Ensemble is on a mission “to be the best” travel consortium

Although Ensemble is in growth mode, bringing in 50 new agencies to its network over the past year alone, president Michael Johnson said the mission isn’t to become the biggest.

“We want to be the best. We want to be the most profitable. We want to continue to maintain this idea that every voice matters, and it’s hard to be the biggest and at the same time cherish that value. That’s something that’s in our DNA that we’re not prepared to move away from,” Johnson told TravelPress Today on location in Vegas this week for Ensemble Horizons.

Nearly 1,000 members and partners from across Canada and the U.S. took part in the conference which featured three days of panel discussions, engaging sessions, supplier meetings and networking, prize giveaways and themed evening dinners like a Cinco de Mayo party.

“The progress we’ve made has been very intentional,” he said. “We’ve stayed focused on what matters — helping advisors build more profitable, sustainable businesses. The travel advisor has never been more important or more in demand, but the job is also more complex than ever. That raises the bar for what a consortium needs to deliver, and we take that seriously.”

One of the big announcements made during the event was that Horizons will be held at sea for the first time on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Joy from April 5-9, 2027.

“I would like to thank the entire Ensemble team for trusting us with this very, very important conference,” shared Derek Lloyd, vice president national and strategic accounts at Norwegian Cruise Line, on stage. “We look forward to having you on board. You’ll get the chance to explore the entire ship.”

Horizons wrapped up with an awards ceremony, which coincided with Travel Agent Day. The awards recognize partners and members who deliver exceptional performance, innovation and impact.

This year’s recipients are:

• Overall Partner of the Year: AmaWaterways

• Hotel Collections: The Cove and The Reef at Atlantis Paradise Island
• Hotel Chains: Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
• Ocean Cruise: Viking
• River Cruise: AmaWaterways
• Expedition Cruise: Silversea
• Luxury Cruise: Explora Journeys

• Family Cruise: Norwegian Cruise Line
• Sun & Sand Canada: WestJet Vacations
• Sun & Sand USA: ALG Vacations
• Luxury Tour Operator North America: Kensington
• Escorted Tour Operator North America: Globus family of brands
• Adventure Tour Operator North America: G Adventures

• FIT Tour Operator North America: Bedsonline
• Travel Insurance USA: Travel Guard
• Travel Insurance Canada: Manulife
• New Tour Operator North America: Exodus Travels

• DMC Europe & UK: Travelive
• DMC Rest of World: Metropolitan Touring
• Individual Hotel: One Aldwych
• Tourism Board: Nassau & Paradise Island
• Air: Delta Air Lines

Member Awards 

• Innovation Award (Canada): Travel Gurus

• Innovation Award (USA): Rainbow Getaways
• Rising Star Award: Misha Kostiuchenko, Crown Cruise Vacations and Shaila Sedani, Paull Travel
• Outstanding Contribution to the Travel Community: Millbrook World Travel

Overall Member Awards 

• Member Excellence Award (USA): Ambassador Tours
• Member Excellence Award (Canada): Personal Travel Management

Overall, Johnson said that the membership roster is essentially 50/50 across the U.S. and Canada.

“And the attendance of our members here is about 50/50 so we’re very excited to maintain that balance in our roster and to see so many Canadians reflected here this week,” he added.

According the new research, Johnson shared that only 48 percent of advisors currently charge service fees.

“Your clients are telling you that your expertise is worth something,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to assert that value.”

And for advisors who define their value proposition as offering the lowest price, he sees it as a competitive threat.

“You haven’t focused on building the relationship, you focused on being the best deal, and sooner or later, a technology, another individual, whatever, will undercut you,” he noted. “This may be an opportunity for you to challenge your own paradigms and focus more on the relationship, on the service, and less on trying to be the cheapest game in town.”

Another interesting finding is that many advisors have adopted AI into their workflow as a tool, especially behind the scenes to increase their efficiency.

“AI has moved very quickly from being an overwhelming competitive threat or the fear of the unknown to how do I leverage this tool and automate some of the administration so that I can focus on what makes me special, which is my ability to work with my clients,” he said.

Stay tuned for more coverage from Ensemble Horizons in an upcoming edition of Canadian Travel Press!