We joined forces with The Campus Agency to launch the inaugural CollegeFest Travel Show. The Campus Agency is a media and marketing agency specializing in the student market that has run CollegeFest for more than 40 years. The first CollegeFest Travel Show, presented by Delta Air Lines in partnership with Skyteam + Virgin Atlantic was held last Saturday at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center. The show was free for college students from any university to attend.
“Many students can become overwhelmed when planning an unfamiliar trip – their first international adventure, gap year or study abroad experience,” said Jim Zambrano, director of brand partnerships, StudentUniverse. “The ability for brands to connect face-to-face with students with a predisposition for travel and build lasting connections offline is a rare opportunity and a huge advantage as students are beginning to build brand affinities in a crowded marketplace.”
An incredible mix of 42 brands exhibited, covering all areas of travel – airlines (including Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Norwegian, TAP Portugal, China Airlines, Turkish Airlines), tour operators (including Topdeck, Contiki and Geckos Adventures), accommodation providers, travel insurance providers, travel agencies (including Liberty Travel), bus lines (including Greyhound and BoltBus), attractions, tourist boards and lifestyle brands (including L.L.Bean, T-Mobile and Vice Cream).
All students who RSVPed as a Greyhound VIP and attend the show are automatically entered into a prize draw to win one of over 25 prizes on the day that are valued at over $35k and include roundtrip flights to Europe, South America, Asia and beyond, $3k worth of flights from StudentUniverse, a Topdeck tour of Europe and annual passes for Hubway.
Students also had an opportunity to learn about travel trends and unique destinations at the Turkish Airlines Travel Talks within the show. Discussions centered around traveling around Europe on a budget, the importance of gap years, using social media to travel, and an overview of travel to Istanbul. A special talk will be held in Mandarin for Chinese students focusing on visa-free travel for F1 visa holders.
Speaking on their involvement in the show, Anthony Davis, Specialty Sales, Delta Air Lines said, >“Opportunities that allow us to move past traditional advertising and engage with student travelers face-to-face to familiarize them with our brand are always very exciting for Delta. The Travel Show is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about Delta routes, the SkyMiles loyalty program and global airline partners for students looking to travel abroad or around the US.”