Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh to Keynote Travel Leaders Network’s Annual International Conference, EDGE

Hsieh will address more than 2,000 U.S. and Canadian attendees and travel industry leaders at Caesars Palace

New York, NY (March 21, 2018) Travel Leaders Network – one of America’s largest retail travel agency organizations – today announced that Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh will be the keynote speaker at the 2018 EDGE International Conference, which stands for “Educate, Discover, Gather, Evolve.” With more than 2,000 travel agents and industry leaders expected to attend, EDGE will take place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas June 12-16. Hsieh’s keynote speech will be held on June 15. Travel Leaders Network comprises nearly 6,800 agency locations in both the United States and Canada.

“We are thrilled and honored to have Tony Hsieh as this year’s keynote speaker,” said Roger E. Block, CTC, President of Travel Leaders Network. “Tony is a trailblazer in his field and we are eager to hear and learn from him. Over the years, our annual meeting has transformed to become something bigger and more influential than just another travel industry gathering. Attendees will be able to not only hear Tony’s keynote address, but will also have access to hundreds of training and education opportunities. They will return home finding new skills to help them gain a competitive ‘EDGE’ in the marketplace.”

In 1999, at the age of 24, Hsieh sold LinkExchange, the company he co-founded, to Microsoft for $265 million. He then joined Zappos as an advisor and investor, and eventually became CEO, where he helped Zappos grow from almost no sales in 1999 to the multi-billion-dollar company it is today. Back in 2009, the company was acquired by Amazon in a deal valued at $1.2 billion on the day of closing. Hsieh has remained as CEO of Zappos, a company dedicated to customer service, company culture and community.

Hsieh’s book, “Delivering Happiness,” was published in 2010, and outlines his path from starting a worm farm to life at Zappos. Hsieh shows how a very different kind of corporate culture is a powerful model for achieving success and happiness.

In addition to his responsibilities as CEO of Zappos.com, he also helped start Downtown Project, a group committed to helping transform downtown Las Vegas into the most community-focused large city in the world. This transformation includes the relocation of the Zappos offices from Henderson, Nevada, to what was the old City Hall in downtown Las Vegas.

In addition to Hsieh’s keynote speech, EDGE will feature more than 210 hours of education, including adventure travel workshops presented jointly by Travel Leaders Network and the Adventure Travel Trade Association, workshops focused on luxury travel, selling independent travel to affluent travelers, as well as Power Speakers that include expert sessions on proven sales methodologies. Additionally, special sessions are planned for owners and managers of host agencies and sessions for independent contractors on how to grow their businesses.

The entertainment highlight of the conference will be a special performance of select songs from Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, the Tony and Grammy-award winning musical based on the true story of composer and singer-songwriter Carole King. The music of Carole King provided the soundtrack for a generation and she is regarded as one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history.

Travel Leaders Network agents who wish to register for the conference may do so on Agent Universe. For travel agency owners and independent contractors interested in learning more about the award-winning programs and diverse offerings that Travel Leaders Network offers agencies in leisure and luxury travel, business travel, honeymoon and destination weddings – as well as active and adventure travel – visit TravelLeadersNetwork.com.

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About Travel Leaders Network
Travel Leaders Network (www.TravelLeaders.com), assists millions of leisure and business travelers annually, and is one of the largest sellers of luxury travel, cruises and tours in the travel agency industry. Representing approximately 6,500 travel agency locations across the United States and Canada. Travel Leaders Network’s award-winning Agent Profiler agent locator, marketing, technology, supplier partnerships and educational programs empower member agencies to differentiate themselves in the marketplace, grow their business and lead the industry. Travel Leaders Network is a Travel Leaders Group LLC company.

2018: Year of the Travel Agent
Travel Leaders Group has named 2018 Year of the Travel Agent. Over the last decade, the travel agency industry has flourished through technology, the growth of travel options and personalized service. Travel Leaders Group represents approximately 52,000 travel agents with unmatched expertise in 135,000 destinations and more than 53,000 areas of interest. Travelers and suppliers have rediscovered the value a professional travel advisor delivers to the travel experience. Travel agents help to move people around the world, and keep our economy growing.