TORONTO — Nexion Travel Group kicked off its annual member conference CoNexion yesterday aboard Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Equinox.

Taking place Aug. 19-27, 2023, the conference is sailing from Fort Lauderdale to the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.

More than 520 attendees will spend the week learning, networking and exploring different ports of call.

“The excitement and energy are high among our members as we kick off CoNexion. The connections we make, and knowledge gained this week will pay dividends throughout the rest of the year,” said Nexion Travel Group President Jackie Friedman.

The year’s event will include presentations from Nexion executives and travel industry leaders, along with six General Sessions and 49 workshops, hour-long small-group classes on everything from marketing to supplier updates to the best ways to run a business. There will also be a trade show.

“Our Education team has been hard at work ensuring that we have a well-rounded roster of workshops,” said Friedman. “CoNexion participants have a wealth of options to choose from and all of these workshops are designed to give our members ideas and knowledge that they can put to work as soon as they get home to make their agencies even more profitable and functional.”

CoNexion 2023 will also feature Dondra Ritzenthaler as the keynote speaker. Formerly Celebrity Cruises’ Senior VP Sales, Ritzenthaler retired earlier this year to pursue an encore career as a motivational speaker. Her CoNexion keynote is her first address in this new venture as she has always been a respected and staunch supporter of travel advisors.

“As travel continues to be booked at a white-hot pace, advisors are seeking connection from us, our partners and their peers about how to sustainably grow,” said Friedman. “I am confident that what they learn at CoNexion 2023 will have a great impact on their travel agencies and their growth as trusted travel advisors. It will be a great week and a great conference.”