The October sun was shining and the foliage at peak color as more than 500 Fora Advisors and 200 partners took New York City by storm for Live Forum 2024. For three days, advisors mingled, networked and learned all around the city, attending the kick-off party, partner-hosted dinners and the main event at the Knockdown Center in Queens.
From last year’s 100-person event, this year’s attendance showed not only how much the Fora community has grown, but how eager we are for in-person connection, which was perfectly noted by Fora’s Co-Founder Henley Vazquez.
“Connection means belonging, and belonging means success,” Henley said as she welcomed advisors.
Read on for the low-down on what happened, why it matters and what’s on deck for 2025.
Live Forum 2024 at a glance
Dates: October 16–18, 2024
Venues: The Standard Biergarten, the Knockdown Center
Advisors: 500+
Suppliers: 250+
Partner-hosted dinners: 56
Speed networking sessions per partner / advisor: 42
What happens at Live Forum?
In-person connection matters, which is why Live Forum’s main goal each year is to create space for those connections to happen. Advisors and industry partners may email and exchange phone calls, but there’s something about meeting in person that solidifies a relationship. And meeting in a gorgeous venue decked out like a chic airline terminal (complete with a first class lounge and barista station) doesn’t hurt.
Here’s what we did and, more importantly, what we learned.
Connecting: It’s all about relationships
Connection was the name of the game all three days at Live Forum. After registering Wednesday at The Standard’s Biergarten and a big welcome from Fora’s co-founders Henely Vazquez, Evan Frank and Jake Peters, advisors stuck around for the kickoff party to meet each other in person, with some online advisor groups meeting for the first time.
Later Wednesday, industry partners joined in the fun by hosting dinners across New York City, with each dinner also including advisors and Fora HQ members. Advisors had a chance to learn more about their host’s brand, destination or service in this informal setting, while also meeting members of Fora HQ.
Thursday and Friday were held at the Knockdown Center, where advisors continued to mingle, while also learning from and connecting with industry leaders.
Henley opened Thursday by acknowledging the commitment it takes to attend a conference like Live Forum.
“We know this is an investment in you and your businesses,” Henley told advisors. “You’ve hired babysitters and dog sitters, you flew on airplanes and rented cars, and you’re staying in hotels and sleeping on friends’ sofas. This is the time you’re taking away from your lives … to invest in building your business with us. And we take that very seriously.”
Networking: Speed dating for travel professionals
More than 250 partners were positioned at tables across three concourses in the Knockdown Center, with advisors moving tables every nine minutes. After four sessions over two days, each advisor had a chance to meet with 42 partners, asking questions and learning about properties, destinations and services.
After non-stop meetings and sessions, day two ended with a much-need party hosted by Belmond. Mingling continued in the gorgeous outdoor courtyard (yes, there were heat lamps) with a superb sunset that lit up the sky on cue. As the mini lobster rolls and Prosecco were passed, conversations continued and friendships formed, with new and familiar faces captured in the popular photo booth.
Learning: Hearing from HQ, Virtuoso and industry leaders
Breakout sessions (20 of them, to be exact) covered a range of topics designed to equip, empower and inspire Fora’s advisor community. Fora HQ also had updates, specifically some much-anticipated tech updates from Jake. In addition to new Fora Portal features like hotel price filtering and advisor property feedback, advisors were most excited about the in-house itinerary planning capabilities.
Here are a few of the other offerings:
Client development with Reid Burkett, Fora’s Sr. Manager, Advisor Strategy & Operations
Social media strategies with Hannah Kibble and Lexie Sicher of Auberge Resorts Collection + Dajana Bogojevic, Fora’s Brand Marketing Manager
Communication through automation with Ross Thomason, Fora’s Head of Training & Development
Marketing unseen destinations with Henley Vazquez, Fora’s Co-Founder
Live Forum culminated with Friday’s keynote speaker, Matthew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso Travel. Matthew shared wise words about the value of a travel advisor and how to communicate with, listen to and learn from clients, with the ultimate goal of building trusted relationships.
Highlights from our community
Evan Frank said it best when describing Fora’s global community as the key to empowering travel entrepreneurship. And with 43 states and 14 countries represented, it was clear that the feeling is mutual. Here’s a glimpse of how Live Forum impacted our advisor and partner community.
“Making connections online has been such a great part of joining Fora,” Fora Advisor Kara Schalchlin said. “Live Forum took that a step further, allowing me to connect in person with fellow travel advisors and suppliers from all over the world.”
“As a newcomer with less than a year’s experience, the feeling of belonging in a community that is just so supportive is very empowering,” Fora Advisor Elaine Parker said. “Live Forum was the motivation I needed to push forward and really start growing my business.”
“Being part of the Fora community was such a refreshing experience,” said Helen Bitschnau of the Austrian Tourism Office. “The different events and platforms, especially the one-on-one meetings gave me the chance to have real conversations, dive into what Fora advisors are looking for, and share ideas about Austria as a travel destination in a more personal way.”
“I felt so welcomed by the amazing Fora community,” Fora Advisor Joanna Johnsen said. “The event was a great mix of networking, education, inspiration and socialization. I met some amazing suppliers and discovered new-to-me destinations and properties that were not on my radar."
"I really enjoyed the whole flow of Live Forum and the theme," said Lily Carr of Round Hill Hotel and Villas. "The matched meetings were the most helpful, and so was getting the full list of all the advisors in attendance just a few days after the event — much faster than any other show I have attended."
“Attending Fora’s Live Forum was such a game-changer — I connected with incredible people across the travel industry and toured some iconic NYC hotels firsthand,” Fora Advisor Michelle Garcia said. “The experience really opened my eyes to new ways I can bring more personalized touches and value to each client’s trip.”
“The 1:1 appointments with advisors were my favorite part of Live Forum,” said Hicham Mhammedi Alaoui of Experience Morocco. “The quality of interaction, interest and questions is a step above what you find at typical industry trade shows.”
“I was able to meet with over 250 suppliers and network with over 500 of my peers and Fora team members (all equally as obsessed with travel as I am),” Fora Advisor Lisa Van Brunt said. “It's a place where creativity, determination and community collide. Live Forum gave me the inspiration to dream bigger, and I can't wait to see what 2025 brings!”
What's next for 2025?
It’s official: Live Forum 2025 is in the works! We've gathered feedback from our community and are already putting together a plan for next year. Stay tuned as details unfold in the coming months.
