Laura Massoni was born and raised in Piedmont, Italy. Having lived in San Diego since 1992, Laura loves sharing Italian culture with American friends and family. She enjoys helping Americans to see Italy through Italian eyes. Laura has worked in the travel industry for over 20 years – spanning roles such as reservation agent, travel adviser, and owner of a boutique tour operator. In 2011, Laura made the decision to focus exclusively on her country of origin – founding the tour operation See Italy Travel. See Italy Travel partners with travel agents and specialty businesses to create one-of-a-kind trips through the authentic Italy. In 2016, Laura Massoni co-authored with Christopher Atwood the book, “Italy for all Seasons.”

Laura will be delivering a talk titled:

Profitable Pairing: Travel Agencies & Wine Entrepreneurs (Branding and Marketing)>>

This talk offers a case study of how travel agents can partner with wine entrepreneurs to sell themed trips to wine consumers. Questions answered in this talk will include:

• How can agencies expand sales by joining forces with wine businesses?
• Why would wine entrepreneurs want to partner with travel experts to create trips for their consumers?
• What are the financial incentives for both travel agents and wine entrepreneurs?
• How can agents encourage wine businesses to collaborate with them to create specialty trips for their consumers?