Starting in January 2021, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) will offer a new every other monthly virtual event series, RAPID. These one day events dive deeply into critical and relevant topics that are top of mind for the adventure community as well as offer networking opportunities to support new connections and partnerships.
This past June and September the ATTA’s two virtual events Una Fuerza and AdventureELEVATE: Virtual offered highly anticipated, and requested, opportunities for travel professionals to connect. Feedback was clear: the community wants more, and with in-person ATTA events not planned until later in 2021 due to the realities of the pandemic, scheduling future time for connection was a priority.
Iris Serbanescu, director of partnerships for TourRadar, said of AdventureELEVATE: Virtual, “This was the best organized virtual conference I have attended yet. The formal networking was well-organized, and I was able to make a multitude of meaningful business connections in a short period of time. The content was standout and relevant for the times. It felt like a breath of fresh air in this challenging climate.” And Kate Wannan from Ecolibrium Sustainable Adventures said, “I’ve been attending the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s virtual conference to gain inspiration and to share ideas about operating a tourism business in a Covid/post Covid world...and I have some big news: I’m restarting my company!...This new phase of Ecolibirium Adventures is a synthesis of all my experiences and represents a state where humans and nature are in balance.”
Three event themes have been confirmed and will occur on the third Thursday of every other month. With the uncertainty due to COVID-19, themes beyond March will be decided as we head into the late spring and summer months.
Upcoming RAPID Event Series:
January 21, 2021: Travel Emissions Takedown 2021
In collaboration with Tomorrow's Air, the world's first collective of passionate travellers who clean up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to ensure our air for future generations, the ATTA will offer its first trade and consumer event. Travelers and travel industry professionals will be invited to join us in this one-day event as we collectively look to the future of travel: travelers will gain practical insights as they consider where to go and how to get there with emissions in mind; travel businesses will benefit from practical discussion and advice for transforming our travel businesses. This pioneering event will unite leading providers of sustainable travel experiences with intrepid travelers to share inspiration and ideas for 2021 and beyond. More information to be released in December.
March 18, 2021: Back to Financial Basics with a 21st Century Twist
One thing we know is that 2021 will involve paying back debt, creating cash reserves, protecting travelers’ payments, insuring against possible unknowns and losses, and generally clawing our way back to a place where we can flex our hiking muscles, breath deep, and say “we got this.” During this one day RAPID event we will bring financial and insurance experts to the virtual table for advice and inspiration and give time for networking so that as a community we can discuss urgent needs, woes, and what is inspiring us to sustainably succeed. More information to be released in 2021.
The format of the RAPID events will include a keynote, repeated breakout sessions, and ample open networking time. Flexible timing for the content will allow global attendees to choose participation hours that accommodate their schedules. The dedicated networking sessions for the trade events will be open for all delegates and takes a randomized speed-dating approach to provide traditional one-on-one meetings in our virtual setting. Feedback on the networking resoundingly included comments that it was “fantastic” and that delegates made connections they never would have made before if it had been a live event. Tour operators, travel advisors, media, destination representatives, and industry professionals working in all other capacities within adventure travel will have the opportunity to connect with each other during the entire event.
