Chicago’s travel industry has come together on a golf outing

Chicago area travel and hospitality industry executives gathered for a charity golf tournament July 18 at Prairie Landing Golf Club in West Chicago, IL.

About 112 played in the 18-hole golf tournament and joined 44 other participants for post-golf cocktails, a buffet dinner, and several raffle prizes and trips auctioned off live. Dan Trakina, business development manager for Happy Holidays, will officiate the event road trip

Last year, Chicagoland’s travel industry and hospitality golf outing raised $5,000 to help Make-A-Wish Illinois, a nonprofit charity that “creates life-changing wishes for children with serious illnesses.” Make-A-Wish was represented this year by Ashley White, who explained how the charity works and his appreciation for the fundraiser.

Trakinam expressed her gratitude. “I want to thank all the vendors and others who are the backbone of this event,” he said. Your generous contribution to the belly sponsorship, dinner table and trips to this amazing charity event will benefit Make-A-Wish Illinois.

“I want to thank our travel advisors for overcoming the pandemic, cancellations, airline issues and other challenges over the past two years. The fact that they persevered through another challenging time is a testament to their determination and passion to make their dreams come true. In this case, that’s also true for Make-A-Wish.

“I have to share how privileged I am to work with such a wonderful team/board that I trust to make this event a success and what has changed over the past few years. Thank you to our volunteers for their time and effort. This event is not easy to put together but the rewards and purpose are worth every minute.” it has.

The 2021 golf outing was fun and exciting, especially since it’s been two years since people were able to meet in person. This year, participants said it is equally important to develop relationships between suppliers and travel advisors as much as possible.

“It’s a great way to reconnect with many of our travel advisors that we’ve been void of for the past two years,” said Joel Peterson, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority sales executive. “So today, many of our travel advisors are starving to get back to live, in-person events with their vendor partners. We’re tired of seeing each other through square screens. Just to hug someone and get back to that one-on-one engagement. That relationship with our travel advisors is so important to our destination, and This is a great platform to do that.”

Pam Carroll of Gababout Travel in Palos Hills, IL agrees. “I love all these people and I love socializing,” she said. “I’m not a great golfer at all, but I love getting together with everyone and supporting the travel industry. We haven’t done anything for two years and we miss everyone. So it’s good to come together.”

Business has really picked up in the past year, she said. “I’m very happy that the business is back up,” Carroll said. “We cannot wait until all testing requirements are gone. We are busier than ever. Everyone is booking higher than before. I think there are a lot of people who save their whole lives to go to Italy, Hawaii, wherever, and then spend two years thinking they’ll never get there. So now they want the best. No one wants a garden view room, everyone wants an ocean front room.

Tom Carnes, co-owner of LaMachia Travel in Kenosha, Wis., who started a host agency called LaMachia Jet Stream, said the pandemic has led to a new influx of travel agency clients.

“When things cooled down from the pandemic and business came back, I’d say 30 to 40 percent of the business was new to the travel agency and new to us,” Karnes said. “It was fun at first, but they’re the hardest nut to crack,” he says, because new customers often need education.

But golf outings and other such industry events “renew the energy we do,” Carnes said. “These pre-Covid events were exciting, but at a certain point they were also taken for granted. But after covid we are very happy to be back here. The things we once took for granted, my God, now we appreciate them!”