Agenda - ASTA Global Live

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Matthew Upchurch - Chairman & CEO, Virtuoso

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While the rest of the world was predicting the downfall of the travel advisor, amidst the onslaught of online booking engines, futurist and serial entrepreneur Matthew Upchurch envisioned a new paradigm. One based on the power of human connections, that acknowledged and elevated travel specialists who were knowledgeable advisors and not transaction processors. Matthew saw the travel industry bifurcating into two distinct sections: the commoditized and the experiential. He determined that if they were to thrive in this new world, travel advisors would need to focus on their unique ability to deliver advice, access, advocacy and accountability – a combination impossible to replicate through any other booking channel and one that is more valuable now than ever before. From those instincts came Virtuoso, a multi-billion-dollar, by-invitation-only network of exceptional travel advisors and travel providers, working together to mutually prosper while delivering the world’s most satisfying travel experiences. As chairman and chief executive officer, Matthew has built Virtuoso into one of the most respected and successful companies in luxury travel. Thirty years after launching Virtuoso, Matthew focuses on keeping the organization ahead of the pack. Looking to other industries like financial services, he surmised the most successful travel advisors would build relationships rooted in trust. Drawing upon the collective knowledge of their fellow advisors and preferred partners would free up Virtuoso advisors to specialize in what matters most – their clients – establishing long-term connections based on multiple cycles of collaborative travel planning. An important part of that collaborative planning process is knowing what the client wants, and how those desires will evolve in the future. More than a decade ago, Virtuoso began focusing on sustainability, awarding network partners who were focused on this important initiative. Today Virtuoso’s views sustainability as a core value and highlights partners who are champions of sustainability, educates advisors on sustainable travel, and influences consumers to make sustainability a factor in their travel decisions. Last year, Matthew accepted the 2019 World Tourism Award, in “recognition of Virtuoso’s commitment to sustainable tourism practices; and its mission to make sustainability a greater factor in consumer choice when traveling – to preserve, protect and advance the local culture, environment and economies of the lands they visit and to increase success for those who are dedicated to travel as a force for good.” As CEO to a global network of independent business, Matthew is uniquely positioned to speak to the unique challenges and to the innate power generated when diverse companies share resources and work together across the globe.

Sessions for Matthew Upchurch

Time	Session Title	Speaker(s)	Session Type
Tuesday, August 25
3:15pm - 4:00pm	Afternoon General Session	Roy Blunt Rick Steves Eben Peck Oneika Raymond Kelly Bigel Dina Titus David Harris Matthew Upchurch Tom Krieglstein Vicki Freed Alex Sharpe Gary Sadler Roger Block	All Delegates General Session
Wednesday, August 26
3:15pm - 4:00pm	Afternoon General Session	Gloria Bohan Rick Steves Oneika Raymond Dina Titus David Harris Matthew Upchurch Zane Kerby Tom Krieglstein Vicki Freed Alex Sharpe Roger Block	All Delegates General Session

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