In the dynamic travel industry, sustainable growth is often fueled by knowledge and guidance. Gifted Travel Network (GTN) distinguishes itself by its deep-rooted commitment to education and mentorship, a philosophy powerfully demonstrated at its third annual Symposium, held March 26 – April 1, 2025. This year's immersive experience took place aboard the Avalon Poetry II river cruise along the Rhône River, beginning and ending in Arles, France.

More than just an industry event, this symposium was designed as an immersive learning experience. From the moment advisors boarded the ship in Arles, the focus was clear: to meet each attendee where they are in their business journey and equip them with the tools to navigate toward where they want to go next.

This year's theme, "Navigate Growth & Expand Your Business," was deeply embedded in the agenda and structure of the event, reflecting GTN's  focus on mentorship and education.  

In the weeks before the event, advisors engaged in pre-work sessions tailored to their business stage, with assignments designed to prime them for the hands-on work to come. This intentional approach allowed attendees to step on board, not only informed but empowered.

“Each advisor is on their own path, so it’s important that we meet them there,” shared Kristin Matthews, GTN’s VP of Professional Development. “We design Symposium to be more than inspiring - it’s about giving advisors the practical tools, guidance, and structure to actually move forward in their business.”

To personalize the experience even further, attendees were divided into two tailored tracks- Van Gogh and Picasso, thoughtfully named after artists inspired by Provence. This dual-track approach ensured that the tailored discussions, content, and workshops would meet the needs of each advisor, no matter where they were in their entrepreneurial journey.

  • The Van Gogh track supported advisors in the earlier stages of business growth, with sessions like Impact via Inbox, Closing More Sales, and Sales Funnel Mastery providing tangible strategies for immediate results.
  • The Picasso track was crafted for more seasoned advisors focused on expansion, leadership, and scaling. Sessions such as Profit Pathways, The Hiring Playbook, and Leadership in Action addressed everything from financial growth to team management.

To complement the learning, each attendee received a custom workbook tailored to their track. These workbooks included space for takeaways, prompts for reflection, practice questions, implementation tips, and more, designed to help advisors process content in real time and turn insights into action.

Another layer of personalization came through the dedicated roundtable sessions with 17 of GTN’s Preferred Partners. Each group had scheduled time to meet with every partner onboard in small, 1:1-style rotations. These sessions provided valuable face time to ask questions, deepen relationships, and discover new business opportunities.

While mentorship is a cornerstone of the GTN hosting experience year-round (often happening virtually via Zoom), Symposium provided an opportunity for in-person mentorship. Advisors had direct access to the GTN staff and two of our Travel Business University (TBU) mentors, Carol McKee and Anna Harrison, who joined the charter to offer real-time support and coaching.

Whether during structured sessions or casual conversations during lunch, these face-to-face interactions made a lasting impact. The ability to talk through business challenges, ideas, and next steps in person created a deeper sense of clarity—and connection.

As we continue to build a network rooted in community and professional development, events like this are a reminder of what’s possible when you combine vision with action—and education with support.

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