Most conventions are about business. Improving business. Gaining business. Status of business. Networking for business. You get the picture. I have not been to a convention where family and friends are invited. But apparently YTB is counting on family and friends to bolster their attendance figures in St. Louis.
They have extended the early registration and are encouraging the RTAs and Reps to bring family and friends along--no doubt for the tax write off!
$150 Registration has been extendedthrough 11:59 pm, Monday, July 14Registration increases to$200 on Tuesday, July 15 This year's National Convention will be bigger and better than ever !If you thought last year's Convention staging was amazing, you won't believe this year's incredible presentation. It's the MUST SEE, DON'T MISS event of the year! Plan now to join the thousands of Reps, RTAs, guests, family, and friends who will converge on the America's Center and the Edward Jones Dome in downtown St. Louis, August 6-10, 2008..
Read the agenda and you can see that over 5 days, the RTAs and Reps have the opportunity (will it be taken) to attend 13 training classes including this one:
YTB Level 1 Director from Manalapan, New Jersey, Ian Olito, along with Dr. Patricia Baszczuk, is here to help you uncover the hidden benefits that lie within your travel business. The travel industry is awaiting you! Come learn the discourse, improve your chances of capitalizing on "High-end" upgrades, perks, and benefits. See the world for less! And remember, there is way more to your website than travel: unlock the misconception that YTB is only "travel." Explore the multitude of services that lay dormant at your fingertips.
Somehow, convincing people that YTB is more than "travel" is not too hard. Just look at the financial reports to clear that misconception!
I agree 100% that most business conventions are just that. Spouses are sometimes welcome but never "family and friends". Most times there may be a spouses program while the business end of things is being taken care of.
ReplyDeleteBut, then again, this is MLM and all about recruiting, so I imagine that they will want anyone and everyone there to hear the pitch and potentially sign them up. Remember last year when the word from the convention was --go to your local travel agency and show them how good it is to be with YTB?
But you are right, by making this a public event (similar to a football game) they can now say that they has X people attending the program--regardless if only a small percentage were the ones actually involved in the business at that point!
I know you asked us not to, but I just have to. You are always accused of "throwing mud (or spaghetti) on the wall and seeing what sticks". I don't necessarily agree with that.
ReplyDeleteBut today, Doug is reporting that Coach is getting closer to a real Coach and is buying the Pittsburgh Steelers. One comment he makes is that he has the money--well of course he does, the RTAs send it to him monthly.
But I am not so sure that he has THAT kind of money, and the NFL is a pretty ruthless syndicate. Most teams are successful because of shrewd business acumen.
So, there is the daily dose of mud sticking on the wall. Pot calling the kettle black,
Buying the Steelers HAHAH! Another day, another YTB lie. You know they need to pump up that stock a little before the "convention".
ReplyDeleteIn 2007, Forbes had the Steelers worth approximately $929 million. The figure being thrown around right now is around $700 million. That's alot more recruiting and $499 start up fees! First they were buying Travelocity and now the Steelers...come on now.
ReplyDeleteThe irony of the homonym STEELERS and STEALERS is certainly not lost on me.
ReplyDeleteJust like him Ron Head being awarded the "pyramid" award at the dog and pony show in Dallas was it?
Since this already took a turn off topic.
ReplyDeleteIn all fairness, that blog does not say the company is considering buying the Steelers. That is an opinion of the blogger, the blogger was suggesting this company should consider buying that frachise.
Now for the photo on that blog - who ever did that should practice their cut and paste skills a bit more.
OMG He photoshopped himself with the Coach! LOL all too funny! OMG Thanks for the fantastic laugh! What a start tot he weekend!
ReplyDeletewell once again, big frickin' deal. a bunch of bully school kids at it again w/john their ever loving leader. did doug say, "here's a real pic of me with coach?" the pic just went along with his "gee, i wish coach would buy the steelers" wish.
ReplyDeletealso, "INSIDER" learn to COMPREHEND what you read. Doug NEVER said coach is buying the steelers as you so erroneously stated. Only that he WISHED he could become a part owner.
Gosh, now go get a baseball and bat and you bratty kids go outside and play for a change!
Sorry---All Star Break!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking a 2 day family convention trip to STL is a pretty big expense for a lot of people.
ReplyDeleteBut, of course, it would be tax deductable which is fast becoming the ONLY advantge of being an RTA.
Do you suppose there is a kiddie pool somewhere on the convention floor to test if this is a child friendly vacation?
Oh – MY – GOD!
ReplyDeleteSo nobody reads my blog? (Sorry…”web site”) I recall John asking everyone to refrain from commenting here about my lies, spin, and propaganda.
Just can’t let it go can we?
This IS amusing. I will tell you this...there was someone who DID take this spin as fact, and was up in arms over Coach taking his eye off the ball. He sent me an e-mail out of the blue and I just couldn’t grasp how someone could be that gullible.
Should have known…it had something to do with our TTA's.
No humor, or reality left in this world is there.
Sad you have nothing better to do with your day, like I've been told.
In regards to the “doctored photo” I first thought it might be about the hideous beard I attempted to grow during that Super Bowl run, but I’m sorry to say, it’s real, and so is the photo.
Since were on the subject of meaningless twists, lies, spin, and propaganda for today…here’s a topic for discussion.
If I get Ronda pregnant before the Convention, can I claim THAT as a deduction as well?
Discuss amongst yourselves.
I'll "try" to find something else to do with my day.
So why post the self admitted spin? Just trying to stir something up a bit? So now how is one supposed to take your blog? Is it all spin and you cannot believe how gullible people are to believe what you write? Or is it fact?
ReplyDeleteSo let's actually talk about the conference rather than Doug's fantasies, shall we?
ReplyDelete13 classes in 5 days? Huh? When I go to my learning conference form my Consortium, I attend four classes a day - and have an opportunity to do even more. Last time I arrived on a Wednesday night, checked into the hotel and didn't even get off the property until Saturday night!
All that time spent learning, leanring, lenaring about Tour Operators, available product, CRMs, etc. ... nothing about building a down line. Oh, that's right, it's about being a Travel Agent and selling travel for me.
Well if and only if, the photo was not altered in anyway, then, wherever that was taken they where very poor builders.
ReplyDeleteThe molding between the two walls is mis-matched. The wall light behind the person on the left would have been installed in the corner and best of all if you explode the photo you see the cut and paste marks along with forgetting to fill in some white areas to make the color match.
Finally, most people posting untouched digital photos do not use corel photo-paint unless the photo was altered in some manor.
- Not that there is anything wrong with people messing around with photos in a playful way that is not harmful to anyone or the other person. However, it does lead to poor crediability overall thereafter.
Yes, Doug . . .
ReplyDeleteThis blog has become ridiculous.
Like a bunch of gossipy teenagers talking about the new girl in the lunchroom.
Love to one-up each other with their crafty one-liners.
TTAs like the wildly successful travellisa.
She can't keep away from here.
YTB gets her all worked up.
She is becoming more like her alter-ego Martha every day.
With all of her success in travel sales, I am amazed at how much time the multi-tasker has to spend here talking about our little company.
I come here to see the pulse of the TTAs and their meanderings about YTB.
And to respond to John Frenaye and point out his continuing exaggerations and mistruths about YTB.
And they are getting more frequent.
A public company that is an open book and that's still not enough information for John Frenaye.
He wants more.
He's all over the internet on a daily basis regarding YTB.
Goes out of is way to make himself available to the press about YTB . . .
Like a lawyer leaving his business card with the victims at a car wreck.
Tough to come up with new material each day.
So he spins recyled information.
Use a headline that gets attention.
Even if it is only half true.
If it gets the desired anti-YTB effect, go for it.
And, when it is proven that the headline or premise is false . . .
Bury your correction in the responses.
Or just ignor it and hope it goes away.
All in a days work for the anti-YTB blogger who "only spends a couple hours a day on this".
YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!
Funny, but I have never solicited the media about MLM or YTB. They have come to me, but sorry that my opinions upset you.
ReplyDeleteFinding posts about MLM is not hard at all. It is amazing how much "content" is out there if you just look.
Dropping business cards...I will leave that to the MLMers at the soccer games looking for a tax break.
There have been very few mistruths on this blog and the ones that were posted were corrected. There certainly are a lot of disagreements and varying points of view, but not a whole lot of mistruths. If you are looking for mistruths, just go to any Craigslist and have a look. Or listen to Seligman's tape? Maybe listen to how much money everyone is making in MLM. Once you begin to listen there, you will begin to see many mistruths.
Did anyone see the FANTASTIC letter to the editor in Travel Weekly? I am sure since it supports my position, TW is now a "rag" but when they say YTB is a Corporate Agency Ranked #26 is is the Holy Grail of travel.
ANd speaking of mistruths, and this is off topic to the post I know, but if you are looking for another one, go to Doug's blog. He posted a whopper today and even came here to admit it. Wonder why he would do that? Maybe to find someone gullible enough to sign up under him knowing that Coach was buying the Stealers?
Well at least John has the guts to allow people to post on the blog at all. Not Doug....
ReplyDeleteYou know, I'd almost like to see this blog become a mere website so that Mixed Up could live his delusions in private. He's a 'pot' isn't he? Actually, I don't believe I have read about any of his plans to go to STL (with the family) and offer his talent and support to people like Rod.
ReplyDelete"TTAs like the wildly successful travellisa.
ReplyDeleteShe can't keep away from here.
YTB gets her all worked up.
She is becoming more like her alter-ego Martha every day.
With all of her success in travel sales, I am amazed at how much time the multi-tasker has to spend here talking about our little company."
Well considering I haven't posted at all yet today, guess I will now. I never claimed to be a multi-millionaire like you kooks. I'll leave the salary fabricating to you. I make a very good salary after 18 years and bonus overrides. Am I Trump..no.! Who the hell said I was wildly successful?
You come on here acting like a child. You jump on me already today and I haven't said a word. You claim I spend all my day here, yet you posted before me. Grow the hell up.
As for the topic today: Yes let's bring the whole family, Coach wants this, more people to suck into the web of lies, more money in his pocket, and then he can tell the media he had over x amount of YTBers at the show. Showboating..again!
Well at least John has the guts to allow people to post on the blog at all. Not Doug....
ReplyDeleteBut don't forget TravelLisa also has children, a husband, another business, as well as sick friends to tend to in addition to this blog and her successful travel agent job.
ReplyDeleteTHANK GOD she finds time and energy everyday here for us!! But, alas, I've grown tired of her constant poor spelling (I'm not talking typos either) and poor grammar and swearing and shouting and etc. ad nauseam posts.....
The fact that there will only be 13 classes spread over 5 days sayes a lot, but the thing that jumps out to me is this
ReplyDelete"The travel industry is awaiting you! Come learn the discourse, improve your chances of capitalizing on "High-end" upgrades, perks, and benefits. See the world for less! "
This convention is not about the Travel Business....it is all about adding more people to your down line.
If the whole gang of "Anonymous" YTB posters would quit calling themselfs Travel Agents the traditional Travel Agents would not care what you do.
Oh Dougie! You said you were never coming back but you did. I knew you would. You are an attention whore much like Mixed Up (I still think you're him). I'm sorry to say that I refuse to read your crap since you cut off all rebuttals to your lies and recruiting measures.
ReplyDeleteAbout getting Rhonda preggers. Better get some Viagra for that task and blindfold her. You just ain't "important."
YTB and BULLSHIT: A Perfect Mix!
You know what would be really funny? If the convention went about as well as the cruise with Coach. That is probably what is happening and so they are having to extend the discount deadline. I can't see a poor RTA paying $150 plus all of the expenses to attend another recruiting event. I wouldn't call a trip to St. Louis the vacation of a lifetime either. It will be comforting to see Lady Liberty moved right next to the Gateway Arch. Shock and awe!
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that the 'presentation' is the 'must see' event of the year. What happened to content? I mean, why would anyone spend that kind of money to see a foam lady liberty up close and personal? When I attend a convention (and that's not often) it's all travel and training....day after day. At the last Vcom one anyway. I wonder if YTBs travel vendors sponsor breakfasts, lunches and dinners like they do at Vcom? And give you neat stuff with their logos on them. I really like the laptop carrier I got a while back. Use it still. Did YTB get their vendor hotels to cut a deal for the RTAs? Is there a discount on their preferred airlines? I know it's only 5% but.... If I had some extra $$$ to throw away, I'd go just so I could report back to you all.
ReplyDeleteTravelLisa said -
ReplyDelete"You claim I spend all my day here, yet you posted before me."
TravelLisa posts this week:
4 on Thursday
6 on Wednesday
4 on Tuesday
0 on Monday
Too busy to spend time here, huh?
Also interesting that you had nothing to add on Monday when the subject was not your favorite past time . . . YTB.
And now to the "fair and balanced" John Frenaye:
John said -
"There have been very few mistruths on this blog and the ones that were posted were corrected."
Really.
How about this one from June 24th . . .
A 30-30 Check Up!
A while back, a remarkable program was announced that promised millions in bonuses. This program was open to new reps as well as old ones.
Well, fast forward 3 months 20% of the way through the program and we have our first winner . . .
So it took 3 months to find 1 person that could recruit on pace to make the first level of incentive . . . Does this indicate that the program may not be workable? Could this indicate that the program (and this particular incentive) is designed to fail?"
Let's see if the claim about "mistruth being corrected"
I immediately called attention to the fact that the big headline of the day was erroneous.
In fact, 5 (not 1) RTAs had qualified for the program and the first was weeks earlier.
So the big anti-YTB headline and description were patently wrong.
#1 . . . 5 had qualified for it, not one.
#2 . . . the first was weeks before, not 20% of the way through the contest.
I asked John to correct it.
I asked John to correct it again . . .
And again.
To "do the right thing, John and show you are willing to admit it was not correct."
John ignored it for 2 days . . .
While continuing to express additional opinions.
Finally, John made a brief mention of it (buried in the responses) and said he would not reverse his opinion.
He knew it was wrong.
But the erroneous claim still stood.
And, most importantly, it fit the anti-YTB template.
And discredits his claim that "the mistruths on this blog were corrected".
So, pay attention, new readers to this blog.
Take the spinmeister's anti-YTB claims with a grain of salt.
He will do or say whatever he needs to get his anti-YTB/pro-TTA point across.
And ignor the truth when proven wrong.
YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!
Well at least John has the guts to allow people to post on the blog at all. Not Doug....
ReplyDeleteSo who cares Mixed Up? Start your own darn blog! No one here has to justify anything to please you. I think you are jealous. Please, start a blog. I promise to post onLike most everything you read on John’s blog, here, and most of the Anti-MLM posts on Yahoo, Google, and Travel Weekly, what’s actually posted is taken completely out of context to service the illusions of some very sad, board, and twisted people.
ReplyDeleteit. So, are YOU going to the big do in STL? You better start getting everything ready cause it's only a month away and some of your fellow YTBites are busy busy busy getting the teams together!
TravelPro said...
ReplyDelete"If I get Ronda pregnant before the Convention, can I claim THAT as a deduction as well?"
Seems to me like the only way you would know if the resort is suitable for pregnant women is to take one to the resort with you. Just make sure you are advised by your travel professional before you file your taxes.