The annual Atas showcase will return to Birmingham in October, with a face-to-face format and the theme of ‘Learn. Experience. Achieve.’


T


he Association of Touring & Adventure Suppliers’ annual conference will return


with a live event in October, helping agents to capitalise on the recovery of this lucrative sector. The face-to-face event will be


held at Birmingham’s International Convention Centre, which successfully hosted the annual conference in 2017 and 2018. It will start with a welcome


reception on the evening of Tuesday, October 19. That will be followed on Wednesday, October 20, with a busy agenda of conference sessions, a trade


There will be a great


buzz around the venue as we meet existing industry contacts and make fresh connections


fair and an evening of celebrations. With the theme of ‘Learn.


Experience. Achieve.’, the conference will be the first opportunity since the pandemic for travel agents to meet, network face-to-face and learn about


LEARN. EXPERIENCE. ACHIEVE.


Claire Brighton, account director for Atas, says: “Our new conference theme highlights how agents who


attend will reap clear benefits – as well as having a very enjoyable time. “The ‘Learn’ element demonstrates


how agents can discover more about operators, holidays and destinations in the touring and adventure sector, along with ways it can be a key element of their business, especially as we all emerge and recover from the effects of the pandemic on our bottom line. “The trade fair and our expert


speakers will demonstrate tangible commercial benefits and give marketing advice for all budgets. “The ‘Experience’ element


highlights how the event will recreate elements of the excitement and discovery that clients will have on a touring or adventure holiday. Our experts will support agents with ideas about how they can help customers to really understand the experience. “Finally, the ‘Achieve’ component


refers to the wide range of sessions and trade fair stalls, plus the networking and educational opportunities at the conference, which mean agents can be assured of achieving more sales in the touring and adventure sector.”


selling holidays in the touring and adventure sector. As before, the conference is


being held in association with Travel Weekly Group and sessions will be moderated by editor-in-chief Lucy Huxley.


Accessible venue The 2019 Atas conference in Manchester followed the two conferences which each attracted more than 350 delegates to the ICC in Birmingham. The venue’s central location means that travel to the event will be convenient and easy for a wide range of travel agents and other delegates from across the UK. The conference had been set to


return to the Birmingham venue in October 2020 but the pandemic meant it had to be postponed. However, the association was


instead able to host a week-long virtual event last autumn to showcase opportunities, operators and destinations in the sector. Atas has also maintained its


commitment to training and support for agents and operator members by holding an awareness month in April followed by a myth-busting initiative in May. The headline sponsor for the


2021 conference is Visit Portugal, a long-standing associate member and a staunch supporter of Atas.


8 3 JUNE 2021 travelweekly.co.uk


Atas Conference to showcase


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