NACTA 2016 Conference on Land and Sea
The National Association of Career Travel Agents (NACTA) celebrated its top agents and suppliers this week at its 2015 annual conference at the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay where it revealed a unique dual-venue conference for 2016.
During a cocktail reception sponsored by Celebrity Cruises and a gala awards dinner sponsored by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, NACTA president Ann van Leeuwen announced that the 2016 NACTA Annual Conference will be held Nov. 3-9 at both the Westin Fort Lauderdale and onboard the Celebrity Infinity. The conference will be held with the first three nights in Fort Lauderdale and the next three on the ship, which will sail to the Bahamas and include a reception at Sandals Royal Bahamian, Nassau, and a private island experience at CocoCay.
“Following up on the success of NACTA’s 2015 conference at the beautiful Sheraton Kona Resort, in partnership with the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau, we anticipate the experience in Fort Lauderdale on land and sea to be our largest attended conference as we celebrate our 30th anniversary,” said van Leeuwen. “Over 100 registrations have been received already since we made the announcement.”
The gala event included awards presented to each of NACTA’s 2015 Award winners: River Cruise Line Partner of the Year: AMA Waterways; Luxury Cruise Line Partner of the Year: Regent Seven Seas; Premium cruise Line Partner of the Year: Celebrity Cruises; Contemporary Cruise Line Partner of the Year: Norwegian Cruise Line; Tour Partner of the year: Globus family of brands; Niche Partner of the year: Paul Gauguin Cruises; Destination of the Year: Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau (HVCB); Hotel Partner of the Year: Starwood Hotels & Resorts; All Inclusive Partner of the Year: Sandals & Beaches; Partner on the Rise: Insight Vacations; Supplier Partner of the Year: HVCB; Supplier Liaison of the Year: Robyn Basso, HVCB; David M. Thrower member of the Year: Lorene Romero; Chapter of the Year: South Florida; Chapter of the Year: New England; Chapter Director of the Year: Lucille Carter; Region Director of the Year: Eddie Woodham; Proud Partner of the Year: Holland America Line.