Two Not Just Travel agents are celebrating the success of their biggest booking, organising a networking event on board Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady.
Rachel Tredwell, based in Wantage, Oxfordshire and Janet Lacey, from Taplow, Buckinghamshire, booked 41 people in 23 cabins on a four-day event they called ‘Cruise to Success’ at the end of last month.
On the itinerary were keynote sessions from Paralympian athlete and six times World Champion and Guinness World Record Holder Naomi Riches MBE, as well as digital marketing expert Elliott Botterill.
Attendees, who the pair found on networking groups, were able to boost their knowledge and business connections while attending private cocktail parties and private dining on the ship and exploring Amsterdam during an overnight port of call.
Janet said: “Two years ago, while sharing a hotel room at Not Just Travel’s annual conference, Rachel and I hatched the idea to bring together like-minded individuals on a cruise focused on learning, networking, and fun.
“We pitched our unique idea to co-founder Steve Witt and he put Not Just Travel’s Duncan Croucher and Natalie Singleton on our case to help us.
“Our vision became a reality as attendees from various networking groups such as Opendoorz Ltd, BNI Berkshire, and Sterling embarked on a four-night journey with an overnight stop in Amsterdam.
“The fact that attendees could fully immerse themselves in their businesses, without the distractions of home or families meant a great deal to our guests. They could dedicate time working on and developing their businesses, through inspirational expert-led sessions, peer networking and simply having time to step away and think.”
Rachel added: “Cruise to Success is definitely the biggest group booking Janet and I have done. This was a totally unique proposition that has never been done before and so it was daunting, but incredibly rewarding, successful and worthwhile.
“Based on our recent success, we’re already planning the next business networking and training event for 2025 – looking at another cruise or an on-land destination. The feedback is that pretty much everyone wants to do it again – and they will also recommend attendance to colleagues and connections.”
Pictured, from left: Rachel and Janet.