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» Enrichment Seminars | Agenda at a Glance

Are you concerned about the future of alumni educational travel and the relevance of your program in today's world? Join other Executive Directors and Senior Managers for a serious discussion on practical and philosophical issues related to alumni educational travel and learn how to strategically position your program for long-term viability as a first-class operation.

7^th Annual Executive Forum

Strategies for Strengthening Your Organization's Travel Program: It's up to you to make it a

First-Class operation!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld, Florida

11:00 a.m.—5:30 p.m. (including lunch)

The 2012 Executive Forum is a day-long program taking place in tandem with the Educational Travel Conference on Friday, January 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the tropical Renaissance Hotel Orlando at SeaWorld.

For a full-day program itinerary, click here.

Designed exclusively for Chief and Senior Executives, Development Officers, Trustees, and Board Members at nonprofit organizations offering travel programs to their alumni/members who oversee alumni and member-based travel programs, this powerful series of executive level discussions covers timely topics, challenges and opportunities for engagement and outreach in today's ever-changing environment and traveler base.

"[The Executive Forum] is a great way for those of us who do not actually run the travel programs (but do oversee them) to get an overview of the current industry and its challenges. The Forum provides an awareness of shared problems, information about best practices of successful programs, and insight to marketing and promotion. It's a little bit of everything rolled into one."

Anne Rockwell Roe, Director of Business Operations, Alumni Relations, Brown University

Are you wondering about the future of your alumni educational travel program? While many colleges and universities have weathered the latest economic downturn and are seeing a rise in bookings, a series of crises over the past decade (9/11, SARS, several wars, natural disasters, stock market plummets, political unrest, etc.) have presented real challenges for many programs. Add an emerging Baby Boomer alumni base that is accustomed to booking its own travel online, often at greatly discounted rates, and the question persists—what is the future of alumni educational travel?

"This is perhaps the most important program being offered with regard to the future of our alumni travel programs.... If the strategic assessment and planning for our travel program are not revisited and revamped, travel programs will not evolve—but dissolve. If ever there were a year for the Executive Forum to provide information for executives, it would be this year!"
Jeff Johnson, President and CEO, Iowa State University Alumni Association

Cost: $45 if registered for the full ETC Conference, January 19–22; $195 if attending the Executive Forum only. As a participant in the Executive Forum you are also invited to attend the opening conference keynote on January 20, delivered by TV personality and wildlife expert Jack Hanna, as well as the evening festive cocktail and dinner venue sponsored by the Indian Government Tourist Office. For a full-day program itinerary, click here.

For individuals interested in registering for the Executive Forum, registration will be handled by phone. Please call 406-745-4800 or e-mail registrar@travelearning.com. To register for the full ETC conference online, click here. Book your accommodations online here.

The 2012 Executive Forum topics include:

State of the Travel Industry: How Affinity Group Travel is Affected - Steve Ridgway, President, Criterion Travel
"Must Knows" About Your Travel Program and the Importance of Staying on Top of It - Steve Grafton, President & CEO, Alumni Association of the University of Michigan
Travel Program Missions: Development and Affinity - Bob Woods, Chief Development Officer, Global Heritage Fund
Ignore Direct Mail At Your Peril; Travel Trends - Al Merschen, Managing Partner, Myriad Travel Marketing
World Events and Risk Management: Prior to Departure and During the Trip - Steve Ridgway and Jim Sano, President, Geographic Expeditions
Social Networking: Is It For You? How to Use It; The Upsides & Downsides - Scott Gerloff, President and CEO, Heritage Travel LLC
Panel Discussion on "The Future of Alumni Travel": What's Working? What's Not? What's New? Adapting to Change...

The Executive Forum co-facilitators are respected veteran travel planners, well known to the Educational Travel Community: Carolyn Sheaff, Retired Director of Bear Treks, Cal Alumni Association, Berkeley; and Duncan Beardsley, Retired Director of Travel/Study Programs, Stanford Alumni Association.

Each attendee will receive a 225+ page Executive Travel e-Manual prepared especially for participants attending the Executive Forum. The manual includes key documents and policies vital for year-round reference to help maintain a strong educational travel program.

“The Executive Forum affords emerging as well as seasoned administrators, who have oversight of an institutional travel program, the opportunity to better grasp the challenges, understand the frustrations, accept the opportunities, and appreciate the savvy and skills that should be written into a Travel Planner's job description. It is an enormous task to run and, perhaps, more than a little overwhelming to absorb the magnitude of the assignment and what its success can bring to the table.”

Barry Adams, President & CEO, The University of Houston Alumni Association

"Thank you...for providing the opportunity for me to attend such a helpful and informative session for executive directors at ETC. I've been in alumni relations work for seven years, but have never felt very knowledgeable about our travel program, and must admit it has not been given much of a priority among all our programs. That has now changed—I returned to Auburn feeling like I had a wealth of information and quite inspired (the travel staff were overjoyed!). We have a lot of work to do, but we'll have fun growing our program to where it needs to be."
Debbie L. Shaw, Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Executive Director, Auburn Alumni Association, Auburn Alumni Center

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Why Attend ETC

“Sessions are top-notch and information-packed.” —Alea Cot, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Univ. of New Orleans
Why Attend ETC

“I have recommended ETC for its quality, not quantity of contacts, to other destinations and tour operators that have products appropriate for this audience, and will continue to do so.” —Katrina White, Travel Trade Mgr., Rhode Island Tourism Div.
Why Attend ETC

"The conference has given me a great couple of days to step out of the trenches, refocus, and get new ideas...meet new colleagues, and talk about benchmarks." -Katie Maschman, Travel Programs Manager, National Parks Conservation Association
Why Attend ETC

“I always leave with a renewed sense of purpose and new ideas, which then has a trickle-down effect in my office. Others get inspired to try new travel programs or techniques learned at ETC.” —Amy Uhde, Dir. of Prog. Dvlp., Alaska Wildland Adventures
Why Attend ETC

“Extremely specific and very high quality educational experience for those involved in educational, non-profit, specialty travel programming.” —Annie Lucas, Vice President, MIR Corporation
Why Attend ETC

“The information and the networking opportunities are exceptional year after year. This is a very valuable conference for me.” —Mark Garland, Travel Program Coordinator, Audubon Naturalist Society
Why Attend ETC

“Wonderful networking opportunities and stimulating educational sessions… a must if you are working in the affinity market!” —Karen Kuttner-Capato, Vice President of Affinity & Charter Sales, Lindblad Expeditions
Why Attend ETC

“The quality of the speakers at ETC far surpasses that of any other professional conference or educational event I have attended.” —Susan Goodale, Prog. Dir. & Gaucho Getaways Coord., U.C. Santa Barbara Alumni Assoc.
Why Attend ETC

“The conference offers superb, relevant information that is useful year-round.”  —Melissa Gresh, Dir. of Alumni Travel Prog., MIT Alumni Assoc.
Why Attend ETC

“Trends conversations help you think outside the box and try to take your program in a new  direction.” —Jenna Mace, former Product Design & Development Specialist, Habitat for Humanity Int'l
Why Attend ETC

“ETC is a wonderful opportunity to meet with like-minded professionals who also share a passion for educational travel. I always come away from the conference with more ideas than I know what to do with.” —Meredith Mason, COO, Global Adrenaline
Why Attend ETC

“Great opportunity to not only network but educate oneself.” —Catherine Merrill, Founder and Owner, Epiculinary, Inc.
Why Attend ETC

“Alumni and Museum travel programs are a unique market. Because this conference focuses on this niche, it is the best venue to learn more about enrichment, and educational travel.” —Judee Kaplan, Director of Sales, Select Travel Service
Why Attend ETC

“ETC gives us a sense of unity, healthy competition, and an opportunity to develop lasting friendships in a fun environment. ETC is the highlight of my working year!”—Elizabeth Bigwood, Asst. Dir. for Travel, Alumnae Assoc. of Smith College
Why Attend ETC

"I have high expectations for this conference, and ETC always delivers. It hits all the marks on providing practical information and great opportunities to network.” —Heidi Quiram, Study Travel Director, St. Olaf College
Why Attend ETC

"Thank you for another great conference! I am still sorting through all that I learned!" —Chase Poffenberger, Executive Vice President, Academic Travel Abroad, Inc.
Why Attend ETC

"No other conference gives you the educational components in travel like this conference." —Karen Anthony, Retired Director of Alumni Travel, University of Notre Dame Alumni Association
Why Attend ETC

“ETC affords a space for learning about new operators and destinations, interacting with the people we do business with, and getting to know each other better.” —Michelle Bell, Asst. Dir., Univ. of Arkansas Alumni Assoc.
Why Attend ETC

"We really felt welcomed by the warm, enthusiastic, and engaged ETC community. I’ve never seen a conference quite like ETC!" —Stephen Reily, Founder/CEO, VibrantNation.com
Why Attend ETC

"Thank you…for the opportunity to attend such a helpful, informative session for executive directors. I returned to Auburn with a wealth of information and quite inspired." —Debbie L. Shaw, Vice Pres. Alumni Affairs & Exec. Dir., Auburn Alumni Assoc.
Why Attend ETC

"What a fabulous conference you all organized yet again. I came away with so much from just the one day I was able to attend. I think ETC is one of the most valuable conferences ever."—Elaine Liles, Asst Director, Alumni Programs, Rollins College
Why Attend ETC

"Many thanks for the Mentor Meet and Greet session. I benefited a lot from my mentor's experience and guidance. I am indebted for this arrangement. It was an excellent conference!” —Samuel Seyoum, CTC, Manager Marketing and Groups, Picasso Travel
Why Attend ETC

"I really enjoyed the ETC conference—my first. I went to many sessions and enjoyed most of them immensely. The conference allowed us to think of new ways to market our programs."—Ingrid Bortner, The Community College of Baltimore County
Why Attend ETC

"What an amazing conference! There could not be a better forum to learn and share innovative ideas about best practices and achieving best results in the field of educational travel." —Maria Gross, Consultant, Travel Sales and Marketing
Why Attend ETC

"The contacts I have made and experiences you've provided have been invaluable to our young company. Thank you!" —Gina Carmo, Inspire Travel-Brazil
Why Attend ETC

"ETC 2012 was an enriching and fulfilling experience. I want to thank you and let you know how much this conference and the entire ETC community helps me to improve my travel program."—Scott Olson, Director of Travel, Utah State University
Why Attend ETC

"I enjoyed ETC 2012 a lot. This was the best ETC for me in the past 20 years!"—Charlotte Xu, Executive Director, China Advocates

7th Annual Executive Forum

7^th Annual Executive Forum