Agent Diary: It felt amazing to be back at a luxury consumer show

We are so pleased that we can see our clients and show our gratitude for their continued business, says Ponders Travel managing director Clare Dudley.

Since my first days in travel – which are 38 years ago now, unbelievably – I have always enjoyed hosting stands at shows and events to promote our travel business to our customers.

I have always felt that attending these events really does reap rewards and never have I underestimated their true value.

A few weeks ago, we were back at a luxury consumer show at which we had exhibited annually for many years. Sadly, we had not been able to attend this show for the past few years as the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic had other ideas. I can’t describe how amazing it felt to be back doing what we do best.

Our stand at the show is often referred to as the ‘cuddles stand’ because we see so many of our customers who we speak to regularly, but aren’t local to us

We joke that our stand at the show is often referred to as the ‘cuddles stand’ because we see so many of our customers who we speak to regularly, but aren’t local to us. They like to come and see us at these shows and a hug is often in order. We are genuinely so pleased that we can see our clients and show our gratitude for their continued business.

This year, we were flabbergasted by one of the first people to come to our stand, someone we had not met before. This lovely lady said to us: “We’re so glad to have found you here. We were on a coach from Windsor to London this morning and got chatting to another couple.

We are genuinely so pleased that we can see our clients and show our gratitude for their continued business

“In our conversation we explained where we were going, and the lady we were talking to said, ‘You must go to see the team at Ponders Travel, you won’t be disappointed, and you won’t need to go anywhere else!’”

High praise indeed, and we have now booked these new clients on a lovely Caribbean cruise for this Christmas.

Exceptional partners

Not only is this event important for meeting new and existing clients, but it’s also great to work with trade partners at the same time.

The show features a range of luxury operators, cruise lines, hotels and destinations – as well as travel experts to inspire the consumers in attendance. This year we were joined by staff from sister brands Avalon and Cosmos and I want to say a huge thank you to all the reps who accompanied us.

This year we were joined by staff from sister brands Avalon and Cosmos and I want to say a huge thank you to all the reps who accompanied us

Goodness, what a team they have. Each and every one of the staff members was nothing short of exceptional. The passion for their brand, coupled with the depth of their knowledge and general love of their jobs, was amazing.

We learnt so much while we worked alongside them, sharing ideas, knowledge and dreams.

Thank you, team Avalon, we are delighted to have worked with you at the show.

Let down

I also think it’s important to point out that, unfortunately, there are a lot of companies that pay a fortune to promote their business at such shows, but their staff can let them down. Can you believe it?

Unfortunately, there are a lot of companies that pay a fortune to promote their business at such shows, but their staff can let them down

I saw several stands that were manned by staff who struggled to look up from their phones to even notice that clients were there, just wanting to find out more.

What a complete waste of their companies’ money, and so many wasted opportunities.

Patience pays in dividends

Don’t always assume that the results and return on investment from such events and shows will be immediate. We recently made one of our biggest-ever bookings with a lady who was a personal assistant for a family that we can’t even remember meeting – because this first enquiry came two years after we’d met. They booked a luxury cruise around the Mediterranean, taking seven suites. The booking value for the one family was £128,000 for a week’s cruise. We know that if we make a great impression on clients, they will be in touch again.