Supplement to Travel Trade

By Michelle Morgan, CTC
President

Signature will exceed $3 billion in sales by year-end 2007. As the industry has evolved, so has Signature. Today, Signature proudly serves a broad base of diverse business models and travel companies that include Internet-based marketers, single-location boutique/luxury agencies, multilocation and market-dominant companies, and national travel powerhouses.

I’m often asked why Signature’s network continues to attract some of the travel industry’s most successful and prominent retailers. Here are the top 10 reasons:

1. Member-owned and Member-controlled.
Signature’s corporate structure is a co-operative. Financials of the corporation are presented at the annual owners’ meeting and profits are shared with Signature members/owners. The board of directors is comprised of retail travel agency owners who represent a cross-section of Signature’s membership.

2. Signature’s Brand Strategy.
Client relationships are the heart and soul of a travel retailer’s business. Signature’s marketing philosophy has been consistent and it is to build the brand of the member, not that of the network.

3. Technology — Content-rich, Relevant and Flexible.
In addition to comprehensive Web content for cruises, land vacations, hotels and destinations (available to members in multiple formats), Signature provides turnkey E-mail marketing programs, as well as a full spectrum of online marketing tools designed to assist members in their efforts to better communicate with their clients.

4. Delivering the right vacation offer to the right client at the right time.
This year, Signature will create, personalize, and mail over 6.5 million pieces of direct mail on behalf of its members. Signature develops criteria for each mailing and selects the best client targets for all mailings. Our members report that their results have greatly improved over the past year as a result of the enhanced customer management system.

5. Unique privileges at hotels and resorts worldwide.
Signature’s Hotels & Resorts program has grown to more than 500 of the finest properties worldwide, providing guests with exclusive value-added amenities, VIP services, special rates and contacts on property. In addition, Signature has enhanced its Hotel Connection, a proprietary hotel booking engine, and produces an annual hotel directory for its members’ best customers.

6. Special services on the ground when booking international itineraries.
Signature’s portfolio of worldwide Destinations Specialists is another key resource. Our Destination Specialists create unique shore excursions, customize itineraries, arrange special services and provide our members with unmatched capabilities and expertise.

7. An effective cruise and vacation selling system.
Signature’s exclusive online CruiseFinder serves up every sailing date of every vessel on all major cruise lines, and is available to travel consultants and consumers at the touch of a button. This proprietary system includes over 1,000 sailings that feature exclusive Signature benefits, in addition to all the promotions from our cruise partners on every date. Signature’s exclusive portfolio of customer privileges include complimentary car and driver service, prepaid gratuities, shipboard credits, confirmed upgrades, hosted sailings and shore events, at no cost to the member.

8. Training and more training!
Signature offers an in-depth sales, product, destination and technology training program, backed by a state-of-the-art, members-only Intranet. Training sessions are held in a variety of regional venues throughout the year, supported by online training.

9. A team of seasoned professionals supporting the network.
With offices on both coasts, Signature provides effective support and service that’s timely, caring and high touch. Whether it’s resolving a booking problem or assisting an owner on how to best exploit Signature’s online tools to create a winning strategy, Signature delivers.

10. A comprehensive portfolio of quality travel partners.
Over the years, we have built an unmatched portfolio of travel industry partners who are committed to our success and believe in our network. This includes leading cruise lines, tour operators, hotels and resorts, airlines, destination specialists, car rental firms, special services and insurance providers, among many categories.