ASTA Selects Los Angeles for 2012 TRADE Show

ASTA Selects Los Angeles for 2012 TRADE Show

ASTA unveiled plans to re-invigorate its annual domestic tradeshow and conference, known as the Travel Retailing and Destination Expo (THETRADESHOW), by moving away from alternating between Las Vegas and Orlando and instead holding the event in a new venue in the U.S. each year.

ASTA also announced its 2012 expo will be in Los Angeles, Sept. 7-9. ASTA also is talking to other industry groups to discuss consolidating meetings as well working on offering more fine-tuned boutique meetings for its members.

Tony Gonchar, ASTA’s new CEO, who has now been on the job six months, said there is concern about the marketplace for travel industry meetings being saturated, and he cited the fact that there are 11 industry meetings in Las Vegas this year alone.

Moving the 2012 meeting to Los Angeles is part of an effort to break out of what he called the Las Vegas-Orlando-Fort Lauderdale “Bermuda triangle” of industry meetings. ASTA hoping to have 1,500 total attendees (travel agents and suppliers) at THETRADESHOW this September in Las Vegas, but it hopes to draw much greater attendance at future expos.

ASTA also is trying to fine-tune its scheduling so ASTA meetings won’t overlap with other major industry events in order to avoid what happened earlier this year, when ASTA’s International Destination Expo (IDE) conflicted with CLIA’s cruise3sixty to the detriment of both shows, according to Gonchar. To avoid conflicts within its own meetings, ASTA also is eliminating the Retail Travel Leadership Symposium, a conference of high-level agents, which formerly was held during THETRADESHOW.

Also for THETRADESHOW in Las Vegas this year, ASTA is scheduling educational sessions and seminars in the morning and opening the exhibition floor in the afternoon in order to avoid potential conflicts for participants. In addition, it is reintroducing general sessions to the program, featuring key panels and speakers, as well as the ASTA general meeting. The show also will continue to offer exclusive events, such as the ASTA advocacy dinner and leadership luncheon.