And Speaking Of... The Magic of In-Person Events

Greetings from the sky! I am sharing my weekly musings for my LinkedIn series during my flight back from Athens. I am returning from what will be my longest travel stint of 2023, and I am eager to return home.

As you know from my last article, I started my European journey in London for the Coronation festivities.

I continued this journey to Mykonos for our Gifted Travel Network annual conference, where we hosted members and preferred partners for a magical experience at the Myconian Collection Hotels & Resorts in Greece. 

My heart is so full of gratitude from this experience, and I want to dedicate my weekly article to the endless and unquantifiable benefits that can only be described as the magic of attending in-person events.

Come for the Content, Stay for the Community.

This is something I’ve been saying about GTN for many years now, but this can also be true for other events in and outside the industry. Typically, one attends an event because of the content and overall agenda lineup. But, the true magic is in the connections you make outside the structured content.

For GTN members, that is our community.

Although our members appreciate the content we curate for them at our events, the true reason for attending is to build connections with each other and our team.

Creating new connections and deepening existing ones is critical to any business’s lifeblood. This is particularly true in the travel industry. We are in a relationship-based business, so prioritizing in-person events will contribute to your business’s overall success.

The In-Between Moments

The magic of events typically happens during the in-between moments.

By that, I mean the hallway conversations, the drinks after hours, the pre-dinner meetings, and every opportunity to engage outside conference meeting times.

Our conference created the space for those moments to happen because we recognize their importance to the overall experience.

If you find yourself heading to bed early every night or not sticking around to talk to your fellow conference attendees after sessions, you are missing the magic.

I loved seeing our member’s belly laugh during their in-between moments.

I could see true friendships and bonds forged in Greece between partners and members. I know that lifelong friendships have been formed from past events that are the epitome of our purpose and passion at GTN.

So Much Gets Lost in the Digital World

You can only email and comment on one’s social media posts so many times. Physically sitting next to someone, feeling their energy, and talking to them in person is everything.

This is the magic.

Sure, we can use social media to help maintain the connection between each in-person event, but you can't convince me that you don’t need to attend an event to meet with colleagues in person to strengthen your business.

When we rely on emails and social media, we tend to make assumptions and lose a level of authenticity. You learn so much about someone when you are in person, and shared experiences are amplified.

I am so grateful that we have cultivated such an amazing, unique, and heart-centered community at Gifted Travel Network. We have deep and authentic connections with many members and partners that extend well beyond our business.

Our time in Greece was extra special because it was quite an investment in time and money for our attendees to make the trip to Mykonos. This illustrates the commitment to our community and an awareness that building strong relationships in our industry is everything.

Thank you again to all our members and partners who made the journey!

We look forward to our next event together!