Razor focused: Moustached Flemming Friisdahl gears up for TTAND conference at sea

A significant chunk of the Canadian travel industry will be out of office next week as The Travel Agent Next Door’s (TTAND’s) national conference sets sail aboard the Celebrity Silhouette on an eight-night cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to the ABC Islands and back.

But wait, stop the presses: Flemming Friisdahl, the company’s president and founder, has a moustache now?!

A fresh new look, à la Tom Selleck? Finally! A host agency with stache appeal!

But no, Friisdahl isn’t chasing compliments, or seeking a glow-up, he told me late yesterday afternoon over Zoom. He’s chasing a dare.

Apparently, Allan Brooks, director of market sales for Canada at Celebrity Cruises, challenged Friisdahl to grow some whiskers – a friendly wager that quickly gained momentum, evolving into a monetary bet (The amount, confidential) in support of Pencil For Kids, a charity TTAND supports regularly.

It’s an organization that provides education, training, and income-generating opportunities for children and women in Niger, West Africa.

The terms of the bet, Friisdahl explained, stipulate that a donation will be made if he keeps the moustache until at least the conference’s opening session this Sunday (April 19).

“I’ll wear it for the first 40 minutes and then shave it off while people are presenting,” Friisdahl revealed. “I don't think moustaches are my thing.”

Hair today, gone tomorrow. A bold look, for a bigger cause. Catch moustached Friisdahl while you can.

“Leading The Way”

It’s just the upper lip of what attendees can expect at this year’s TTAND conference, running April 18–26.

The at-sea networking and learning event, featuring stops in Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire, is hosting 309 travel advisors – up 60 from last year’s land-based event at the Iberostar Selection Paraíso Lindo in Riviera Maya, Mexico (spouses, unless it’s a business duo, aren’t allowed, by the way) – alongside 46 suppliers (58 attendees), 28 support staff, three speakers and three media outlets, including PAX.

There’s a wave of new-to-conference suppliers attending, such as Club Med, Explora Journeys, Flex Pay by Upgrade, Universal Orlando and Crystal.

The theme? It's familiar – “Leading the Way,” which TTAND will call all of its national conferences from now on, said Friisdahl.

Kinda like Travel Leaders Network’s annual “EDGE” conference, where an overarching name is maintained, but with new themes each year to keep things fresh.

“Leading The Way” is also TTAND’s new tagline, first revealed at last year’s conference.

“We really thought about some great themes,” Friisdahl told PAX. “But Leading The Way is what we really think we're doing, so we decided to leave it as that.”

The billion-dollar dream

It’s a been an eventful 12 months at TTAND, which turned 12 this year, making a conference designed to unpack updates, and spark conversations, all the more relevant.

The host agency, for one, has grown to 1,840 travel advisors (900 primary agents and 940 associate agents).

Then there’s the strategic moves: for starters, an equity partnership with UK-based Travel Counsellors, announced late last year.

The collaboration is expected to introduce bigger toys and tools for an already well-equipped sandbox.

READ MORE: The Travel Agent Next Door turns 12: Friisdahl eyes big tech & billion-dollar dream

There’s also a shiny new division: LUXE by TTAND, a premium brand, announced last year, that’s attracting some serious star power in the luxury universe.

Suppliers like Scenic, Explora Journeys, Uniworld, Silversea, Tauck, Crystal, and Abercrombie & Kent have all joined TTAND’s portfolio, which is enhanced by a new “Luxe Mastermind” training program.

Additionally, as PAX first reported, a new corporate program is also in the works.

Business, meanwhile, is good. Really good, said Friisdahl, noting that sales in the first 14 days of April are up 23 per cent year over year.

“At the end of last month, we did the amount of sales we did in all of 2019,” he noted.

This year, he expects TTAND to do between $609 and $620 million “unless something drastic happens, like if planes no longer have fuel to fly.”

Cruise, specifically, accounts for 20 to 24 per cent of the pie, making a conference at sea particularly timely.

The long-term goal, Friisdahl told PAX recently, is to hit a billion dollars in sales.

“2026 will continue to move us towards this goal,” he said.

Travel Counsellors on the scene

TTAND’s conference is a high-energy mix of supplier presentations, industry experts, workshops and networking events, including scheduled lunches, dinners, and parties, all intended to bring travel advisors and suppliers together in a casual and collaborative environment.

It’s a jam-packed agenda, as usual, but the inclusion of Travel Counsellors is a significant addition this year.

Four senior staff, including CEO Steve Byrne, will be on board Silhouette to engage with attendees.

There will be two sessions led by the Travel Counsellors team, Friisdahl said.

One, in particular, will unpack “Phenix,” a future-ready platform that powers dynamic packaging, and TC Co-Pilot, an AI-powered digital assistant that boosts productivity and creates personalized itineraries.

Both tools will be available to TTAND agents this summer, Friisdahl said.

Friisdahl and Byrne will also lead a town hall–style Q&A, providing attendees with an open forum to ask candid questions about the partnership.

“We’re being very transparent. It’s about getting people comfortable,” said Friisdahl on TTAND’s new link with Travel Counsellors.

“It's been four months since we announced it and nothing has changed. We're working on what we can do better.”

Does the partnership with Travel Counsellors – along with everything else TTAND has been working on, like its new luxury arm – feel like a new chapter?

“Honestly, no,” Friisdahl said. “It has always been my idea to be part of something that could help blow us up even more. We do things when the timing feels right. We move slow and steady.”

New this year

TTAND’s annual conference brings the tools, tech and travel connections to life.

This week’s agenda features marketing technologist Kha Ly, who teaches travel advisors how to harness AI and social media to drive business growth and enhance their online impact. 

Other speakers include Hannah Spicer, CEO and president of Build a Kick Ass Company, and comedian and writer Kate Davis, an expert in developing creative solutions to ease frustrations both in the workplace and at home. 

New this year are “Sunrise Sessions,” which run from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. No, it’s not yoga – rather, these are optional sessions for attendees who wish to further expand their knowledge.

“Some people want to learn more, so we’re giving them more,” said Friisdahl.

TTAND will also host its first-ever supplier trade show. 

Meanwhile, TTAND’s peer-to-peer program returns. This pairs new-to-industry agents (and experienced agents) with top performers in a mentorship-focused setting. 

“If people want to make more money, they can sit down and ask [top performers] what they did and how they got there,” Friisdahl said. “All the stories start with two words: hard work.”

TTAND’s Buddy Program also pairs new-to-industry and first-time conference attendees with experienced advisors who can guide them throughout the week.

Also available to newcomers is a newly-designed meet-and-greet with suppliers – an icebreaker, you could say, that helps first-time attendees (or those who may feel intimidated by it all) connect more comfortably.

New conference app

What ties this year’s event together is a brand-new app.  

Built in-house by TTAND’s Chief Technology Officer Raj Gautam, the platform serves as a “fully integrated conference companion.”

It goes beyond simply showcasing the agenda, deck maps, meeting details and FAQs by offering features such as live chat and voice messaging, a comprehensive attendee directory, contest information, and real-time updates.

“Everything is on the app, which will make it easier for agents and suppliers,” Friisdahl said. “We've already had over 400 downloads. We’re pretty stoked about that.”

Celebrity's secret sauce

Outside of the classroom, agents will experience the Celebrity Silhouette, a 2,900-passenger, Solstice-class vessel that was “revolutionized” (upgraded) in 2020 to add modern amenities, including refined staterooms, The Retreat (a ship-within-a-ship concept) and revamped dining.

It’s a big moment for Celebrity, hosting TTAND’s conference, which has been at least ten years in the making.

“We can’t wait to bring to life the Celebrity magic and secret sauce that everybody hears about, but until you experience it, you really don’t know what it is,” Celebrity’s Brenda Lynne Yeomans, key account manager, sales for Canada, told PAX last year.

TTAND and Celebrity have inserted all kinds of inclusions for the week at sea, such as pre-paid gratuities and taxes, basic Wi-Fi, and a Classic beverage package that covers a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

In a previous interview, Celebrity’s National Director Allan Brooks said “there’s nothing more valuable than having agents on board” a Celebrity ship.

“We can talk about it, but until you experience the feeling of being on a Celebrity cruise, you truly can’t explain the nuances,” he said. “This will also be a great starting point for new agents that have joined the industry.”

The Dutch Caribbean, in particular, is also one of Celebrity highest-rated destinations.

And agents will have a chance to engage with communities along the way.

On Tuesday (April 21), when docked in Willemstad, Curacao, Donné Nixon from Unique Vacations Canada (Sandals Resorts) will be taking a group to Sandals Royal Curaçao, a still-new property that opened in June 2022.

TTAND will also host its annual Giveback Day, which, this year, takes place in Oranjestad, Aruba.

A limited group of agents, along with members from the TTAND team, will spend the morning supporting the Children’s Home Imeldahof, a non-profit organization that offers temporary shelter and guidance for boys and girls who, due to certain circumstances, cannot live with their parents or caregivers.

Midweek, TTAND will also host its black-tie Gala and Awards Night, an elegant evening dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the network’s top performers.

“Meet as many people as you can”

It’s a busy program, yes, but entirely manageable with the right mindset.

Friisdahl’s advice to attendees? “Meet as many people as you can,” he said. “And don't sit with the same people every day.”

Show up ready to learn. “You don't know what you don't know until you find out you didn't know it,” Friisdahl said.

Your cue to trim the comfort zone and give your perspective a clean shave.

Stay tuned for PAX’s on-location coverage of The Travel Agent Next Door’s 2026 conference with Celebrity Cruises!

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