THE FIRST regional travel agent conference will field hard-hitting topics such as ‘Can you handle the truth?’, ‘Can you handle online?’ and the satirical, ‘How to lose clients and win complaints’.

Aside a critical examination of what travel agents must do to remain relevant, it will be packed with practical How-Tos, in line with its aim of ensuring agents walk away with real learning points. These topics include ‘How to retail travel today’, ‘How to buy travel today’, ‘How to achieve customer service excellence’ and ‘How to customise travel’.

Speakers as of August 4 include keynoter Hans Lerch, CEO of Hotelplan Switzerland, who will paint a macro picture of the future of the travel agency business; Martin Symes, CEO of WEGO, who will guide agents on how they can make money from online; Hui-Wan Chua, senior regional director Asia, Travelport, who will show agents how to be effective in travel retailing; and Charee Guico, manager Travel Agent Distribution, South-east Asia, Expedia, who will explain how agents can buy travel more effectively in today\'s world of multi-channels.

Arthur Kiong, managing director hotel operations Asia-Pacific, and senior vice president group marketing services, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, will show how customers are changing and the key areas agents need to reboot in order to service the more sophisticated, demanding and empowered clients of today.

Sheldon Hee, general manager, Tradewinds Tours & Travel Singapore, will look at conduct, ethics and professionalism, an essential component in customer relationship management. Yet another session will give agents insights into how new dream merchants, such as John Sutherland, CEO Dreamscape Journeys, who sells space travel, get their ideas for unique travel experiences and how they get the clients to buy these ideas.

Registration for the free conference will open on August 19 on a first-come-first-served basis to TTG Asia readers and ITB Asia delegates (travel agents get first priority). To register, please visit www.ttgasia.com and click on the button at the top of the page (Register: TTG Asia Travel Agent Conference), which will be up from August 19.

TTG Travel Agent Conference, a collaboration between TTG Asia Media and ITB Asia, will be held on October 21, 2011, from 9am-12pm, at Suntec Singapore Ballroom 1.

Make this your most productive three hours in October. Start registering on August 19.