managed Services proposition have had a really strong year of trading this year and the mood of the conference was exceptionally positive.
“Across our AMS operating model we have seen significant growth with turnover at +30%, margin per booking up by 3% with cruise sales more than doubling, so we had much to celebrate.
“There is no doubt the appetite we are seeing to join our managed service model is making it one of the fastest-growing operating models within the Advantage membership portfolio, providing a full end-to-end business solution. Centrally we manage all supplier payments, licensing and commercial contracts, which gives our business owners the time to dedicate and focus on all-important sales and customer service. Our strategic focus for 2024 is to continue enhancing our proposition with clear deliverables in particularly working with our members in helping them maximise the commercial opportunities they get from being a member of the Partnership, where we can leverage our global scales across a significant portfolio of benefits across both leisure and business travel sectors.”
In 2022 Advantage achieved a £120m turnover for this key area of its business and currently has more than 70 branches operating under its managed services model.
Speaking about the recent event in Mallorca, delegate Evan Desmond, Head of Leisure at Gray Dawes Group, said:
“I attended my first Advantage Managed Services conference in Majorca recently and had a great time. It was great to learn about future developments from the Advantage team and to also network with other like-minded business owners with the same ambition to grow their business.”
Mel White of Whites Travel added:
“The conference filled me with informative information, great one-on-one meetings with tour operators and a fabulous networking event with other like-minded travel business and owners and was very refreshing. I always come away from an AMS conference filled with enthusiasm, vigour and with great ideas to implement into the business. The speakers give me a new sense of direction and inspiration going forward.”
Cookes concluded:
“Every member who operates under an Advantage’s AMS model has their own trust account that protects all client monies and members can also view bank transfers going into their trust account to avoid them having to call in centrally. It is a robust operating solution that works really effectively for members.”
