The Largette Gazette: July 2022

Largette Gazette

0

JU

LY

2

22

ITION D E

Greetings from the Island!

Hello everyone and let's welcome BACK the Largette Gazette! Here we will update and highlight some key things you should be aware of that are going on in Largay land and we will also showcase new members, mentees, technologies, and any other news fit to print going on within the Island of Misfit Toys! So sit back relax and enjoy the read - Scott

Largette Gazette

Want to contribute to next month's edition?

The Largette Gazette has its own email address for all things Gazette! This way we can keep things all in one place to make sure your content gets in and gets seen!

For all things Gazette related please send them to gazette@largaytravel.com

Have suggestions for additional sections of the Gazette? Let us know!

Our breaking news section highlights some of your fellow Largette's and Larguy's who have recently been featured in an article or the press as well as some industry news highlights.

Amanda Klimak featured in Travel Weekly article on "How to make the switch from employee to IC" How Virtuoso's Study on Generations Can Help You Sell Travel

The Hottest Luxury Travel Destinations This Summer

Turbocharging the travel industry

Photos of the month

Largay Travel's Arctic FAM Largettes in the Arctic with Debbie Ames on Lindblad

Have photos from your travels and want to see them featured in the Gazette? Don't forget to email gazette@largaytravel.com!

Photos of the month

Largay Travel's London FAM

Beaverbrook Manor House

Windsor Castle

Largay Travel's Paris FAM

Photos of the month

Largay Italy FAM

Milan and Voltera | Borgo Pigano

Client photos of the month Jeanne Derderian's clients

Hotel Bel Ami

Mount Rainer, W ashington

u Paracas, Per

Costa Mujeres, Mexi co

Client photos of the month Patricia Stone's clients Happy photos from clients - Iceland with Fifty Degrees North, Clients were ecstatic about seeing the Northern Lights

Client photos of the month Patricia Stone's clients More Happy Clients, Tony & Dona | Stone Luxury Travel Cake Amsterdam - if anyone is looking for a boat ride on the canals or a special way to celebrate, reserve this boat tour with Nico at www.ClassicBoatDinners.NL . I didn’t make commission but Nico added my logo for free and my clients are so happy. A “Win Win”…made nice commission from their hotel stay at Pulitzer.

Client shared “Great dinner. Wonderful wines. Nico is very engaging and hospitable. Perfect anniversary celebration.”

Client photos of the month Patricia Stone's clients The Ellison Family enjoying the Galapagos and Ecuador Cotopaxi

Snaps

""SNAPS to Melissa" who persevered in figuring out what the problem was with Virtuoso's review system! Because she didn't give up, not only did my review requests finally get sent out but so did hundreds of other advisors' review requests. Thank you Melissa! - Jeanne Derderian "SNAPS" to all the agents that have been working with and the ones in the main office that have been there for me. You have all helped me grow and learn so much! I appreciate all the knowledge and wisdom from each and everyone of you!! I am excited to see what's in the future!

- Nicole Arruda

"SNAPS" to Nicole for always being there for me. Nicole is truly an asset to me as I transfer you to my new role at Largay Travel. Thank you for everything Nic - Jennifer Lannon "SNAPS"to Hien with Scenic. She's been extremely helpful for all of us in the Scenic/Emerald program. -Deb Dockery Shout out to ALL the SUPPORT TEAM!!! Love them all! - Bobbi Nappi A huge shout out to Richard Antosca. I had an issue with tickets and was in a panic...Richard corrected the situation and calmed me down. Richard is always relaxed and has a way of making you feel like everything will be ok, he is awesome. - Tina Posila "SNAPS" to Sam for helping with cleaning up everyone's email marketing lists with me and bringing back the Gazette! - Scott Largay

New Largay Team Members This section features some of our newer Largay employees to join the team.

Amy Malcolm I started in the travel industry right out of college in 1986 and have enjoyed a long career in the business. I owned my own agency for a while before having my children at which time I merged with another agency. I continued my career at a few other agencies until becoming an IC with Largay in 2012. I pride myself in being a full service agent but my main focus has always been corporate travel which I love! It has provided me with a solid knowledge of the booking and ticketing process!

I have two adult daughters and two grand babies!! My husband is from Edinburgh Scotland so of course I do a lot of traveling there.

Tasha Malone Hi there! I'm Tasha. I come to Largay Travel with over 20 years of Leisure and Corporate travel experience.

I'm a grandmother of 6, and in my spare time I enjoy skating, karaoke, and hanging out with friends and family.

I found Largay travel on Indeed, interviewed with Lori and here I am. I'm so glad to be apart of the Largay family.

New Largay Team Members

Ashley Moran My Name is Ashley Moran and I am 26 years old. I grew up in Waterbury, CT and graduated from Wilby High School June of 2014.

When I was a Junior heading into my Senior year of high school, I had the privilege and opportunity to travel to 4 different countries with the People 2 People Student Ambassador Program. I traveled to Ireland, Wales, England, and France. It was an experience of a lifetime. To be able to travel and explore that little piece of our world and discover that there is so much more out there was a humbling experience.

With that said, I came to Largay Travel with no background in the industry in the hopes of being given a chance to discover what I am capable of. Largay has welcomed me with open arms, and every day I gain more knowledge than the previous day with the help of the Largay Team!

I am super excited to be apart of the Largay Family - and look forward to growing as much as I can.

New Largay Team Members

Debbie Skrip Back in June of 2021 I was looking for work. I came across on Indeed that Largay was looking for a full time receptionist. I was very excited and sent in my resume right away and hoped to have the opportunity to be considered for this position.

The company that I worked for Lavatec, Inc. had used Largay Travel for their service techs air travel. I often had talked to Margie and Pat to make travel arrangements for the service techs and they were always a joy to talk to .

Paul Largay would stop in to meet with the office manager on occasion and Paul always came in with his wonderful upbeat personality and great sense of humor. Debbie Mane would also come in and treat the office manager and me to lunch and I just loved her upbeat personality. Even though I knew of Paul Largay, Debbie Mane, Margie and Pat I did not call any of them to let them know that I was very interested in the position because I wanted to apply for the position like everyone else and felt if it was meant to be then I would get the position.

Well I was delighted when I heard back from Scott Largay that he would like to schedule a zoom interview with me .

It went very well and after the zoom meeting I really was hoping to hear back from him. That afternoon I got an email from Scott asking me if I was available to meet with him at the office the next day. I responded yes and was thinking that I was going in for a personal interview . So the next day I went to the office thinking I was going to be interviewed again and I met with Amanda Klimak first in the conference room and was told that Scott and Paul Largay would be coming in shortly. Amanda explained to me what the job would entail and then she said “we” decided that we want you to have the position!

I was absolutely so shocked and so happy to hear that I was chosen out of all the applicants they received.

Scott and Paul then came in and welcomed me to Largay Travel.

It is hard to believe that it has been one year already since my interview and it has been absolutely wonderful working with everybody at Largay!

Thank you Paul, Amanda & Scott !

Featured Centurion Advisors and Shining Stars of the Month!

Ellen Goldman Sharon Johnson Gail Rosenberg Angela Caes Vivian Leonard Kris Matela *click on name to view their profile

Mentoring Program Graduate of the Month We would love to introduce our Mentees

Shonda Merrick My journey to Largay began much like everyone's with a long list of host agencies to interview.

Luckily for me, my list was not alphabetical so Largay was the third and final agency I interviewed. After, an almost 2-hour conversation with Paul, I knew I had found my fearless comedic and quirky leader. I cancelled the remaining interviews I had scheduled and hoped like heck Melissa and the rest of the team would like me as much as Paul did. Thankfully they loved me and welcomed me with open arms and tons of humor onto the island of the misfits!!

Shonda Merrick founded her luxury group travel company Love Travel Girl in 2021.

The Los Angeles based agency specializes in designing and hosting remarkable luxury group travel.

“I was inspired to create Love Travel Girl because there was no company that truly excelled at hosting luxury group travel for African American women” Shonda said.

“Women are truly looking for authentic experiences that represent their voice in travel.”

Native Chicagoan she began her lifelong romance with travel and reading in the fourth grade on a trip to the local library where she discovered a National Geographic magazine.

Since then, Shonda has planned journeys and traveled to some of the world’s most coveted destinations-exploring nearly 40 countries on 5 continents.

Prior to founding her company, Shonda worked as a leader in the corporate event industry.

For nearly two decades, she successfully managed a unique mix of high-profile events hosting up to 20,000 guests for the real estate, non-profit, banking, and financial services industries.

Mentoring Program Graduate of the Month

Meredith Schoeherr Hi, I’m Meredith and I come to Largay after 15+ years in marketing for CVS Health, Orbitz and Kellogg’s, to name a few. Like all of us, travel is what makes me light up, and I decided to make the leap to this business after years of watching my cousin live my dream life. (Can you guess who she is? Hint – she is tall, very fun, and a Largay superstar).

The travel bug runs deep in my family. We traveled frequently during my childhood, and the second I graduated from college, I used my savings to backpack around Europe. Since then, some of my favorite travel experiences include: Staring down an elephant charging our Jeep during a South African safari Jumping 7 waves at midnight in Parati, Brazil on New Year’s Eve with hundreds of others as part of the Brazilian tradition Celebrating Oktoberfest in a jam-packed pavilion in Munich with thousands of locals and tourists who quickly became our new best friends (with fellow Largette Charissa Popp!)

After many years of long Chicago winters, I’m happy to be living in sunny Jupiter, FL, with my husband, 9-yr-old daughter and 2 big dogs. Look forward to meeting all of you!

Mentoring Program Graduate of the Month

Doug Krumrey I spent 30 years in the insurance industry and decided to retire from that career and join my wife, Patty in the travel business. She has been a travel advisor for 35 years and during the last 5 years, I've been working with her part time in the background. Why did I want to get in the travel business? I viewed the travel business as a combination of elements that I’ve always been interested in throughout my life and learn more about.

People – I love people.In my prior life, dealing with clients, cowokers and others in the industry, there was always something interest about each one and something to learn from each one.

Culture – Understanding and getting prospective of people throughout the world. Why they think the way they do. Traditions and their way of life. Once again, a learning experience.

Geography and History – I’ve always loved seeing where places are throughout the world.

How big is that country? How far away is it from where I live? Why are boarders of countries the way they are?

How I came to join Largay.

During my previous career, I had worked with Patty in the background doing research, accounting, invoicing and so forth. I wanted to get a solid foundation of the travel business and the role that travel advisors have and to understand the tools and resources available to be successful. Patty reached out to some of her advisor friends and one of them, Joy Cottrill said that Largay Travel has a mentoring program for new people in the travel business and suggested we look into it. We met with Paul and Melissa, and I was accepted into the program. I’ve learned so much and am very appreciative.

Advisor Introductions This section features some of our newer Largay Advisors to join the team.

Patricia Stone Patricia was impressed with the caliber of travel advisors and community support at Largay Travel. Once Paul Largay extended the invitation to join the team, she immediately accepted!

For the past 12 years, she’s written over 600 articles chronicling her travels around the world. Often her readers asked her to book their trip, and now that she’s a certified Virtuoso Travel Advisor, she’s booked almost 1 million in sales in the past 10 months.

Patricia Stone was born with the travel bug. After growing up in Tahiti, French Polynesia, she hasn't stopped exploring the world, and has lived, worked, traveled to over 170 countries and 7 continents.

Today, Patricia is the Founder of Stone Luxury Travel LLC, an independent affiliate of Largay Travel, and carefully handcrafts trips for couples, solo travelers, families and groups. She also shares her top travel recommendations as Chief Explorer, Founder, Editor-in-Chief on her travel site - Global Adventuress, www.GlobalAdventuress.com, promoting travel destinations around the world with unique adventures and inspiring experiences, with a collection of over 600 articles.

Her travels have taken her from Timbuktu, Antarctica, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Everest Base Camp. She has been featured in L.A. Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Toronto Star, nominated as a "Top 20 Destination Travel Site" by USA Today, and recognized by BBC Travel. Some of her articles also appear on www.AFAR.com.

A member of the American Society of Travel Writers, and the Founder of Who's Who in Travel, a group of notable leaders in the travel industry from writers, explorers, adventurers, to travel agents and consultants - all nominated by Global Adventuress.

With up to 40,000 followers across social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram), her posts, images, videos, and articles inspire all to discover their inner "adventuress".

Did you know?

With Vira

Lock in Your Travel Insurance With Travelex Now that TEAM LARGAY is back in full force & traveling the globe, it's a good time to get your own travel insurance coverage locked in! Travelex offers the 'PARTNER ADVANTAGE PLAN' or 'PARTNER ADVANTAGE PLUS PLAN' which provide coverage either for a single trip (Partner Advantage) or a year's worth of coverage (Partner Advantage Plus) for a very affordable cost. Both plans provide primary coverage for medical expenses while traveling, as well as trip delay & trip interruption, missed connection, baggage & baggage delay, and a few other features.

These plans also offer an option to upgrade the plan to cover trip cancellation as well (either to $2500 or $5000 trip max per POLICY - not per trip).

You can review the full policy details here! Partner Advantage & Partner Advantage Plus.

I just bought a full year's worth of coverage for $122...... an excellent investment & would never leave home without it these days! Both of these plans can be purchased on the Travelex partner website.

And, in case you missed the Zoom meeting from earlier this month regarding the new policy called 'TRAVEL MED', here is the link Travel Med. Travel Med is a great option for those clients that would like primary medical coverage during travel but don't need pre-departure trip cancellation coverage.

As always, if you need any help with Travelex policies & information, you can contact Suzanne Setlak via email at suzanne.setlak@travelexinsurance.com!

TidBits

Spam vs. Unsubscribe...There is a difference We have noticed that a lot of team members are hitting the spam button in email instead of opting out or unsubscribing from the email.

This is kind of a double edge sword because you are hurting the email sender when you spam them, and this could cause their emails not to go through to other people within the company. Google looks at spam and takes it very seriously and will block a sender availability if they have a high spam rate.

We know it's tough getting so much junk in your inbox, but you most likely signed up with someone who sold your information and the best practice for that is to opt out and not spam them. We hope people are not spamming Largay as well since it hurts all of us in the end.

Thank you for your time and cooperation with this issue and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to help@largaytravel.com and someone will gladly assist you.

Just Back Michael King Trip to South Africa March 2022

In 1999 Barbara and I went on our first visit to sub-Saharan Africa. In 2001 we visited Kenya. After those two safaris we felt ready to sell Africa to potential clients. OMG, wrong! I compare what we knew to someone in Africa trying to entice a client to visit the US because the African advisor had been to New York and Disney World.

Africa is a huge continent and offers a plethora of experiences. Like any destination, we begin with learning what a potential client wants. We then educate them on which parts of the continent would best match their expectations and take into consideration what time of year they want to travel. If your prospects are foodies, I highlight Cape Town, known for its outstanding chefs. Culture and art are also a focus in Cape Town. Natural wonders? Consider Victoria Falls.

Accommodations range from very average to very plush, with the highest number of luxury camps are found in Southern Africa.

Africa is NOT a continent to try to do on the cheap. Yes, you can do it, including some self-driving safaris.

That is outside my comfort zone. When you plan a safari, work with a trusted onsite or tour company.

Sometimes you can save money by having transfers done via road rather than air. I do NOT recommend you doing that. African roads at their best are only fair and often are riddled with potholes and boring, dusty landscapes (can there be boring landscapes in Africa? Yes) In march of this year Barbara and I escorted a group of 7 clients to Cape Town, Mombo Camp in Botswana, Toka Leya in Zambia, and Londolozi, South Africa. We traveled at a time where some countries had Covid testing mandates and others didn’t. I’m relieved to be past that now.

When we arrived at the Cape Town Airport we used the meet and greet service, a big plus. We stayed at One and Only Cape Town which is right on the waterfront. Service was exceptional, even better than previous stays. We dined at Nobu in the hotel, pricey and tasty, and at a local seafood restaurant, Sea Breeze, it was good and very reasonable and crowded with locals. We had a great guide for the duration of our Cape Town stay and all arranged through Wilderness Safaris.

From Cape Town we flew to Maun, Botswana and then by small plane to Mombo Camp, known for great sightings of lions, leopards, and cheetahs. We found our accommodations were good. Food was good and animal sightings were good, but not exceptional Read on... next page

Just Back...

Michael King Trip to South Africa March 2022 Con't From Cape Town we flew to Maun, Botswana and then by small plane to Mombo Camp, known for great sightings of lions, leopards, and cheetahs. We found our accommodations were good. Food was good and animal sightings were good, but not exceptional We next traveled to Livingstone, Zambia, staying at Toka Leya Camp. Known for a great location right on the Zambezi river close to Victoria Falls and for their pizza oven (yes, a great pizza oven!) we enjoyed all aspects of our stay.

TIP: Make sure clients get to Victoria Falls as soon as it opens in the morning to avoid the crowds. Also wear raincoats - you are going to get very wet! I always put my camera in a zip lock bag to keep it dry.

TIP: Schedule your visit to the rhino sanctuary early morning or early evening so you can enjoy seeing them moving around. Midday is siesta time. Toka Leya has the best arrangement with the Sanctuary - not all the camps can arrange a visit.

We saved the best for the last, Londolozi, South Africa. Londolozi has consistently provided the best safari experience from accommodations, dining, guest services, staff, rangers and trackers, and abundant wildlife. This was the 4th time we’ve experienced Londolozi, this time at Varty Camp. Londolozi checks all the boxes for an outstanding safari experience. One of our guests had a request from her young grandson back in California to get a photo of a tiger. There are no tigers in Africa. The day we left Londolozai, one of the managers dressed in a tiger costume so grandma could take a photo to send to her grandson. How amazing is that?

Thanks for reading!

See you next month!

Don't forget to send anything you want to be featured to gazette@largaytravel.com.