On Location: “Inspiring”: Trevello ends Jamaica conference on high note; Ireland will host next year’s event

It was all about building momentum — together.

Trevello Travel Group's 2025 national conference, “Momentum,” wrapped up in Montego Bay, Jamaica Friday (May 9), leaving travel advisors feeling empowered and ready to take on the world.

At a sparkling awards gala held last night in the elegant ballroom of Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall, Trevello—which is experiencing rapid growth—celebrated some of its top-performing advisors.

And, after a week of intense speculation, the location for next year’s Trevello conference was officially unveiled: the event will unfold in Ireland with partners Brendan Vacations (under the TTC Tour Brands umbrella), Tourism Ireland, and Tourism Northern Ireland.

It was an exciting end to what has been an action-packed week of fun and learning, welcoming 152 travel advisors, 52 suppliers and guests.

Speaking with PAX at the party last night, an enthusiastic Susan Lawson, Trevello’s director of engagement, reflected on the week with a sense of pride.

“I’m so pleased,” said Lawson who, as one of the week’s emcees, was on the verge of losing her voice. “My goal was to make sure advisors felt like they had what they needed to succeed.”

The week’s personalized and customized agenda, which, in some cases, allowed participants to select topics they were most interested in, was a key element of the event's success, she said.

“I’ve heard advisors say this conference was one of our best,” Lawson continued. “We tried to be creative in presenting opportunities to connect with each other, supplier partners and head office. The engagement has been amazing.”

READ MORE: On Location: “We’re growing”: Trevello conference kicks off in Jamaica; Playa shares Hyatt update

The team at Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall also “absolutely overdelivered in every way,” she added.

Building Momentum

Trevello’s conference from May 4-9 revolved around the word "momentum," encouraging travel advisors to keep moving forward, together.

“We’re a family, and we're growing. We’re all moving together. Upwards and onwards!” Zeina Gedeon, Trevello’s president and CEO, told PAX previously.

The sessions covered all kinds of business-building topics, including selling luxury travel, growing your business with Travefy, branding with Virtuoso, the importance of offering travel insurance, tips on using artificial intelligence and workshops that showcased Trevello’s newer tools, like Cruise and Air Central.

An advisor panel was held to guide professionals on turning prospects into profits and mastering the art of client acquisition.

A "Meeting of the Minds" component also featured tailored sessions led by suppliers, covering a variety of advisor-focused topics.

Structured like speed dating, each discussion was limited to small groups of no more than six participants, creating an intimate environment. Throughout the week, more than 100 meetings took place.

Buzzworthy parties & speakers

The conference also included buzzworthy parties, such as a nostalgic “Prom Night” where travel advisors and suppliers swapped itineraries for tiaras.

With everything from oversized sleeves to sharp blazers, attendees embraced the theme with a mix of retro and modern flair.

“Momentum” also perfectly coincided with Travel Advisor Day on May 7 – and the energy was contagious.

As agents made their way to the conference room that morning, the staff at Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara cheered them on through the hallways, while suppliers welcomed them with hoots, hollers, pom-poms and noisemakers.

The exciting day also featured a special keynote address by Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts International, who spoke about the importance of human-to-human interactions, and how the Caribbean, including Jamaica, is having a moment.

Click here to see PAX’s exclusive video interview with Stewart – shot on location.

The Sandals theme continued on Travel Advisor Day as agents and suppliers enjoyed an off-site dinner at beautiful Sandals Montego Bay, the brand’s flagship resort, which has been welcoming guests for 43 years.

Trevello’s big & bold year

A lot has happened at Trevello ever since the host agency celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, a milestone that was marked by a national conference held aboard the Ruby Princess in Alaska. 

Last summer, Trevello announced its plan to expand into the United States under parent company Trevello World Holdings.

Then, the company announced it was going public through a qualifying transaction with M3 Capital Capital Corp. on the TSX Venture Exchange. (Due to the current economic landscape, this plan has been paused, for now).

There’s also been an acquisition. At the start of this year, Trevello World Holdings Inc revealed that it had secured the Gifted Travel Network (GTN), a U.S.-based host agency for luxury travel advisors.

As PAX first reported, Trevello has also made some branding tweaks. Since 2022, when “Trevello Travel Group” replaced "Travel Professionals International" (TPI), the host agency has used a purple and red template for its logo and promotional materials — a palette now shifting to shades of blue.

READ MORE: On Location: Trevello tweaks logo & branding; Gedeon talks sales, tariffs & "new normal"

The logo’s infinity symbol has also been removed because, according to focus groups, it didn’t effectively convey the advisor experience.

According to feedback that was shared, Trevello’s new blues will give the host agency a fresh, sophisticated and modern look.

The new branding will take over in August when Trevello is set to launch its U.S. division (which will operate as a separate company).  

Short-term costs, long-term benefit

The host agency is also charting a new course in the host agency landscape—one that puts its travel advisors squarely at the centre with a revamped compensation model.

As announced in April, “Momentum” is a new commission program that “puts advisors first,” with 85 per cent commission for everyone—"no exceptions” – and 100 per cent commission once $15,000 in paid commission is achieved. It also promises the lowest fees in the industry.

VIDEO: Sandals’ Adam Stewart celebrates Travel Advisor Day with Trevello in Jamaica

“For us, it's really all about our advisors,” said Gedeon. “They work incredibly hard—handling everything from ticketing to invoicing—and we want to make sure they're properly compensated and treated like the entrepreneurs they are.”

While many host agencies have perhaps hesitated to adopt such models due to financial constraints, Trevello made the decision to absorb the short-term cost for long-term benefit.

“We took the risk of taking a hit to our bottom line,” Gedeon explained. “But it allows us to grow together with our advisors.”

Trevello makes up the difference through supplier deals, marketing funds and advisor fees, Gedeon said.

Since launching Momentum, Trevello has welcomed nearly 300 new advisors—68 per cent of whom are new to the industry—bringing its total network to 1,172 members, Gedeon said.

But it still has to be sustainable. Gedeon wants to cap new recruitment at around 200 advisors annually to ensure proper onboarding and training.

The company’s Launch Pad program aims to help (and attract) new-to-industry advisors as “they’re going to be our future,” Gedeon said.

Trevello’s own travel school

Launch Pad is Trevello’s own travel school where newcomers learn the ABCs of the business.

New-to-industry folks like Colleen Kozun of Nipawin, Saskatchewan, who recently turned her lifelong passion for travel into a new career.

A former pharmacy technician and busy sports mom, Kozun spent years travelling across North America and Europe, taking her kids to sports tournaments.

Her knack for planning and love of adventure inspired her to become a travel advisor – and she’s now able to help neighbours in her close-knit community, who often seek her travel advice.

For Kozun, Launch Pad “has been a savior,” she told PAX.

“It’s informative, supportive, and gives you real access to people in the industry,” she said. “It gives you the opportunity to talk to the higher ups, one on one, and you actually get to know them. It sets you up for success.”

This year, she attended Trevello’s conference — her first — and found it eye-opening. “Meeting suppliers was incredible. I had no idea how many companies were out there.”

Kozun is already putting her new knowledge to work, organizing all the new contacts she’s made. “I can accomplish better things for my clients,” she said.

Then there’s Michelle Snook from Ottawa, ON, who is proving it’s never too late to sell travel.

A federal government employee and part-time travel advisor with Trevello, Snook entered the industry just a year and a half ago — a decision inspired by her love of travel and the growing independence that comes with her kids getting older.

She first discovered Trevello years backs, attending a conference in Turks and Caicos as a guest of a friend who was already an advisor. That experience stuck with her. When it came time to launch her own side business, she knew where to turn.

Trevello’s Launch Pad has been “instrumental” in helping building her confidence, she said.

“There’s always someone to turn to — whether it’s about invoicing or marketing,” she said. “It’s also been helpful connecting with other new advisors.”

Trevello’s conference was “amazing,” she said, noting the supportive environment and new friendships she formed.  

As she heads home, she’s focused on learning more about Virtuoso tools and Travefy — both key to growing her business and “creating even better experiences for my clients.”

Other advisors are leaving the conference with a new sense of direction.

After 13 years as a dental assistant, Calgary’s Kim Chenier joined Trevello in summer of 2023. Having explored Australia and New Zealand extensively, she wants to help others experience that same magic.

Now selling travel full time, Chenier books all-inclusive resorts and some cruises, but she’s setting her sights on building a niche in New Zealand travel—an area she’s deeply passionate about.

She said Launch Pad has helped build her confidence and industry know-how.

“There’s so much great information. Everyone is so welcoming—it feels like a family,” she said.

Attending Trevello’s conference was “a bit overwhelming” at first, she admitted, but “so inspiring,” in the end.

“I’ve learned a lot, especially about cruises and group travel,” she said.

As she returns home, she’s energized to grow her business. “I finally feel like I have a starting point for selling New Zealand,” she said. “And I’m excited to reach out to BDMs to explore group bookings.”

“We’re trying to be proactive”

It’s an optimistic outlook in an industry navigating political and economic challenges, including the effects of U.S. tariffs and growing concerns over a potential recession—both of which can influence consumer travel habits.

How is Trevello faring?  Q1 sales are about five per cent ahead of 2024. Which is lower than expected, “but still growth,” Gedeon said.

“The ‘new normal’ is finally normal,” Gedeon told conference goers in her welcome remarks. “Post-COVID, people went crazy, the growth was phenomenal. But it wasn’t normal. This year, I think we’re going back to more static, sustainable growth, which is five to ten per cent.”

But there’s also the elephant in the room –the state of travel as Canadians respond to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and annexation threats.

“Let's not kid ourselves, the whole political-economic situation is a bit scary,” Gedeon said “There are so many things that are linked to [Trump’s tariffs], it's unsettling.”

Gedeon’s taking a realistic—but optimistic—approach to planning for what could lie ahead.

With warnings of a recession, the ripple effects of U.S. tariffs, and shifting consumer habits, she isn’t waiting for trouble to strike before acting.

“Leaders in the industry have acknowledged that bookings are down,” she said. “But it’s all about context—we’re still ahead of where we were last year, which was a phenomenal year. Of course, as a CEO, I want more. But that's the reality.”

She credits the federal and provincial governments for putting supports in place, like removing the wait times for EI, and in some cases, offering grants to eligible businesses.

While some might panic at softening numbers, Gedeon is focused on navigating the situation responsibly.

She said Trevello began cutting costs last month, reducing non-essential travel and eliminating unnecessary expenses.

“We’re trying to be proactive,” she said. “Because I’m not going to wait until the sky falls. We need to be prepared.”

What keeps her awake at night is “making sure we’re doing the best for the team and for our advisors,” she said.

All eyes on Ireland

From the Caribbean to the Celtic coast, Trevello is now setting its sights on its 2026 conference, in Ireland – an event Gedeon says has been two years in the making.

Scheduled for May 3–8, the conference will be hosted primarily in Belfast and led by Brendan Vacations, which is known for its upscale, immersive experiences.

The event will blend business and exploration, combining conference sessions with curated tours of the region.

While full details are still under wraps, one highlight already teased is an exclusive gala dinner set to take place in a museum that will be closed off entirely for the occasion. “We’re really, really excited,” said Gedeon.

The announcement was made with flair during the closing night of the Jamaica conference as Gedeon was joined on stage by Jodine Clement, district sales manager at TTC Tour Brands.

The big reveal was met with enthusiastic applause from attendees.

“It’s going to be something you’ve never done before,” Clement promised.

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