GOF Conference brings the Internet to group travel planners

RICHMOND, Va. — Going On Faith, the conference for religious travel planners has announced it will be the first in the group travel industry to include Internet Marketplace appointments via Skype at its gathering in Richmond this month.

The Going On Faith Marketplace is a series of scheduled six-minute meetings between travel industry delegates and church travel planners. Historically, these appointments have been face-to-face. However, with advances in technology the organization has decided to bring the future to group travel.

“It’s exciting to think that a DMO [destination marketing organizataion] or hotel delegate will be speaking with a church travel planner who could be a thousand miles away and discussing travel plans,” said Joe Cappuzzello of Going On Faith.

The organization is looking to the Internet appointments as an added value to Going On Faith.  It plans to set up two Skype-based appointments in the Marketplace while around 150 church delegates will be seated in booths for the customary scheduled meetings.

“We thought it would be a great way to experience social marketing in a safe atmosphere,” said Cappuzzello. “The two Internet church delegates are to be applauded for their courage.”

Going On Faith staff reports that the greatest fear is an Internet outage.

Going on Faith welcomes your thoughts on this subject and invites you to post them on the organization’s Facebook page — www.facebook.com/going-on-faith.