By Nicole Zillman, PWP, ABC VP of Travel and Tourism

When ABC President Veronica and I decided to head to the New York Travel & Adventure Show, we knew it would be worth our time — but we didn’t quite expect to battle a full-on winter storm to get there! Snow and frigid temperatures couldn’t dampen our spirits - we were on a mission to connect, learn, and deepen relationships with suppliers from around the world.

Connections and Collaborations

The show — held January 24–25 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in NYC— brings together hundreds of travel suppliers spanning every corner of the globe. Each aisle roughly represents a different region or continent. From African safari outfitters to Caribbean beach resorts, from U.S. domestic destinations to Taiwan and India tourism boards, the expo floor was packed with the travel industry’s finest.

Over 500 exhibitors participated in the New York event this year, representing top destinations, tour operators, cruise lines, airlines, and travel providers.

We jumped right in, Travel Advisor Passport (see below) in hand, ready to collect stamps from participating booths, and had incredible conversations with both new and beloved partners of ABC that are essential to our goal of putting more income into the pockets of our members.

ABC Members in Attendance

It was especially meaningful to connect with ABC colleagues who also braved the snow to attend the show.

• Our own ABC Travel Team member, Kathi Evans was with us — always a powerhouse on the show floor.

• We also met up with ABC member Maxine Grant, whose enthusiasm and connections with Caribbean tourism boards is as strong as ever.

FAM-TAS: A Travel Advisor-Only Experience

One of the biggest values of the New York Travel & Adventure Show is the FAM-TAS program — an experience that is exclusively for travel advisors. It includes:

A hosted breakfast
A hosted lunch
Multiple educational webinars
A passport that gets stamped each time you visit participating supplier booths

Once your passport is completed with all required stamps, it is entered into a drawing for a variety of free trips and other prizes — a fun, strategic way to ensure advisors get the most out of the show.

I was definitely eyeing the Cathay Pacific carry-on giveaway, which came with a surprise inside that included roundtrip business-class tickets and other premium perks. One very lucky attendee walked away with that one!

A lot of suppliers also host presentations with trivia at the end, and many of them give away fun and valuable prizes — which keeps the energy high and the learning engaging.

Don’t forget: as an ABC member who has signed your travel agreement, you are a fully qualified travel advisor and can participate in the FAM-TAS program. You also qualify for a trade-show floor-only pass!

Spin to Win: A Little Fun on the Show Floor

And yes — yours truly won a Frontier Go Wild Pass by spinning a wheel at the Frontier Airlines booth. Totally unexpected and a perfect example of why these shows are such a great mix of business and fun.

Why I’ve Attended this Show So Many Times

This show wasn’t just about swag (although we brought home plenty). It was about building and strengthening direct relationships with:

Tourism boards
Hotels and resorts
Tour operators
Transportation companies
Airport fast-track services
Airlines
Other unique travel suppliers

I’ll be going through business cards and supplier collateral for weeks, setting up new webinars, and organizing information to share directly with ABC members. The value doesn’t end when the show ends — and we’re bringing it all to ABC for you.

2026 Travel and Adventure Show Dates Across the U.S.

If you’re looking to attend a show near you, here are the upcoming Travel & Adventure Shows for the remainder of 2026:

Phoenix — February 14–15, 2026
Chicago — February 21–22, 2026
South Florida — February 28–March 1, 2026
Los Angeles — March 7–8, 2026
Bay Area — March 21–22, 2026
Denver — April 11–12, 2026

I’ll personally be attending the Denver show April 11–12, along with many of our preferred suppliers, and I’d love to see ABC members there.

I highly encourage everyone to check the Travel & Adventure Show website, see which cities are near you, and make a plan to attend. ASTA also hosts similar showcases and is a fantastic resource for travel advisors — and of course, a valued partner of ABC.