This spring, Josef Shomperlen, vice president of Trisept Solutions, the company behind mega-popular leisure travel marketplace VAX VacationAccess (VAX), appeared on Trade Secrets, a podcast from Travel Weekly and TravelAge West. The interview appeared as part of the show’s recurring Trade Secrets Tech Summit, where hosts Jamie Biesiada and Emma Weissmann sit down with leaders from travel technology companies that work with travel advisors to learn more about their product.
Now in its 25th year, VAX is a respected name in the travel technology space, hosting over 200,000 active registered users and boasting a large catalog of bookable brands. From beloved hoteliers and cruise lines to travel insurance providers and tour operators, advisors can find lots of them on VAX. And while many users visit the site to take advantage of its unmatched booking technology, Shomperlen took the opportunity to educate listeners on some of the underutilized resources that exist within — all of which were designed with the success of travel pros in mind.
“We’re so proud of that booking technology, we win awards every year and we get such great positive feedback from the advisor community that helps us to continue to improve that technology,” he said. “But I don’t want to overemphasize the booking technology because, over the years, VAX has grown into being so much more than just a booking tech.”
Because there is no “travel advisor 101” crash course, Shomperlen shared that the VAX team is especially proud of its wealth of comprehensive educational content, of which it has resources that can be utilized by both new-to-the-industry and seasoned travel pros alike. Whether they’re looking to learn more about how to use VAX, want training from specific brands or are curious about the travel industry at large, a bounty of informative tools and resources await under the site’s “Education” drop down menu.
Speaking of new-to-the-industry advisors, Shomperlen said VAX is welcoming many, noting that a recent survey helmed by the team revealed 33% of the site’s audience have been advisors for two years or less. Similarly, 55% of respondents said they have been in the industry for five years or less. It’s a shocking number, and Shomperlen said the site’s educational content exists in part to help new advisors prosper. “We want to welcome people in, and we want to give them a chance to succeed,” he said.
One big element of fostering success as an advisor is finding ways to stay connected with clients in between bookings, something Shomperlen says the VAX team can help with via its expansive library of editorial content on The Compass, the site’s online publication. “(The Compass is) not news, it’s more travel advisor lifestyle-type content,” he said. “It’s just a fantastic tool to use to keep your clients engaged.” Equipped with convenient one-click sharing buttons, Shomperlen said articles on The Compass are a great way for advisors to stay in front of their clients between the booking cycle, and the best part is, they have access to it all for free.
Finally, Shomperlen shared one more way VAX helps advisors stay top-of-mind for their clients, shouting out the Travel Inspo Tool Kit, the platform’s collection of pre-made, ready-to-share social media content including Reels and admittedly hilarious memes.
After going on to discuss the company’s takes on paywalls, cyber security and AI, Biesiada and Weissmann asked Shomperlen if he had any parting words for listeners. “The next time you go to VAX, if you’re going in there to book, by all means please complete or do whatever it is you’re doing, but then, stick around a little bit longer and just look around,” he said. “I think you’ll be surprised at some of the amazing things that you’re going to see inside of VAX that you didn’t know were there and are super useful to you in your engagement with your clients and with your growth as an advisor … (VAX is) such a useful tool and such a valuable asset to have completely free of charge.”
To listen to the full episode “Trade Secrets Tech Summit: VAX VacationAccess (feat. Josef Shomperlen),” click here.
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