“Leading the way”: Friisdahl gears up for TTAND’s conference in Riviera Maya, Mexico

Start your engines. The Travel Agent Next Door (TTAND) is back with another conference.

Except this year, the Canada-wide host agency is entering somewhat familiar territory.

Continuing on from last year’s “Trailblazers” symposium in Jordan – a mega-conference and 10-year anniversary bash that saw TTAND, G Adventures, the Jordan Tourism Board and Royal Jordanian Airways lead 300 travel pros through deserts, dunes and ancient civilizations – this year’s event unfolds in sun-kissed Riviera Maya, Mexico at the all-inclusive Iberostar Selection Paraíso Lindo.

Close to 265 travel advisors (no spouses allowed, unless you’re a business duo) and 71 suppliers (representing 42 companies) have boarded flights to Cancun airport to attend TTAND’s annual learning extravaganza, which kicks off Friday night (April 4) with a welcome reception.

Until April 11, agents will be out of office (checking in when time allows) as they dive into a jam-packed week of product training, workshops, panel discussions, business meetings, community volunteering and dance-till-you-drop parties sponsored by Air Canada Vacations, Transat, WestJet Vacations and Sunwing. 

It’s back to the old format, you could say. And after last year’s wild rumpus in the Middle East, the bar is set pretty high.

But Flemming Friisdahl, TTAND’s founder, is cool as a cucumber when asked if he feels any pressure to deliver a conference that’s at the same level as last year.

“Are we going to deliver a place like Jordan? No. We’re in Cancun. The weather will be beautiful. It will be great. But do I think we've raised the level when it comes to education, knowledge and interaction with agents? Yes. This year, we’ve raised it more than any other conference.”

What he means is that this year’s gathering – titled “Leading The Way” – is going to launch a bundle of new products and tools that aim to enhance the travel advisor experience.

At the forefront is TTAND’s new all-inclusive booking engine that was built in-house using Softvoyage technology.

Launched last month, the platform delivers a personalized, user-friendly solution, with competitive pricing, for booking all-inclusive sun vacations.

The conference will also review an itinerary-building program that works in conjunction with TTAND’s accounting system, simplifying invoices (and saving time).

Additionally, the team will be sharing updates on processes for managing groups, and for Quebec-based agents, TTAND’s forms are now translated into French.

More speakers than ever before

But beyond the technical stuff, this year’s conference is particularly buzzworthy in that it welcomes the most guest speakers TTAND has ever booked.

The Travel Leaders Network (which TTAND joined in 2021) will be on the scene, alongside business coach Jenn Kotacka, social media strategist Brent Colmer, AI and marketing trainer Emily Baillie, travel writer Robin Esrock, and Raj Gautam, TTAND’s head of engineering and design, who’ll be unpacking the latest on AI and its relationship with travel.

“We've invested more money in speakers and educators than we've ever done before,” Friisdahl said. “We want to keep notching it up. At the same time, we don’t charge agents any fees to come to conference – other than the air and hotel cost.”

On top of that, there will be panel discussions, featuring TTAND agents, that tackle hot topics, such as how to close the deal and strategies for selling luxury.

And on top of that, supplier presentations. More than 40 of them.

And attendees might recognize some new (but familiar) faces. There are a handful of suppliers attending this year’s event that have never participated before.

The newcomers list includes Backroads (an adventure specialist), Expedia TAAP, Kensington, Rocky Mountaineer and, surprisingly, Sunwing, which TTAND signed as an approved supplier just last year.

Also, sticking to its commitment to leaving a meaningful impact on the communities it visits, TTAND’s “Giveback Day” will return.

This year, attendees (who were asked to donate items, from school supplies to hygiene products to shoes and clothing) will support La Escuelita de Sonia, a non-profit organization that works to make a difference in the lives of children in the municipality of Bonfil.

“Leading The Way,” this year’s theme, which attendees will hear a lot about during the week, ties everything together.

“We believe we're leading the way for independent, home-based agents,” said Friisdahl, elaborating on the message. “That we’re creating more tools and programs to expand their business.”

The conference – which, this year, will also introduce new accessibility features – is a way to get people out of the house, celebrate success, and support each other, added Friisdahl.

“By nature, our independent advisors work from home. They have a busy home life. They don't all get that interaction that you would normally get in an office,” he said. 

“Leading The Way”  

Friisdahl says TTAND, over the past decade, has been “leading the way” in terms of how the host agency space operates, pioneering things like health benefit programs, hours that accommodate Western Canada, one-year agreements, authorization forms, 100 per cent commission structures, bookable websites and more.

“For us, it's about creating ways of doing things better and different from what others do,” he said.

That, too, includes integrating new uses for artificial intelligence.

We won’t spoil it here, but let’s just say attendees at this year’s conference will interact (dance, even) with AI in a never-before-seen way.

TTAND grows up  

The biggest difference between last year’s conference, and this year’s, is that TTAND is “maturing,” said Friisdahl.

That includes the hiring of more senior staff to lead the company into its next era of success.

As announced last year, Jeff Element, former president of The Travel Corporation Canada, is now TTAND’s chief operations officer, while Chris Senior (formally a director of financial analysis at HRG North America, a VP of finance and administration at TTI Travel, and business risk advisor at TICO) is chief financial officer. 

“I wish I could say this has freed me up a lot – it hasn't. But it has allowed me to focus more on the company going forward, focusing on recruitment,” said Friisdahl.

Penny Martin, Friisdahl’s long-time collaborator and former vice-president of agent experience, retired last year. But as PAX reported earlier, she will still be attending conference this year. This time as an agent.

It’s also a loyal community. Friisdahl says ten years ago, at the end of 2015, TTAND had 220 agents (163 of which were primary). Of that amount, 25 per cent are still with TTAND (33 per cent are from the primary group).

TTAND, today, has around 800 primary agents and 750 associates – and the plan is to keep growing. Just as long as there are enough staff to support the operation (TTAND currently has more than 70 employees).

“We put our energy back into making sure agents have the most tools to effectively run their business,” Friisdahl said.

Shifts in travel

Meanwhile, TTAND’s total sales for the year are expected to hit somewhere between $550 and $560 million, Friisdahl said.

Will the current geopolitical climate around U.S. tariffs – and calls to boycott U.S. travel – put a dent in that number?

Friisdahl is of two mindsets.

“There are people who will be hurt economically from what's happening. Are there going to be layoffs? Are we going into a recession? 100 per cent. There’s definitely an uncertainty. But I feel like we live with that every day, every month, of every year. When will we ever not hear that? I think it's never ending,” he said.

On the flip side, the situation presents an opportunity for consumers to use a trusted travel advisor – perhaps for the first time.

“People who go to California, Las Vegas or Florida don't always necessarily need a travel agent. But now, they still want to get away, but maybe they’ve never been to Mexico?”  Friisdahl said.

While TTAND’s February sales were slow, January and March were “solid,” Friisdahl went on to say.

“We're ahead of budget and up double digits,” he said. “We’re doing well.”

Come together

He’s encouraging travel advisors attending conference this year to remain united – and not blame every American for what its government does.

It’s something Friisdahl wants all attendees to think about, especially as TTAND welcomes a community of U.S.-based suppliers to its event this year, as always.

“Americans aren't the enemy – the politics are what's not friendly with us,” he said. “We’ve got to remember, just like COVID, the world cycles. It will come back.”

“Attack things with a smile”

As for “leading the way,” Friisdahl’s advice to agents – especially newcomers – attending his conference is to “attack things with a smile.”

“You gotta get out there, learn and adapt,” he said.

And stop worrying about things you can’t control.

“Focus on what you can control,” he said. “You may not be able to do something about Donald Trump, but what you can do is something about the person who wants to go away on vacation and have the best trip ever.”

“The one thing travel advisors do, that I think nobody else does, is create memories. We should never lose track of that.”

The Travel Agent Next Door's 2025 conference, "Leading The Way," takes place from April 4-11 at Iberostar Selection Paraíso Lindo in Mexico. Stay tuned for PAX's on-the-ground coverage!

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