Team Behind Travel Marketing Education Organization Launches New Host Agency

Oct. 24, 2013 - PRLog -- The management team of the Global Institute for Travel Entrepreneurs (GIFTE), the fastest growing industry organization dedicated to marketing education for travel professionals, has launched a new host agency: Gifted Travel Network (GTN). The team-centered agency puts the travel professional first by leveraging supplier marketing and relationships that align with his or her niche.

GTN operates according to three core principles: to nurture travel professionals’ entrepreneurial spirit, support them in a team environment, and help develop their personal brands.  “Launching GTN is a natural extension of the work we’ve done at GIFTE,” said GTN President Meredith Hill. “When we center our business around our travel professionals’ brilliance and give them the cutting-edge marketing tools to reach clients in today’s changing market, success happens. It’s an outlet to execute what we teach at GIFTE so we can be of higher service to members. ”

Travel professionals have the option to join one of GTN’s three “teams.” The JV Team is designed for travel consultants who are returning to travel after an absence, revamping their niche, or are new to the travel industry all together. JV Team members go through an extensive training and mentoring program that establishes travel industry fundamentals and marketing techniques (program to launch in 2014). The Varsity Team includes a wide range of travel professionals encompassing the spectrum of market specialties and business models; Varsity Team members can choose between three different commission structures.

GTN’s top-tier Elite Team is generally appropriate for established travel professionals with commissionable travel sales of $300,000 or more per year. Elite team members are invited to join GTN’s Executive Marketing Committee, which will meet monthly via conference call and once annually in-person to discuss effective marketing strategies, sourcing and making the most of co-op funds, leveraging consortia benefits, and maximizing purchasing power with suppliers to ensure top-level commissions. GTN has already accepted members for the Executive Marketing Committee; inaugural members include Jennifer Round and Ann Forehand of Slaydons Travel, Lori Hardegree of Destinations Travel, Carolyn Waffle of Certified Travel, Lindsay Larabee Heabel of Jet to Paradise Travel, and Lisa Fletcher of Signature Escapes.

GTN was accepted as a member of Ensemble. “We are so thrilled to have been accepted into Ensemble,” said GTN Executive Vice President Vanessa McGovern. “Ensemble has deeply invested in marketing and education to help agency owners develop their personal brands. They really put agency owners first.”

Ensemble’s Vice President of Business Development Joe Jiffo is pleased with GTN’s choice. “Ensemble recognizes how forward-thinking the community at GIFTE is, so when the executive team approached us about Gifted Travel Network, we jumped at the opportunity to have them in our consortia,” said Jiffo.

GTN is now accepting agents for the Varsity and Elite Teams. Varsity and Elite Team members pay an annual fee of $249, or can opt for a monthly fee of $24.99/month. Click HERE (http://www.giftedtravelnetwork.com/?page_id=89) to learn about GTN’s different teams, and click HERE (http://www.giftedtravelnetwork.com/?page_id=26) for information on commission structure options and fees.

To learn more about Gifted Travel Network, visit www.GiftedTravelNetwork.com.

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If you would like more information about the launch of Gifted Travel Network, or to schedule an interview with Meredith Hill, please email Emily Matras at info@giftedtravelnetwork.com or call Emily at (704) 585-7732.