Although an annual event, Signature Travel Network’s Owners’ Meeting looked markedly different this year when it kicked off on Sept. 6 at Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort in South Maui, about an hour’s drive away from the areas of the island devastated by last month’s wildfires.
WAILEA, Maui -- Ignacio Maza, Signature Travel Network's executive vice president, will transition to a part-time role as a senior advisor to the cooperative at the end of the year.
MAUI -- I had mixed feelings about coming to Maui so shortly after wildfires decimated Lahaina. On one hand, I heard voices on social media urging visitors to stay away as the island recovers from the tragic wildfires that struck last month. But on the other, voices in the travel industry were encouraging travel to unaffected areas of the island.
Signature Travel Network’s Annual Owners’ Meeting is taking place this week in South Maui; in addition to fundraising efforts and a focus on responsible tourism to the island, the advisor network shared several updates during the event with its shareholders.
Travel agency cooperative Signature Travel Network began its annual Owners’ Meeting in Maui as scheduled Sept. 6-9. The event is taking place at the Grand Wailea Maui, a Waldorf Astoria Resort. Signature officials decided they would meet as scheduled as a way to support Maui tourism after the devastating wildfires, which took place in the western region of the island in and around the town of Lahaina.
Signature Travel Network has decided to move forward with its scheduled Owners’ Meeting in Maui, which will take place Sept. 6-9 at Grand Wailea Maui, a Waldorf Astoria Resort on the southern part of the island, about an hour away from the areas in West Maui that have been devastated by the recent wildfires.
Alex Sharpe, President and CEO of Signature Travel Network, was able to grow his business by 75% during the COVID-19 pandemic. How? By serving others first. That philosophy not only helped the company thrive in a time when no one was traveling, but also cultivated a workplace that was one of the best in the state.
Signature Travel Network recently completed its 2023 program of Regional Meetings with agency owners and managers, hosting more than 200 attendees in five cities. Following these meetings, Signature held Travel Exchanges and training for travel advisors and agency managers in Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, and Los Angeles, hosting over 600 delegates from the network and 350 travel partners.
Approaching International Women’s Day (March 8) this year, Alex Sharpe, president and CEO of the Signature Travel Network, realized that most of his leadership team was composed of women; incredibly successful and innovative women who have been a major part of the network’s success.
The luxury traveler has changed quite a bit over the last decade-plus, but none more so than since the COVID-19 pandemic. Things that were once considered “wants” are now “needs”— and a lot is falling onto the plates of luxury travel advisors and suppliers. Signature Executive Vice President Ignacio Maza led a discussion at the travel network’s annual meeting in Las Vegas in November 2022, centered around luxury clients, their asks, and how advisors and suppliers can better work together.
