A chilly Saturday morning in the depths of January may not seem like the ideal time for the great and the good from across the group travel industry to come together as one, but that’s exactly what happened last month as Excursions 2016 rolled in to town at North London’s Alexandra Palace. Regarded by many as a ‘must-attend’ in the exhibition calendar, now in its 40th year Excursions attracts over 1300 hardy souls all with one aim in mind – buying group tickets. It also gave us the opportunity to highlight the range of sports tickets we have access to.
Following on from last year’s successful event, and riding high after our recent award win for ‘Best Ticketing Agency’ at the Group Leisure Awards; Ticketmaster Groups took up residence in a high-footfall spot in the centre of the hall. Our newly rebranded stand was manned by two of the hardiest souls in the business – Adam Barr (Groups Accounts Manager) and Iain Inch (Groups Marketing Manager). There was a huge array of exhibitors, from ticketing agents and tour operators to attractions and events.
Prior to the event, everyone I had told we were attending said that we were in for a busy day – they weren’t wrong. From the moment the doors were flung open there was a relentless stream of people filtering up and down the aisles. At the Ticketmaster Groups stand we barely had five minutes to nip away for a cup of tea before the queue started building, people wanting to chat to us about the events we have available, the services we offer and why they should get their tickets from us.
We spoke with many people throughout the day, people who book through us occasionally, people who hold accounts with us, and people that didn’t even know we exist, and we can happily say that it was well worth attending. The event generated a good selection of promising leads, and we look set for a return in 2017.
But Excursions is just the start of the Ticketmaster Groups travelling circus in 2016. Throughout the year you’ll find us at the British Tourism & Travel Show (16/17 March, NEC Birmingham), and the Group Leisure & Travel Show (20 October, NEC Birmingham). If you are attending any of these come join us for a chat!
