Get to Know Us

As we get closer and closer to the 2014 Show Season, we wanted to take a minute and introduce you to our team. In this month's edition of Get to Know Us, we're talking with Travel & Adventure Show Director of Sales, John Spooner.

1. What is your favorite part about traveling for vacation?

My favorite part about traveling is the memories that we crate with my family that will last a lifetime. Just the other day my daughter and I were driving home and we were talking and laughing about some of the trips we had taken over the past years. It truly amazes me how much she remembers from each trip, including trips when she was only 5 and 6 years old! It really is wonderful to establish a tradition of vacationing together that one day will carry over to my kids when they start vacationing with their own children. 



2. Your best travel memory

Traveling on Royal Caribbean's "Oasis of the Seas," and one night walking through the themed NYC Central Park. I got down on one knee and proposed to my wife, which totally shocked her! And she did say "yes!"

John (3rd from left) and his family

3. What was the best family trip you ever took and why?

When I was dating my wife at the time, we took my daughter and son up to my family's summer home in Maine which is located up state. I wasn't quite sure what they would think of being in a secluded location, but her and her son fell in love with the place. Her son was out on the kayak fishing all day long while my wife got to actually sit by the lake with my family and just relax and decompress. Throughout the week we went whitewater rafting, which we still talk about today as that was a huge thrill for them, we took my mom to the coast for fresh lobster, we went water skiing and then one day to the beach. That first trip to Maine was very special as I got to share my home state with my family.

4. What was the best trip you took with your wife and why?

The other trip I have to give credit to is my honeymoon in Fiji. From start to finish it was an incredible adventure that was just so much fun and authentic! We did not mind the long flight at all and truly relaxed the whole way to the island. It was amazing to fly into the main island of Fiji, and then take a 40 minute flight on a prop plane to a small island. From there, we hopped into a van that took us to the shore and then onto a small boat that took us to an even smaller island where our resort was located. We had our own private villa with an outdoor shower where fruit bats would fly high above us. We became friends with all the staff and even played volleyball with them almost every day in the afternoon. We got to meet their families when we visited their villages and we also met some wonderful guests from Australia that we hung around with. The food, the culture, the whole experience was truly phenomenal!

5. Why do you believe in the Travel & Adventure Show?

There are many, many reasons why I believe in the shows, but I would say one of the main reasons is that the consumers can actually have one on one conversations with the exhibitors to ask questions about traveling to their location. This is where you can get the "real" inside scoop on what to do and where to go to get the most out of your vacation and not have to spend all day searching on the internet. Plus you can actually make a connection with the representative to follow back up with them after the event if you have any additional questions. Face to face interaction is one of the most powerful sales tools we have today.