MORE ABOUT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF TRAVEL ADVISORS
Program is subject to change. All events take place online! Please Note: All times listed are in Eastern Standard Time (EST).
| 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. |
Time 
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Session Title
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Speaker(s) | Session Type |
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Tuesday, August 25
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| 3:15pm - 4:00pm | Afternoon General Session |
Kelly Bigel
Alex Sharpe Rick Steves Dina Titus Tom Krieglstein David Harris Eben Peck Matthew Upchurch Vicki Freed Oneika Raymond Roy Blunt Roger Block Gary Sadler |
All Delegates General Session |
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Wednesday, August 26
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| 3:15pm - 4:00pm | Afternoon General Session |
Alex Sharpe
Rick Steves Zane Kerby Dina Titus Tom Krieglstein David Harris Gloria Bohan Matthew Upchurch Vicki Freed Oneika Raymond Roger Block |
All Delegates General Session |
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