On Location: Ensemble wraps up 2024 “Horizons” with glittery celebration of success

STORY BY MICHELLE FROESE

All that glitters is undeniably gold.

That was the case Thursday night (Sept. 19) as Ensemble toasted to its nearly 800 travel agency owners, advisors, and suppliers at its 2024 Horizons conference, which wrapped up at Drai’s Beachclub & Nightclub in Las Vegas.

The “All that Glitters” gala paired perfectly with the “Power of You” themed week of presentations, panels, one-on-one sessions, and learning labs, hosted at Resorts World.

READ MORE: On Location: “The Power of You”: Ensemble's “Horizons” event aims to redefine future of travel

“This year was focused on gaining the voice of the customer so we can properly empower them,” shared Kristina Boyce, senior VP of Operations, Ensemble. “It’s something we want deeply rooted in our DNA as a consortium — to fully listen to and understand who our customer is, their pain points, their challenges and opportunities, so we can serve them.”

To do so, Ensemble invested in its first census earlier this year, which it now plans to continue annually.

“We exist as a solutions provider and take that responsibility very seriously,” added Boyce. “We want our advisors to know how much they matter. We know that by working together, we can help make them more efficient, more connected, and ultimately more profitable.”

Booking travel should be easier 

One major finding from the census? That booking travel should be easier. Much easier.

“Our census told us that booking travel is only getting harder,” said Michael Johnson, president of Ensemble. “We learned that ease of use is the number one need related to booking platforms. Why? Because 50 per cent of advisors are using more than one platform.”

That number jumps to 74 per cent when it comes to booking hotels, cruises, or other travel activities.

The solution? Ensemble’s ADX platform, the team says. It’s already designed to create itineraries, bundle travel products and invoice clients as a one-stop shop. It also now books air.

“Booking air can feel very risky for an advisor because there’s a lot of room for error,” explained Boyce. “Our census showed that air represented less than 25 per cent of advisors’ mix of business. And yet, we know people are flying to nearly every single trip booked. This alone is a new revenue stream for many agents.” 

ADX also now comes with 24/7, in-house air support, including zero risk of debit memos and the option to include travel insurance from Travelex.

“We’ve enabled just shy of $350 million in travel through ADX, not to mention the 400 million experiences provided,” said Dave Volman, president of TripArc, during a presentation.

TripArc is the developer of the ADX platform. “We have about 2,000 unique agents every month logging onto our systems and booking travel. And we’re not done yet,” he said.

Cruise bookings coming to ADX

One request from advisors that’s also being answered within ADX: cruise bookings.

“ADX will have a beta option for booking ocean cruises by the end of this year,” promised Volman. “After testing, we will pivot to river cruises, with the plan to add a comparison tool to provide choices and help advisors continue the conversation with clients.”

Integration partner, Revelex, has begun testing the beta tool and booking cruises, which advisors can gain access to in November, said Volman.

“Our goal is to provide a consistent search and quote book that flows with all the other booking methodologies within the ADX platform,” he said.

ADX will also soon include a beta program for activities, with one for transport to follow.

Ensemble has also announced ADX Plus, a new way to build itineraries and interact with clients. It allows advisors to take control of the entire travel experience — for an additional fee.

The bigger picture

 “Did you know that 90 per cent of customers are more likely to trust and be loyal to companies that actively engage in CSR activities?” asked Madelaine Emberson, director of social impact, Navigatr, during a conference session on making social impacts.

CSR, or corporate social responsibility, is extremely important to Ensemble.

“Our parent company is focused on giving a percentage of our profits to certain causes, such as our charitable partnership with the Legacy of War Foundation,” said Shahla Lalani, senior VP of Marketing, Ensemble. “One part of this is the giving. Another part is encouraging the organizations we support to do the same.”

To make giving easy and accessible for organizations, Ensemble created Spark, a platform that lets clients create their own giving programs based on what they most want to support.

“I think it’s important to showcase one’s values as an organization,” said Lalani. “It potentially opens up a dialogue with clients and may attract those with aligned values. Most importantly, it reflects that you care and can make an impact for those who need it.”

Meaningful memories 

“Meaningful experiences are the real travel trend,” shared Jacqueline Walsh, co-owner, Destination Travel and Cruise Centre, Ontario. “People want to have memorable experiences and make a difference where they go. They’re really researching their trips today, often not wanting to contribute to over-tourism. It’s great to see people care!”

Boyce agreed. “Today’s travellers want to connect with the destinations they're exploring and with who they’re traveling with. It makes sense that we’re seeing double-digit growth in adventure this year.”

More than ever, people are aligning travel with their values. For some, this is adventure or eco-tourism. For others, their values are making memories.

“If you’re looking at mass-market products, only five to 14 per cent of funds clients spend on that product remains in the local destination,” said Erin Rogers, national sales manager, G Adventures, during a conference presentation. “But when you’re purchasing adventure travel, which is increasing, that number changes to 65 per cent, and that’s a big difference.”

Although statistics show a 54 per cent increase in the number of guests served by adventure travel operators in the last year, adventure doesn’t have to equate to climbing Machu Picchu or Mount Kilimanjaro.

“You don’t have to show up with a backpack and hiking shoes to be an adventure traveller,” said Rogers. “For some, it’s about culture, a unique experience, or simply spending more time outdoors. Rethink how you define adventure and do so through the lens of your clients.”

Interestingly, just as adventure travel is experiencing double digits, so is luxury travel.

“People are still looking for bigger trips with bigger lead times. Ultimately, they want the memories,” said Boyce.

“Experiential travel is definitely something we’re noticing,” added Laurie Keith, president, Romantic Planet Vacations. “The last few years taught us that life is short, and people are wanting to fully experience it. Our clients are asking for more unique destinations, more adventures in those places, and higher ticket items.”

Much like beauty, it seems adventure and luxury are in the eyes of the beholder. Provided with the ideal trip, all that glitters really is gold.

“We’re very confident we'll have another huge year,” said Boyce. “As our members grow, which they are, so do the opportunities. We intend to make them more profitable. Period.”

Ensemble Horizons is moving from fall to spring – organizaers said the next conference will remain at Resorts World Las Vegas, but not until May 4-6, 2026.

2024 Ensemble winners

Ensemble recognized members and partners throughout the conference, culminating with several awards at a gala.

Partner awards

Hotel Collections – Hyatt Inclusive Collection

Hotel Chain – Hilton Hotels & Resorts

Ocean Cruise: Oceania Cruises

River Cruise: AmaWaterways

Expedition Cruise: Silversea Cruises

Luxury Cruise: Explora Journeys

Family Cruise: Royal Caribbean International

Top partner, Land, Canada: WestJet Vacations

Top US Tour Operator: Apple Leisure Group

Top Tour Operator North America: Globus Family of Brands

Travel Insurance USA: Allianz

Travel Insurance Canada: Manulife

DMC (Destination Management Company): Titanium Tours & Travelive

Adventure partner of the year: Winner: G Adventures

Fastest (15) Growing Hotel Partner: Omni Hotels

Top Air Partner – Delta Air Lines

Tourism Board: Jamaica Tourist Board

Overall Partner of the Year: Royal Caribbean

Member awards

Social Impact Award – USA – Ross Spalding, Crown Cruise Vacations

Social Impact Award – Canada – Chris Rollinson, Escapes.ca

Outstanding Contribution to the Travel Community Award: Travel Masters

Member Excellence Award - Canada: Departures Travel

Member Excellence Award - USA: Brentwood Travel

Genius Award (earned most points in UofE learning platform) – Lydia Crawford, Pura Vida Global Travel

ADX Superuser – Tammie Brownlow, Roblin Travel and Cruise

Innovation Award – Canada: Romantic Planet Vacations/Boutique Travel Service

Innovation Award - USA: Mayfair Travel

Rising Stars - Stormy Barbara, Travel Edge and Tina Steeves, Fareconnect (Travel by Tina Marie)

What’s to come? 

 Ensemble also announced its 2025-26 event line-up:

Uncharted – Virtual event; January 29, 2025
Uncharted Expo – Virtual expo; February 2025
Uncharted SE (Summer Edition); August 20, 2025

• Beyond: Elevated Experiences – For top performers – Summer 2025; Mystery location and experience to be revealed. 
• Summit – For owners/managers - October 26-29, 2025; Fairmont Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City
• Skyline – Regional events across the United States and Canada

o Winnipeg; April 7-8, 2025

o Chicago; April 9-11, 2025

o New York City/Tri-State; April 23-25, 2025

o Ft. Lauderdale; April 28-30, 2025

o Montreal; May 1-2, 2025

o Toronto; May 5-6, 2025

o Edmonton; May 8-9, 2025

o Vancouver; May 12-13, 2025

o Newport Beach/San Diego; May 14-16, 2025

Horizons – Consortium-wide event; May 4-6, 2026; Resorts World Las Vegas

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