VIRTUOSO SPONSORS A LUXURY TRAVEL CONSULTANT
RECRUITMENT EVENT IN NEW YORK
-Virtuoso Is The Only Travel Network To Help Its Members Recruit New Talent -

NEW YORK – (March 10, 2008) – Virtuoso, the leading luxury travel network, continues to support its member travel agencies, preferred suppliers and the general travel industry by hosting a special recruitment event in New York City on March 27, 2008. Understanding the challenge of finding strong travel advisors in the face of increased consumer demand for experiential travel, Virtuoso has vowed to assist its members by undertaking a recruitment initiative. As the third event in an ongoing series and the first on the East Coast, Virtuoso has established itself as the only agency network actively developing and executing new events and programs to help its member agencies find, retain and train new talent.

Taking place at the Hotel Plaza Athenée (37 East 64th Street at Madison Avenue) from 6:30-9 p.m., the event will bring together eight member agencies and eight luxury travel suppliers. Individuals with luxury sales in their background who are seeking a potential career switch are also encouraged to attend. Registration is mandatory and attendance is complimentary. For more information or to register, interested parties can visit www.becomeavirtuoso.com.

The recruitment event will offer a free flowing format, allowing attendees and participating members to distribute/collect resumes, conduct mini interviews and schedule formal meetings. Participating preferred travel suppliers will have individual display tables to assist and support members in demonstrating the caliber of travel providers within the Virtuoso network. Agencies in attendance include Austin Travel, Classic Travel Service, Directravel, Linden Travel, Ovation Travel, Park Avenue Travel, Protravel International and Valerie Wilson Travel. Participating preferred suppliers include Absolute Travel, Silversea Cruises, Yachts of Seabourn, Cunard Line, Micato Safaris, Crystal Cruises, Oceania Cruises and Lindblad Expeditions.

“Supporting our members and preferred suppliers is one of Virtuoso’s top priorities,” says Ann Van Leeuwen, Virtuoso’s Vice President of North America Member Sales. “It is our members and preferred suppliers that make Virtuoso the most powerful luxury travel network in the industry, and we’re always happy to assist them. We realize how important it is to our members to find good talent and we’re pleased to organize this event on their behalf to help them find and place it within the membership.”

About Virtuoso
Virtuoso is the industry’s leading luxury travel network. This by-invitation-only organization comprises over 300 agencies with more than 6,000 elite travel specialists in 22 countries in North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, as well as over 1,000 of the world’s best travel providers and premier destinations. Independent travel agencies receive sales, marketing and technology support, as well as exclusive services and products, as a result of their membership in Virtuoso. The network’s member agencies generate over $4.8 billion annually in travel sales, making the group the most powerful in the luxury travel segment. Their relationships with the finest travel companies provide the network’s affluent clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access. Virtuoso is the exclusive network of travel advisors provided by MasterCard for World Elite® MasterCard® cardholders. For more information, please visit www.virtuoso.com.

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