Ytb
YTB International, Inc. (Template:Otcbb), is recognized as the 26th largest seller of travel in the U.S. in Travel Weekly's 2008 Power List[1], based on 2007 annual retail value of travel services booked. The Company provides Internet-based travel booking services for home-based independent representatives in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Canada, Bermuda, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Company operates through three subsidiaries: YourTravelBiz.com, Inc., YTB Travel Network, Inc., and REZconnect Technologies, Inc. YourTravelBiz.com focuses on marketing online travel websites through a nationwide network of independent business people, known as 'Reps.' YTB Travel Network establishes and maintains travel vendor relationships, processes travel transactions of online travel agents and affiliates, provides online booking systems, collects travel commissions and pays travel commissions. Each RTA directs consumers to the YTB Internet-based travel website. The REZconnect Technologies division operates a franchise chain of travel agencies and also acts as a host agency for traditional brick and mortar travel companies.
Board of Directors
J. Lloyd Tomer
Lloyd Tomer is Chairman of the Board of Directors. After spending thirteen years in the ministry, he became an agent of the A. L. Williams Company (now known as Primerica Financial Services (“Primerica”) in January 1981. He achieved the level of Senior National Sales Director in 1985 and maintained that position through 2001. While at A. L. Williams he built a successful sales organization numbering in the thousands, whose combined life insurance sales was measured in the billions, with assets under management of $750 million. He sold his agency in Primerica in January 2002. He attended Anderson College in Anderson, Indiana.
J. Scott Tomer
J. Scott Tomer, Director and Chief Executive Officer, was employed at A. L. Williams (now known as Primerica Financial Services (“Primerica”)) from 1981-1993 where he earned the level of National Sales Director; he had the responsibility of field support and training for their sales force, where he trained over 2,000 sales personnel. He left Primerica to become a Certified Financial Planner, which he continued while specializing in real estate investing prior to co-founding YourTravelBiz.com in 2001.
J. Kim Sorensen
J. Kim Sorensen, a Director and our newly appointed President of YTBTN, brings to YTB International, Inc. an extensive and successful business history. He has owned several businesses, and managed a multi-million dollar mixed real estate complex across from the Illinois state capital in Springfield. He joined A. L. Williams in 1981 and earned the Sr. Vice President position in 1985. In 1990, Mr. Sorensen partnered with J. Lloyd Tomer to provide technical and management support for his growing sales organization through 2001. He is a co-founder of YourTravelBiz.com.
Awards
Princess Cruise Lines
YTB Travel Network (YTBTN) was awarded the Top Agency Producer Award for their sales revenue with Princess Cruise Lines for the 2007 year. Amy Alford, district sales manager for Princess and Cunard Cruise Lines, presented the award to Tami Goad, YTBTN's director of travel management. YTB Travel Network is among Princess' top selling agencies within the United States and Canada.
YTB Wins Carnival’s Pinnacle Award
YTB International's Subsidiary Earns Carnival Cruise Lines' prestigious Pinnacle Award at the Funshine Travel Trade Show [2]
YTB is Platinum with Apple Vacations
March 5, 2008, Apple Vacations[3]' Business Development Director Sandy Meyer made a special stop at the YTB Edwardsville office to present YTB with the Platinum Apple Award. Apple Vacations was very pleased to announce YTB moved up to the Platinum Award after receiving the Gold Award in 2007. Shelly Coppersmith, Vice President of Marketing YTB Travel Network, accepted the award and thanked Apple Vacations for their continued support of YTB.
In The News
Inc. Magazine lists YTB in top 10 franchises in the Travel Industry
In the Franchise section of Inc. Magazine's November 2008 issue [4], writer Candee Wilde included YTB in her top ten "franchises" in the travel industry with other known travel companies such as Carson Wagonlit Travel and Choice Hotels. Ms. Wilde's article is written in response to the question, "In these rocky financial times, is it wise to purchase a franchise in the travel industry? " Candee suggests that it is a wise decision to invest in a travel franchise opportunity because with today's economy, the travel industry is solid with few barriers to entry in terms of cost or experience. YTB's continued success in the sale of travel web sites is evidence of the wisdom in Ms. Wilde's recommendation. [1]
Saturday Evening Post
One of the most prestigious magazines in the country has chosen Coach to be on the cover! The Saturday Evening Post, the longest running continually published magazine in the history of the United States, has selected Coach to be on their 2008 special August edition. The magazine features a four-page article on Coach's life and gives you an inside look behind his vision to create 10,000 millionaires.
Sorensen Named in Travel Weekly's Top 33 People in Travel
According to the magazine, Travel Weekly's list of the 33 most influential people in travel[5] is not populated by folks with fancy titles who pull the right strings and make the industry behave as it should. It's not about that sort of influence. It's filled with people who had ideas that veered from the status quo and succeeded so spectacularly that the industry jumped out of its rut and followed. They're the ones who, when they set their own agendas, set ours as well. We didn't give people much credit for their great deeds of yesteryear. If they're on this list today, it's because they've influenced the course travel is taking in 2007, and we think they'll be just as influential in 2008.
"Kim Sorensen, CEO, YTB Travel Network - Sorensen went, in a matter of weeks, from a virtual unknown in the industry to its favorite target for vitriol (from traditional travel agents and some suppliers) or admiration (from his tens of thousands of referring agents and, behind closed doors, some suppliers). He has demonstrated grace under fire, admitting his organization is still maturing, and we suspect that he and YTB will be around for many years, forcing all parties to examine what constitutes a legitimate seller of travel and challenging suppliers to assess how, and with whom, they wish to do business." This text is an excerpt from page 44 of Travel Weekly's November 19, 2007 edition.[2]
YTB Ranked 26th in Travel Weekly 2008 Power List
In this year's Travel Weekly Power List[6], YTB was ranked 26th among all travel agencies and advanced nine places over the previous year's ranking. YTB had the highest year-over-year percentage increase in travel booked of all companies on the list with an 83.3 percent improvement over the previous year's results.
The Travel Weekly Power List represents an effort to rank the nation's top travel companies. The Travel Weekly Power List is based on total dollar volume of annual and ARC (Airlines Reporting Corporation) travel bookings for 2007. The ranking also considered information on travel-related subsidiaries and corporate structure. Other leading online leisure travel agencies named in this year's Power List include Travelocity, Orbitz, Priceline and Expedia.
"Our move up Travel Weekly's annual ranking of leading travel agencies speaks directly to the hard work that has been put in by the entire YTB family, " commented J. Kim Sorensen, CEO of YTB Travel Network. " We have worked diligently to increase our volume of travel by ensuring that our team has the tools needed to compete head-to-head with other industry giants, and our year-over-year improvement in the rankings is a testimony to this effort."[3]
History
YTB tomorrow begins with YTB yesterday. On the premise that the Rep comes first, YTB was launched by three visionaries in January 2001 in downtown Alton, Illinois. The product: the exciting world of travel. The vision: to be the leader in the industry!
The Founders, J. Lloyd "Coach" Tomer, Scott Tomer and Kim Sorensen, came from a successful marketing business in financial services. YTB was to be the "model" direct sales company, capitalizing on the growing travel industry and the explosion of Internet commerce.
The home office team grew to 23 employees by the end of 2004, with travel sales that year reaching $20 million.
In the summer of 2005, 35 employees moved to Edwardsville, Illinois, and set up shop with an attitude of "Customer Care."
In August, the National Convention at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in downtown St. Louis had an attendance of 1,300 with the theme "YTB – Your Time to Build." And it was. By the end of ’05, YTB grew to $75 million in travel sales and 55 team members at the home office.
The 2006 National Convention was moved to the America’s Center and attendance grew to 3,200. With a theme of "The Business of Champions," YTB was batting 1,000 on a track of rapid growth.
With the corporate team exceeding 140 by the end of 2006, YTB relocated to its new headquarters in Wood River, Illinois, after completing a 20,000 sq. ft. partial renovation of a former K-Mart building in just eleven weeks. Also that year, after $226 million in travel sales, YTB was named the 35th largest travel company in America according to Travel Weekly.
YTB had a banner year in 2007. The company was admitted to the Direct Selling Association, and J. Kim Sorensen was named one of the 33 most influential people in the travel industry by Travel Weekly. The August National Convention exploded to an attendance of 10,800 at the America’s Center. The theme, "Cleared for Takeoff," was right on the money. As over 100 Directors in their Captains’ hats lined the giant stage under the full-size model of the jet liner, the roaring engines, music, smoke and lights ascended to the roar of the crowd!
In October, the largest gathering of travel agents ever occurred at YTB’s Funshine Travel Trade Show in Orlando with over 5,000 in attendance! We ended the year with travel sales of $414 million and a home office team of almost 300.
In 2008, YTB expanded into Canada, the Bahamas and Bermuda, and Travel Weekly named the top travel agencies in the US for 2007 with YTB at the number 26 position!
The August 2008 National Convention was held in the Edward Jones Dome, home of the St. Louis Rams, for an event fit for the record books. The theme: "Liberty and Travel for All." The set: the second largest Statue of Liberty ever constructed. The purpose: to recognize, motivate and honor some 18,000 people in attendance and to celebrate freedom.
What lies ahead? We invite you to come join us and find out as we make history.
External links
References
- ^ (November 2008). Ask Candee, Inc. Magazine.
- ^ (November 2007). Travel Weekly's list of the 33 most influential people in travel Travel Weekly
- ^ (June 23, 2008). Travel Weekly's 2008 Power List Travel Weekly