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What the registration portal doesn't cover — how to work 100+ preferred partners on the trade show floor, which sessions actually move your business forward, where to eat at a resort with nothing around it, and why the Awards Gala is the night you need to be in the room.
Trade show game plan, restaurant picks, Awards Gala prep, networking cheat sheet, and a surprise from the crew — free.
TravelMarket is the annual conference for TRAVELSAVERS and NEST advisors — the flagship event from American Marketing Group, which has been running travel industry networks since 1970. With 25,000+ advisors across its brands generating $20 billion in revenue, AMG's annual gathering is where the network's preferred supplier relationships, technology platforms, and business tools come together in one place. The 2026 edition lands at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country, a self-contained resort in the Texas Hill Country about 20 minutes from downtown San Antonio.
JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, 23808 Resort Parkway. Over 265,000 sq ft of meeting space, a 40,000 sq ft exhibit hall, two PGA Tour golf courses, a water park, and a full-service spa. The resort is the conference — you won't need to leave the property.
Open to TRAVELSAVERS and NEST affiliate agencies. Registration is through the TRAVELSAVERS member portal. Pricing varies — contact your network representative for current rates. The 2025 Orlando edition drew 900+ advisors, and San Antonio's venue is even larger.
Business casual for daytime sessions and the trade show floor. The Awards Gala on the final evening calls for cocktail attire or business formal. San Antonio in late September is still warm — highs around 85-90 — so pack layers for the AC inside and heat outside.
Receptions, breakfasts, and lunches are included throughout the conference. The Awards Gala dinner is the capstone meal. Unstructured dinners on the other evenings are your best networking opportunities — the resort has four sit-down restaurants on-property.
AMG's proprietary AI marketing platform — AI Connect Powered by Toby — gets a major spotlight at TravelMarket. It blends supplier offers with AI-driven insights and reportedly saves advisors 4-8 hours per week. KORE, the network's new-advisor training curriculum (16 modules, 14-18 weeks), also features prominently.
San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is about 14 miles away — roughly 20 minutes by Uber or Lyft. No conference shuttle has been announced. The resort has on-site parking if you're driving or renting a car, which is worth considering since the property is in the Hill Country, not downtown.
Four days of keynotes, workshops, a trade show with 100+ preferred partners, one-on-one supplier meetings, and the Awards Gala to close it out. The ATC Symposium runs September 22-24 for luxury-track advisors, with TravelMarket proper kicking off September 24. The detailed session schedule drops closer to the event — this is the shape of the week based on past editions so you can plan flights and dinner reservations.
| Day | Date | What's Happening |
|---|---|---|
| ATC | Tue–Thu, Sep 22–24 | The Affluent Traveler Collection Symposium. Luxury-focused track for ATC-affiliated advisors only. Dedicated breakout sessions, a separate trade show with luxury suppliers, one-on-one appointments, and exclusive networking events. Runs right before TravelMarket at the same venue — some advisors attend both. |
| Day 1 | Thu, Sep 24 | Arrival and registration. Welcome workshops and kickoff sessions in the afternoon. Evening: Welcome Reception — the first chance to connect with fellow advisors and preferred partners in an informal setting. Cameron Matthews returns as MC. |
| Day 2 | Fri, Sep 25 | Opening General Session with keynote presentations. Panel discussions featuring industry leaders on advocacy, technology, and market trends. Breakout training sessions — expect hands-on workshops on AI Connect, marketing strategy, and niche specialization. Afternoon one-on-one supplier meetings begin. Dinner is on your own. |
| Day 3 | Sat, Sep 26 | Trade show opens in the 40,000 sq ft exhibit hall — 100+ preferred supplier companies across cruise, hotel, tour, air, rail, and specialty categories. One-on-one meetings continue. Additional workshops and immersion sessions throughout the day. Evening: networking reception or dinner on your own. |
| Day 4 | Sun, Sep 27 | Final morning sessions. The Awards Gala Dinner — TravelMarket's signature capstone event. Chairman's Awards, President's Awards, Soaring Eagle Awards, and Partner of the Year across cruise, hotel, tour, and more. Cocktail attire. Don't book an early flight. |
TravelMarket typically runs 40+ speakers across the program, mixing keynote presentations with hands-on training. Past editions have featured panels on legislative advocacy with ASTA and ACTA leaders, deep dives into AMG's tech platforms, and destination-specific workshops. The sessions that move the needle most are the ones tied to tools you'll actually use when you get home — AI Connect demos, marketing workshops, and KORE curriculum updates for agencies onboarding new advisors.
The one-on-one supplier meetings are pre-scheduled, which means the prep work happens before you arrive. Know which preferred partners you want face time with and what you want to discuss. A focused 15-minute meeting at TravelMarket is worth more than a year of email exchanges.
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The ATC Symposium runs September 22-24, immediately before TravelMarket at the same venue. It's a separate, exclusive event for advisors affiliated with The Affluent Traveler Collection — AMG's luxury sub-brand representing 350+ member agencies and a portfolio of 1,300+ luxury hotels, plus premium cruise lines, DMCs, and tour operators. Originally held every five years, the Symposium is now an annual event, reflecting the growth of the global luxury travel market (projected at $4.5 trillion by 2035).
The Symposium is closed to general TravelMarket attendees. Only ATC-affiliated advisors and luxury supplier partners participate. The smaller scale — roughly 250 attendees — creates an environment where real relationships form, not just business card exchanges.
A dedicated trade show featuring luxury hotel brands (St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton, Six Senses), premium cruise lines, boutique tour operators, and destination specialists. The one-on-one appointments here are with supplier decision-makers who control allocation and pricing.
Breakout sessions at the Symposium focus on luxury-specific trends, client acquisition at the high end, and strategic insights from industry leaders AMG calls "luminaries." The content is distinctly different from TravelMarket's broader curriculum — this is for advisors whose average booking is in the thousands per night.
ATC publishes a consumer-facing magazine — 100+ pages, 200,000+ annual readers — designed as a lead generation tool for member advisors. The Symposium includes sessions on how to leverage the magazine and ATC's marketing collateral to attract high-net-worth clients.
If you're ATC-affiliated, the full September 22-27 week gives you six days of programming — three at the Symposium and four at TravelMarket (with a one-day overlap on September 24). It's a significant time commitment, but the combination of luxury-focused content and the broader TRAVELSAVERS/NEST network event is hard to replicate at any other conference. Book your flights accordingly.
The JW Marriott Hill Country is 20 minutes from downtown San Antonio and surrounded by open ranchland. There's nothing walkable outside the resort gates. That's not a drawback — the property has multiple restaurants, and they're better than what most conference hotels offer. But if you want to experience San Antonio proper, you'll need a rideshare. The River Walk and Pearl District are both worth the trip.
The resort's signature restaurant, overlooking the TPC San Antonio golf courses. This is where the important dinners happen during TravelMarket. Expect to see fellow attendees — including preferred partner executives — at the next table. Dry-aged steaks, strong wine list, booth seating for private conversations. Reserve well before the conference.
The default gathering spot. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a tequila-heavy bar that becomes the unofficial conference lounge after sessions. Tex-Mex done well — carnitas huarache, smoked red snapper dip, thick-cut bacon appetizer. This is where you'll find people at 9 PM.
Asian-inspired small plates and craft cocktails right in the lobby. The highest-traffic spot on the property for casual run-ins. No reservations needed. Grab a seat, order a drink, and wait — someone you've been meaning to talk to will walk by within 20 minutes.
Elevated pizza from an imported Italian oven. Opens at 4 PM. Perfect when you want a no-fuss dinner after a long day on the trade show floor. Seasonal salads and house desserts round out the menu. The newest dining addition on the property.
The closest high-end off-property option, in the La Cantera shopping center about 6 miles southeast. Private dining rooms available for group bookings. The famous Friday lunch pork chop is a San Antonio institution. A solid alternative to 18 Oaks when you want a change of scenery without driving downtown.
Chef Bruce Auden's riverside restaurant on a quiet bend of the San Antonio River Walk. The most James Beard-nominated chef in the city. Daily-changing menu, private dining for groups of 10 to 400, and they'll arrange river barge arrivals for your party. This is the "memorable group dinner" pick. Reserve in advance.
Set inside the historic Pearl Brewery's actual boiler house. Dramatic industrial-chic interior with original brewing equipment and a catwalk dining loft. The Pearl District is San Antonio's trendiest food neighborhood — dozens of restaurants and bars within walking distance after dinner. Private event spaces for groups up to 290.
The JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country is the venue, the hotel, and essentially the entire universe for the week. Past TravelMarket editions have followed this same single-property model — Resorts World Las Vegas, Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, JW Marriott Marco Island — with everything happening under one roof. Book through the conference room block for the best rate. Marriott Bonvoy members earn points on the stay.
1,002 rooms and suites across a sprawling Hill Country property. Two PGA Tour golf courses (TPC San Antonio), a 9-acre River Bluff Water Experience with a lazy river and slides, Lantana Spa, and multiple pools. The convention center houses a 40,000 sq ft exhibit hall and 19 meeting rooms.
If the conference block sells out or you need to save, the La Cantera area (10 minutes away) has a Hyatt Regency Hill Country, a Courtyard by Marriott, and several other mid-range hotels. You'll need a car or rideshare to get to the JW Marriott, but you'll save $100+ per night.
San Antonio is worth an extra day. The River Walk, the Alamo, the Pearl District, and the San Antonio Missions (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) are all downtown, about 20 minutes from the resort. Late September weather is warm but manageable — better than the brutal Texas summer.
TravelMarket draws about 1,000 advisors from the TRAVELSAVERS and NEST networks, plus 100+ preferred supplier companies. It's a closed community, which means the people in the room share a common platform and business relationship framework. That familiarity is your advantage — use it.
1. Dinner is your networking weapon. Conference meals are included, but the unstructured evenings are where relationships solidify. Book a table for 6-8 at 18 Oaks or Cibolo Moon. Invite a mix of advisors and preferred partner reps. The conversations over steak and tequila turn into referral partnerships and co-marketing deals.
2. Cibolo Moon after 9 PM. When sessions wrap, this is where advisors and suppliers drift. The bar becomes the unofficial conference lounge. Just showing up puts you in conversations you wouldn't have had during structured programming. Bring your business cards.
3. Pre-schedule your one-on-ones. The supplier meetings at TravelMarket are pre-arranged. Do the work before you arrive — review the preferred partner list, identify who you want to meet, and request your appointments early. A prepared advisor gets more from a 15-minute meeting than an unprepared one gets from a full day on the trade show floor.
4. Attend the Awards Gala. The final-night dinner isn't just an awards ceremony — it's the closing party. The cocktail hour before the seated dinner is the single best networking window of the entire conference. Every agency owner, preferred partner executive, and AMG leader is in the room.
5. Follow up before Monday. You'll meet dozens of new contacts in four days. Every one of them met dozens of other advisors. Send a short, specific follow-up to your top 10 contacts before you fly home Sunday night. "Great talking about [specific product/destination] at TravelMarket — let's set up a call this week." Speed wins.
The Awards Gala is TravelMarket's signature capstone event — a seated dinner on the final evening that recognizes the year's top-performing agencies and preferred partners. It's part celebration, part industry milestone, and the single most important evening of the conference from a networking perspective. If you skip it, you're missing the room where every decision-maker in the TRAVELSAVERS and NEST ecosystem gathers in one place.
The gala recognizes achievement across multiple categories, each reflecting a different dimension of agency and partner performance. At the 2025 edition, the following awards were presented:
The Chairman's Awards are the highest honors, given to agencies with outstanding preferred partner sales production. The President's Awards recognize remarkable year-over-year partner production. Soaring Eagle Awards go to agencies with the largest increases in partner sales — the fast risers. Horizon Awards celebrate up-and-coming agencies, while Inspire Awards recognize network program engagement. The newer Brand Champion Awards honor agencies that actively support network initiatives and marketing campaigns.
On the supplier side, Partner of the Year awards are given across cruise, river cruise, hotel, destination, air, tour, and specialty categories. Carnival Cruise Line took the Chairman's Award for Preferred Partner in 2025. These awards matter — winning agencies gain visibility with every supplier in the room, and winning suppliers signal their commitment to the network.
Cocktail reception first, then a seated dinner with remarks, award presentations, and entertainment. Cameron Matthews, a former Disney World performer with 25+ years of live event production, returns as Master of Ceremonies for 2026. The dress code is cocktail attire or business formal — not black-tie, but a clear step up from business casual. Pack something you'd wear to a nice wedding.
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