Luxury Travel Advisor’s ULTRA Summit and the Global Meeting & Incentive Travel Exchange (GMITE), both produced by Questex, have successfully concluded their first-ever co-located events at Chateau Elan Winery & Resort in Braselton, GA, May 5–7 and May 6-9, respectively. This marked a pivotal moment in the convergence of the luxury leisure travel and MICE sectors, driven by industry research highlighting the rise of bleisure travel and the demand for authentic, experience-driven itineraries.
Jill Birkett, VP/Market Leader, Questex Travel said, “From its elegant venue to its immersive programming and handpicked participants, the co-located ULTRA Summit and GMITE delivered unparalleled value and affirmed Questex’s role as a visionary in the future of integrated travel and event experiences.”
The decision to co-locate ULTRA and GMITE was a strategic move to reflect—and serve—the growing synergy between luxury vacation planning and high-touch business travel. Attendees from both events benefited from expanded networking, shared educational sessions, and integrated experiences that maximized value across both verticals.
The ULTRA Summit is more than an event; it’s a reflection of where the travel industry is headed. The co-located events create a dynamic platform that offers advisors and suppliers insights, connections, and opportunities aligned with the evolving marketplace.
The joint event featured a content-rich conference program, including the highly anticipated keynote by Deirdre O’Connell, Travel & Hospitality Transformation Leader at Deloitte. The session, “Transformative Forces Reshaping Luxury Travel and Events,” explored the impact of generational shifts, emerging technologies, and global wealth patterns on the travel industry.
Additional conference highlights included:
- "The Travel Advisor’s Place in an Industry at a Crossroads" delivered by Cameron Sperance, Content/Editorial Director, Questex Travel
- "Mastering Luxury: Strategies to Elevate Your Travel Business" delivered by Kimberly Floyd, Luxury Travel Advisor, FROSCH, Fernando Gonzalez, CEO, First in Service, and Amanda Klimak, President & Co-Owner, Largay Travel; moderated by Matt Turner, Editor, Questex Travel
- "Beyond the Itinerary: The Future of Trust, Well-Being & Sustainability in Luxury Travel & Beyond" delivered by Janice Cardinale VEMM, Founder, Event Minds Matter, and Tammy Hsu, CMP, Sustainability Events Manager; Sperance moderated
The ULTRA Summit welcomed a curated group of top-tier North American luxury travel advisors, including owners, managers, and top producers from consortia like Virtuoso, Signature, Internova, American Express, and Ensemble. Attending agencies included Strong Travel Services, Largay Travel, On the Map Travel, Tzell Travel and Embark Beyond, among others.
Suppliers from all over the world participated in over 1,300 targeted one-to-one meetings with advisors, maximizing ROI and relationship-building.
GMITE’s calling card for the last 20 years has been the ability to connect global suppliers with pre-qualified, fully hosted North American meeting planners and incentive buyers for an unparalleled networking experience. During this event, suppliers conducted over 1,000 one-to-one appointments with buyers they chose to meet with from key purchasing sectors including corporate direct, third party, and incentive houses (full service and travel). Buyers were curated via a rigorous vetting process measuring criteria that included, but was not limited to current and future portfolios of business, references, and the destinations/venues they book.
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