NEW YORK — Thousands of luxury travel professionals from over 90 countries will be arriving in Las Vegas this weekend for the 36th annual Virtuoso Travel Week.
Taking place from Aug. 10-16, Virtuoso’s pinnacle event – dubbed the ‘Fashion Week of Travel’ – will welcome the industry’s most influential travel agencies, advisors and companies to exchange ideas, strengthen relationships and determine what’s new in luxury travel. Host hotels include Bellagio Resort & Casino, ARIA Resort & Casino, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Vdara Hotel & Spa.
The week will kick off with an Opening Session featuring guest speaker Simon Sinek, who will be joined by Virtuoso Chairman and CEO Matthew D. Upchurch for an exchange of advice on leadership and purpose-led business development. Founder of The Optimism Company, Sinek is also a best-selling author and host of top-rated podcast ‘A Bit of Optimism.’
New additions to this year’s event include enhanced personalization of one-on-one appointments, which are now self-selected and matched instead of being assigned. An impressive 95% of requests submitted by both advisors and partners have been accommodated through a proprietary matching system designed for optimal connections.
Another new addition is Braindate, which offers one-on-one or small-group conversations on topics posted by attendees before and during the event. Held daily Monday through Thursday, the platform allows participants to brainstorm and gain insights with like-minded individuals.
Poised to be a highlight again this year is the third annual Travel Tech Summit, which will focus on how smart technology and elevate human connection rather than replace it. The summit will be led by tech entrepreneur, investor and Virtuoso board member Gilad Berenstein, who will address key trends in travel technology, including AI. In addition, a Startup Showcase with 15 tech businesses will also take place.
And always a Virtuoso Week favourite, Community Globetrotting will now extend to two days on Aug. 10 and Aug. 11. As in previous years, Globetrotting will spotlight the Virtuoso Communities – Cruise, Adventure, Family, Culinary, Wellness and Ultra-luxe Travel. This year’s event will also introduce a new Sustainability pavilion. Additionally, the new Hotel Showcase will offer advisors the chance to engage with Virtuoso preferred properties.
