LAS VEGAS โ Access to all things Ensemble is at the heart of the consortium’s new member portal, expected to launch in early 2024 and bring with it a number of improvements for users, said Kristina Boyce, senior vice president of operations.
The new portal was one of several updates to member-facing technology announced during the Horizons 2023 event at the Paris Hotel & Casino here. Ensemble also announced a forthcoming program designed to incentivize advisors to book its preferred hotel partners, as well as a new charitable giving program.
New portal, educational improvements
Ensemble already has a portal for members that’s essentially an intranet site, Boyce said. There, they can see updates from the consortium, deals from preferred partners and more.
She described it as “fine,” but slow. Ensemble started doing productivity tests on the platform to see how long it took members to perform functions, and the answer was “far too long.”
“That means they’re not using it,” she said. “That means we’re not driving value, and that’s a huge problem.”
While Ensemble tried to update the old portal, Boyce said, they came to the conclusion that a new one needed to be built from the ground up.
The new portal will improve things like navigation, user experience, accuracy and the timeliness of information shared. Users will also get a more personalized portal with information relevant to what they sell, Boyce said.
It is expected to launch in 2024.
Universe of Ensemble refresh
Coming sooner, next week, is a refresh of the Universe of Ensemble (UofE), Ensemble’s learning platform.
Boyce said UofE’s content has been refreshed, and the platform itself has been improved to make it more user friendly. More courses are expected in the coming weeks and months.
In 2024, the learning and development team’s focus will be on certification programs to offer via UofE, Boyce said, covering everything from destinations, to travel verticals, to niches. Those courses will require a time investment.
“We want certification, a badge from Ensemble, to mean something to you, to your knowledge, to your clients, to your prospects,” she said.
Websites get a boost
Also getting an upgrade are Ensemble’s client sites, the client-facing websites that member agencies and independent contractors can create. A new tool will enable the building of customizable websites that highlight an advisor or agency’s expertise, Boyce said. Ensemble employees will be available to assist advisors with the new sites.
Also available to assist will be AI: Advisors can use the technology to help generate content for the website.
The websites, in turn, will bolster consumer confidence in purchasing travel with the agency or advisor, Boyce said.
Circles gather like-minded advisors
Finally, Boyce announced the launch of Ensemble Circles. These are groups of advisors focused on a specific area that can network with each other and learn.ย
The first is the Adventure Circle, which focuses on adventure travel. The second, a luxury-focused circle, will launch in the next few months.
Boyce said Ensemble will develop further circles based on feedback from members about what they would most like to see.
“We want the members to have a really safe space to share and talk about the segment, the partners, whatever they want, in a closed group,” she said. “And then we want to have opportunities where we bring experts in, and experts are our partners in a lot of cases.”
For partners, the Circles will offer a targeted audience of advisors, and for advisors, they offer access to preferred partners and peers.
Hotel incentives coming
Beth Butzlaff, senior vice president of partner relations, joined Ensemble over the summer from Global Travel Collection. Before that, she spent 14 years as Virtuoso’s vice president of global partner relations.
Her goal is to further build out Ensemble’s preferred partner roster across all verticals, including air, hotel, cruise and tourism boards and DMCs.
“Over the next few months, I’m eager to collaborate, to break free from industry norms, carve out transformative avenues to level up our sales and brand,” she said. “It’s not just about forming new partnerships but fostering exclusive ones that amplify the unique value Ensemble brings to the table.”
One area of focus for Butzlaff will be Ensemble’s hotel collection. She said Ensemble plans to launch a program that will incentivize members to book its preferred hotel partners. More details are forthcoming.
“With the focus and recognition, we know this program will grow and continue to,” she said.
New giving platform
Ensemble president Michael Johnson announced Ensemble’s new giving program, Spark. The program connects members with more than 2 million registered charities and nonprofits around the globe.
“Ensemble is privileged, is proud, to equip its members with the ability to support those causes most meaningful to you, and to engage with your advisors and clients in fundraising campaigns,” Johnson said.
Those campaigns will be branded to the agencies.
Johnson said Ensemble was offering dollar-for-dollar matches to contributions made to several groups: Doctors Without Borders, Giants of Africa, Legacy of War, Make-A-Wish, Mara West Foundation, Nekton Mission, Royal Ontario Museum, Trails Youth Initiative and World Central Kitchen.
Legacy of War Foundation CEO Giles Duley was at the conference speaking to members about his story. Duley, a conflict photographer, was critically injured by a landmine while working in Afghanistan. Today, his foundation works to empower those affected by war and educate on the impact of conflict.
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