Agents and suppliers hit it off!

TRAVELPORT’S Spotlight on
Innovation event reached
record attendance this
year, with 107 agents and
43 suppliers present. As the
only trade-specific event for
the Namibian market, the
workshop is both a calendar
highlight and valuable
opportunity for agents and
suppliers to nurture their
business relationships.
“For a new agent like me,
this workshop is a godsend,”
says Imelda Lelaney of BIA
Travel Agency. As a firsttime
attendee, Imelda was
amazed at how much product
knowledge she lacked before
the event. “It’s an amazing
learning experience,” she says.
Hilma Immanuel of HRG
Rennies in Ongwediva, says
the workshop gives her
the opportunity to find out
who to contact regarding
specific queries; to give direct
feedback to the supplier and
to ask the questions she’s
been waiting to ask all year.
“I don’t often get the
opportunity to see my
Namibian clients and at
this event, I see the same
number of clients I would have
seen in a week,” says Vladi
Wessels, sales executive of
Beachcomber Tours.
Rebecca Bryer, sales
manager of kulula holidays,
says Namibia is an important
market for it and some of its
best agent partners come
from there. “There isn’t any
other event that allows me to
interact with agents the way I
can here,” she says.
“The agents give us a lot of
news about what is happening
in the industry. The information
they share is key in keeping
us on top of where we can
improve our fares and helps
us understand what the clients
want,” says Hellena Kapiya,
sales and marketing manager
of Air Namibia.
Vladi says the workshop is
about building relationships
which then cultivate a healthier
working environment. “Both
the suppliers and agents are
invested in this. It’s inspiring
to see so many agents give up
their personal time at 07h00
on a Saturday.”